Medical Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of medicine and has been extensively researched to prove its efficacy. Acupuncture can be used by allied health professionals as an adjunct to your treatment program, or can be fully utilized by certified acupuncturists for your complete treatment plan.
It has been shown to:
- Reduce Acute or Chronic Pain: Acupuncture needles produce a painful response in the body and, as a result, the body releases natural pain-killers known as opiods. Recent evidence has revealed that the addition of an electrical stimulus to the needles enhances the analgesic effect of acupuncture.
- Encourage Circulation & Natural Healing: The insertion of acupuncture needles also results in an increase in blood flow to the area surrounding the needles. Blood flow to an injury site is essential for healing, since blood carries oxygen and the body’s healing components necessary for recovery.
- Improve Function of Body Parts: the application of needles and an electrical current can stimulate and facilitate the body’s neuromuscular connection
- Improve the Body’s Biochemical Balance
- Help to reduce stress and anxiety
Some of the most common and most successful pain-related conditions treated with acupuncture include:
- acute sprains and strains
- pain from nerve entrapment
- repetitive strain disorders (i.e. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis)
- myofascial pain patterns (i.e. Temporomandibular joint pain, muscle tension headaches, shoulder pain, neck and back pain)
- arthralgias (particularly osteoarthritic in nature)
- degenerative disc disease with or without radicular pain
- pain following surgical intervention
- peripheral neuropathic pain
- Headaches
Finally, one of the greatest benefits of acupuncture is the fact that patients can reduce and/or avoid the use of heavy narcotics and pain relievers to alleviate their symptoms.