The Role of Acupuncture in Pain Management

There is no doubt that acupuncture is one of the oldest healing arts, as it has been part of Traditional Chinese Medicine since the fifth century BC. However, when journalist James Reston returned from China in 1971 and wrote about his experience in the New York Times article, "Now, About My Operation in Peking", neither it was not known by the English-speaking population nor was it regulated in the United States. In fact, since then, more and more Americans, as well as their physicians, have found acupuncture a useful tool, especially in pain management like neck pain, osteoarthritis, pain in the knees, and headaches, including migraines. Similarly, acupuncture may also prove to be beneficial in treating cancer symptoms in conjunction with other complementary therapies. The use of acupuncture in Western medicine has actually been found to be effective in treating the chronic pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting that accompany chemotherapy.

What Is Acupuncture?

There are 3,500 years of history behind the practice of acupuncture to get rid of chronic pain and pain management, a branch of traditional Chinese medicine. Several needles, heat, and pressure are applied to specific points on the body in order to achieve results. Apparently, stimulating these points releases or redirects the body’s natural energy, known as chi or qi, as illness and pain are a result of blocks and imbalances in this vital energy. As part of acupuncture treatment, thin needles are inserted into your skin at strategic points on your body. The most common purpose of acupuncture is to pain management. It is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine. This method is increasingly being used to manage stress as well as for overall wellness. An acupuncturist believes that energy flow can be rebalanced by inserting needles along specific points along these meridians. Contrary to the views of many Western practitioners, those practicing acupuncture have long treated the points as areas where they can stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue. A lot of people think that this stimulation from a medical device stimulates your body’s natural painkillers.

How Does Acupuncture Work Regarding Pain Management?

Acupuncture helps the body by improving its functions and by promoting the body's own self-healing abilities by stimulating specific anatomic points also known as acupunctures points, or acupoints. In most cases, the most common method to stimulate acupoints consists of inserting fine, sterile needles into the skin to stimulate them. Moreover, pressure, heat, or electrical stimulation can also be beneficial in enhancing the effects of this stimulation. As well as manual massage, moxibustion or heat therapy, cupping, and application of topical herbal medicines and liniments, other techniques for stimulating acupoints can be employed.

The basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine can be summarized as follows: The universe, and the human body, can be described as being comprised of opposing forces. Healthy bodies result from the balance of these forces within the body. As a result of this continuous flow of energy, the yin and yang forces are always in balance. A blockage of the flow of energy can result in pain, lack of function, or even damage to one’s health in some cases, such as when water gets trapped behind a dam. Using acupuncture therapy to unblock the blocked flow of qi in the body, the body can stimulate its natural healing response, which is affected by various physiological mechanisms, including the immune system. A number of modern research studies have demonstrated that acupuncture has a positive impact on the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, cardiovascular system, and digestive system. The healing power of acupuncture is that by stimulating the body’s many systems, it is able to help with chronic pain management, sleep, digestion, and a sense of general well-being.

What Happens During an Acupuncture Treatment?

First of all, your acupuncturist will ask you about your health history. Depending on how well you are doing, he or she may perform some additional physical examinations as well, such as examining the tongue's shape, color, and coating, and perhaps even feeling your pulse. Using these unique tools, the acupuncturist can determine the kind of treatment that will best suit your individual condition based on the results of these unique assessments. Acupuncture begins by having you lie comfortably on a treatment table while precise acupoints on different parts of your body are stimulated in various directions. Since the fine needles are placed gently, most patients will not feel any discomfort during the procedure. In general, the needles are retained between five and 30 minutes during the procedure. People report that they feel relaxed during and after the procedure.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

Depending on the individual, the frequency and number of treatments may vary. In some cases, the patient may experience a dramatic improvement after a single treatment. In cases of chronic pain management or more complex conditions, one to two treatments per week for several months will be recommended. In the event of acute problems, usually fewer visits are necessary, typically eight to ten total. At the beginning of your appointment, we will develop an individual treatment plan that outlines the expected number of treatments.

What Is The Best Way To Select An Acupuncturist?

With the Vitality Wellness Clinic for Integrative Medicine, we have made it easy for you to find the right acupuncturist by hand-selecting only the best practitioners from the community to join our team. It is up to each state to regulate the licensure of acupuncturists. Acupuncturists at Vitality Wellness Clinic, Colleyville, Texas are all licensed by the State of Texas Acupuncture Board and have years of clinical experience in their particular field. The best way for you to know if our acupuncture is right for you is to schedule an appointment at your convenient time.

How Much Does Acupuncture Cost?

The cost of acupuncture varies from plan to plan, depending on the provider. If you’re insurance plan covers acupuncture, our staff will bill your insurance company for the procedure and you will be responsible for any required co-payments. If your insurance does not cover acupuncture, you may be able to receive the service for a cash payment. We accept cash, checks, and credit cards. Have a look pricing page https://www.vwellnessclinic.com/prices/ to get an idea about the cost or call us at 817-527-6077 for more details.