My Dad’s Experience with Acupuncture
My dad had chronic low back pain throughout my childhood. He’d come in and out of flares as pain management tools accumulated in our home: massage tables, inversion tables and pungent pain ointments. During one period of acute pain, his chiropractor told him to try acupuncture. My dad almost crawled into his first session and walked out completely upright. The next day, he rode his bike for 30 miles. Of course, this story is unique in the speed and entirety of his healing, but many people turn to acupuncture to treat both chronic and acute pain conditions.
How Acupuncture Fits into Pain Relief
Although acupuncture has been practiced for over 3,000 years, modern medicine still struggles to understand how it fits into the current model. When can it be used? How is it used? For what?
Most people seek acupuncture treatment for acute and chronic pain. One of the strengths of acupuncture is that it offers another method of pain relief. After traditional imaging has ruled out a serious structural abnormality or another condition contributing to the pain, acupuncture can offer therapeutic support. It does not regenerate nerves or restructure the body, but it can help reduce inflammation and release endorphins. Some people may call it “magic,” but it is energy.
Understanding Qi and Pain
Coming back to basic acupuncture principles, energy, or qi, flows through the body at all times. Health and wellness depend on the free flow of qi. When that flow becomes obstructed, it can cause pain. The main treatment principle for pain conditions is to promote the free flow of qi throughout the body.
Personalized Treatment for Chronic and Acute Pain
There are many different acupuncture techniques used to support pain relief. Some people respond well to one type of treatment, while others may respond better to another.
For example, using local points is common for pain. If there is back pain, needles may be inserted into the back. However, other acupuncture approaches may never place a needle in the affected area, instead using points on the arm or leg that energetically correspond to the painful area.
This is one of the strengths of Chinese medicine. There is no single “right” or “wrong” way to do acupuncture. Treatment is truly tailored to each person.
Patience During the Healing Process
A challenge of working with chronic pain is understanding the course of treatment. Especially when someone has suffered for a long time, healing often takes time. A general rule of thumb in acupuncture is that the length of the condition is often proportional to the length of treatment.
Having grace, compassion and patience, both as a practitioner and as a patient, is an important part of supporting the healing process.
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