Pain Relief Guide: Acupuncture
Source: Dr. Oz
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/pain-relief-guide-acupuncture-chinese-medicine
“So, can you help me with my pain?” It’s the first question I’m asked when someone discovers I’m an acupuncturist.
There is not one person I’ve met who has not experienced pain to some degree. It can be temporary pain from a skinned knee or from slamming a thumb in the door to more chronic pain, such as low back pain, neck pain, migraines, or pain associated with serious diseases.
What happens when acute pain begins to linger and then transforms into a chronic condition? What happens when you’ve exhausted all conventional treatment options, you’ve undergone surgery, you’re on pain medication, and you’re STILL in pain?
Emotionally, you may begin to feel depressed or frustrated. The pain may prevent you from getting a full night’s sleep, so now you’re sleep-deprived and irritable. Your relationships may suffer. You may not be able to think clearly and you may experience memory loss. Chronic pain is ultimately exhausting and negatively impacts your quality of life. If severe enough, it also can negatively affect your spirit and sense of self worth.
Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with a rich history and lineage dating back thousands of years to ancient China. Acupuncture is truly a medical art, as each clinician uses various approaches, techniques and styles to address their patients’ conditions; no two patients are treated the same.
TCM is complex and abstract as we think in terms of the universal principles of Yin and Yang. We discuss theoretical concepts such as “Qi” (pronounced “chee”). Qi is incredibly challenging to translate, but can loosely be described as “life energy.” Qi is a fundamental concept in Eastern ideology and TCM. In China, it is referred to as “Qi.” In Japan, it is called “Ki”. Koreans refer to it as “Gi,” and in India, ayurvedic practitioners refer to this life energy as “Prana.”
Qi takes on various roles in our body. For example, it is the energy that keeps us from falling ill, the energy that forces our heart to beat, or cells to divide. In TCM, Qi is a moving force that travels along pathways in the body noted as meridians. When Qi is flowing without obstruction or without deficiency, we are in a perfect state of health and wellness. It is the moment an imbalance occurs, that we begin to fall ill and manifest in various symptoms of disharmony.
Acupuncturists have a unique and keen ability to address the patient as a whole. We take a tremendous amount of time assembling a complex jigsaw puzzle; each piece of the puzzle comprises details such as stress levels, bowel movements, response to changes in season, aversion or preference to cold or hot temperatures, menstrual cycle, etc. Our main goal is to treat the root cause of a patient’s condition. It is not uncommon for my chronic pain patients to notice improvement in pain, but they also begin noticing side benefits, such as improvement in sleep, mood, mental clarity, and overall improvement in quality of life.
Conventional medicine has begun paying closer attention to acupuncture. It is no longer looked upon as a fad, exotic, or as folk medicine. TCM is rooted in empirical evidence. Our model of medicine was shaped by thousands of years of clinical experience by ancient Chinese physicians who did not have the technology we have today. Scientists are now working backward to determine exactly why you feel better when I stick small needles into your body! A tremendous amount of data is accumulating to support acupuncture’s complex influence over the body, especially the nervous system.
Acupuncture is now available in many US hospitals and private practices. It’s even being used by the Department of Defense to treat our soldiers who are dealing with acute and chronic pain in war-torn areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Your initial appointment with an acupuncturist will usually be the longest visit. You’ll undergo a detailed assessment from which a TCM diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment plan is developed. Acupuncturists are trained in various techniques and styles and use these techniques on a patient-by-patient basis.
