Treating Pain with Acupuncture

It is no surprise that Back Pain is the #1 reason people seek acupuncture treatment.  Many studies and meta-analysis have concluded that acupuncture offers more relief than usual care.  Guidelines from the American Pain Society and American College of Physicians say doctors should consider acupuncture as an alternative therapy for patients with chronic low-back pain that’s not helped by conventional treatment and before prescribing opioids.  

There are quite a few ways we can address pain, depending on how long you’ve had it and the exact nature of the problem itself.  A herniated disc will get different treatment than say, sciatica or a post-surgery knee.  The points that we choose and the depth and technique that are applied all matter a great deal in getting results.  For instance, sometimes we need to treat the muscles and do deeper needling into trigger points like you see in dry needling.  Other times the needling is much more precise and adding moxibustion to warm the needles or electro-stimulation is more effective.  We also add cupping when appropriate to lift the skin and fascia and allow for more circulation and healing.  

Did we mention that all of these techniques are comfortable?  One thing we always try to do is make sure our treatments feel good.  The warmth of moxibustion is heavenly on sore aching joints.  Cupping is like a massage and at times we’ll do it just to relax someone who is stressed and tense.  Electro-stimulation sounds painful but the sensation is actually very gentle. 

No matter what a patient comes in for as their primary concern, we inevitably include points for a tense upper back or headaches, a foot that aches or what we call “computer arms” (tendonitis near the elbow).  Pain is a part of our modern lives but thankfully you have acupuncturists just a phone call away!