In Chinese medicine, pain is the result of qi and blood stagnation or blockage, which can be local, systemic or both. Stagnation caused by trauma or pathogenic invasion can be treated locally but often there are underlying systemic causes of qi and blood stagnation that also need to be treated. These could be qi deficiency, channel obstructions, dampness, and internal cold or heat that’s impacting the movement of qi and blood. A purely internal pathology causing pain will not resolve with a local treatment that staves of pain temporarily. The pain will not resolve or will return.
A common example is neck and shoulder pain. It can be from injury, poor posture, overuse, scaring or sleeping position, which would indicate a local problem that can be alleviated with proper ergonomics and trigger point acupuncture. Often, however, there is also stress, emotional issues, chronic fatigue or deficiency causing the muscles to tighten and inhibit the flow of qi and blood to the tissue. The pain tends to be dull, aching and chronic with varying degrees of intensity. Acupuncture from a trained acupuncturist can treat the underlying causes as well as the local aspects of pain.
Another common condition is low back pain. It’s usually considered a structural misalignment or soft tissue injury with evidence pointing in that direction. Most often, the Kidney organ system is also deficient and sometimes the bladder, reproductive organs are also involved. All aspects of the condition must be treated to get optimal results.
In my office, I apply various methods of acupuncture and adjunct treatments depending on what the patient needs and how they respond to treatment. Being able to vary treatments between traditional acupuncture, balance method, electroacupuncture, trigger point needling, as well as cupping, gua sha and massage provides fast and lasting results.
Acupuncture also has a strong safety record. Licensed acupuncturists complete extensive training and certification through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and side effects are typically mild — occasional bruising or brief fatigue — especially compared to the risks associated with many pain medications and invasive procedures. The National Institutes of Health and World Health Organization have both recognized acupuncture’s effectiveness for a range of common pain conditions, and the body of clinical evidence supporting broader use continues to grow.
Acupuncture also works well alongside other treatments rather than in place of them. It pairs naturally with chiropractic care for spine-related issues, and with physical therapy or massage during injury recovery. For patients considering or recovering from surgery, acupuncture can help manage pain before and after the procedure and support the body’s healing process. This same multi-pronged approach benefits systemic conditions like fibromyalgia and neuropathies, where treating several affected areas at once often works better than treating pain in isolation.
In pain anywhere in your body? Call for a free consultation and start feeling better today.
