Acupuncture, East Asian medicine and Pain

From one of the oldest classics in Chinese medicine, the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon, “when there is stagnation, there is pain.” Acupuncture and Chinese medicine will treat this stagnation, and therefore the pain, but it also looks deeper to determine if there is something else preventing the body from healing most efficiently. This is what it means to treat the root and to be holistic.

Biomedically, acupuncture has been shown to reduce inflammation, promote circulation, release endorphins and other opiods and promote tissue regeneration.

Painkillers have there time and place in medicine, but if the pain is not improving, or if the pain is getting more severe or flaring more frequently, it is possible that the medication is damaging the system, and making it difficult to heal.

Furthermore, unlike many pain medications, acupuncture and Chinese medicine is considered very safe, and when performed by a well-trained practitioner, side effects are rare.

More information about acupuncture and pain can be found at: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm#introduction