Acupuncture
Acupuncture for Pain Management and Chronic Aches and Pains
Who can benefit from Acupuncture?
- Pain control: headaches, migraine, sciatica, TMJ, and neuralgia
- Chronic Orthopedic conditions: arthritis, bursitis, frozen shoulder, and chronic back pain
- Athletic injuries: acute ankle sprains, knee sprains
- Repetitive strains (RSI): tennis elbow, golfers elbow, and rotator cuff strain
- Post surgical: arthroscopy, menesectomy, joint reconstructions
Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world, originating in China more than 2,000 years ago. Acupuncture has now become a well known treatment for a variety of health conditions. The term acupuncture describes the procedure of stimulating anatomical points on the body (acupoints) by a variety of techniques, most commonly by inserting very fine needles. Acupuncture literally means ’needle piercing’.
Traditional Chinese Medicine theorizes that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the body and that these points connect in pathways called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe these meridians conduct energy or qi (pronounced ‘chee’) throughout the body.
Contemporary medical acupuncturists base their understanding on current concepts of neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and pathophysiology of the human body. Several theories have been proposed to explain acupuncture’s ability to enhance healing and reduce pain. Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to release other chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals either change the experience of pain or release other chemicals, such as hormones, that influence the body’s own self regulating systems. Biochemical changes may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.