Pain is a real, well…pain. It prevents us from living a carefree life. When in pain, you may find everyday activities requiring a lot more energy and patience. Going to the store may seem like an incredibly difficult task. Getting out of bed may seem overwhelming. However pain affects you, acupuncture can help.

In Chinese Medicine, pain is evidence that energy is not flowing smoothly.  Now, I understand that may sound pretty mystical and highly unrelatable. I know when I started getting treatments myself, the idea of “stuck energy” would create an immediate disconnect and maybe one or two blank stares. I embraced the idea of stagnation or stuck energy when my treatments alleviated my pain from chronic migraines.  (My treatments seemed to affect both my pain and bad attitude!)

For some people, the idea of energy not moving may resonate more than others. If you sit at a desk all day long, using the same muscles, feeling the stress of deadlines and not taking a break- sure! Feeling stuck is real. If you are repeating motions over and over without stretching and relaxing your muscles, pain and tension make sense.

For other folks, the idea of stagnation and pain may not make so much sense. You may work out regularly, eat a healthy diet and feel pretty great about your life. One day, you tweak your back just so and cannot kick the pain. Despite living a healthy life, pain can appear. Pain affects everyone. It could be related to fatigue, recent injury or many other possibilities.

Acupuncture views pain as being a stagnation of some sort. With an acupuncture treatment, your ability to heal is supported by specific pain relieving points. Blood, oxygen and qi (energy) are stimulated to respond to the area and get you back to feeling pain free. Research supports the use of acupuncture in reducing pain. It has no side effects. No medication is necessary to aid your recovery, just tiny needles.

Things to remember: Acupuncture is similar to how people get back in shape by going to the gym. If you commit to going to the gym, you cannot expect 100% results after one intense workout. Similarly, acupuncture treatments build on one another. Consistency and frequency is integral to your recovery.

Another tip: The sooner you come in from an injury, the better. Acute injuries respond well to acupuncture. Twisted ankles, back pain, etc. react well to acupuncture and decrease the swelling as well as overall healing time.

Acupuncture is effective with chronic pain as well. Arthritis, old back injuries, knee pain, bunions, plantar fasciitis, etc. are all treatable. The idea is to increase the blood flow to the affected area to support healing. “‘Acupuncture seems to help pain receptors in the brain bind more easily to opioids such as endorphins, our body’s natural painkiller,’ says Richard Harris, Ph.D.” (http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/acupuncture_benefits/acupuncture_for_sports_injuries.php)

Acupuncture can be an invaluable tool for your tool box. There are no negative side effects and you make get a nap out of it too! As someone who was once skeptical myself, it is worth giving it a shot. Take the step and see where it takes you!

***Be sure to get any pain conditions evaluated by your primary care physician.***