One of the most common questions asked at me when people learn that I am an acupuncturist is, “Can acupuncture help with my ____ pain?” Inevitably, people fill in the blank with any part of their body that can possibly hurt. “Can acupuncture help with my shoulder pain... my tendonitis..., my back pain?” Any place that can hurt, I have been asked if acupuncture can help relieve that pain. My answer is usually very much the same, “I would be surprised if you didnʼt find relief from your pain with acupuncture.” That being said, there are no guarantees and some pains take longer than other pains to relieve, but I do know that there is hope.

In my practice, the most common issue people come in with is some sort of pain. Even if there are other very significant health problems going on, people want relief from their pain. Part of the reason why so many people turn to acupuncture for pain management is because pain is very often difficult to treat using modern medicine. Doctors have very little at their disposal to help pain drugs, surgery and physical therapy are their main tools.

Drugs can help dull the pain but never relieve the root of it and many people doesn't like the side effects nor do they want to take more pills. Surgery, on the other hand, is a costly proposition and is often like rolling dice. I have seen many people who have had back surgeries, who have had pain relief from their surgery and many of them have had no change or the pain got worse. Considering the potential hazards to surgery, the missed days of work and high operation costs, we can easily see that surgery should generally be the last resort for pain management. That leaves physical therapy, which can be an excellent alternative, but does not always work either.

Because of these reasons years ago people began to experiment with acupuncture and pain management. To their very happy surprise they found out that acupuncture worked exceedingly well in managing pain. People began to receive short, long term and often complete relief from their pain. As the word spread, acupuncture in America began to be known for its ability to relieve pain and help people lead a more full life.

But how does acupuncture work so well with pain? There is a saying in Chinese that can be translated as

free flow, no pain

pain, no free flow.

This simple saying sums up many of the strategies that I employ to help the body overcome pain. More often than not pain is a sign that the area is stuck. Often people can even feel a knot in the muscles. A recent patient described a lower back pain as if she was sitting on a rock! What we also tend to find is inflammation and sensitivity in the area of pain. All of these pointed to the fact that the body is unable to properly nourish the area, blood and lymph flow is limited, the muscles are tight and the area cannot breath. What acupuncture can do is quickly open up and release the area of tightness and reestablish free flow. When the free flow is established the pain lessens and over time truly subsides.

When a person lives with pain for a long time it has the effect of blinding the individual to hope or imagine that they will be in pain for the rest of their life.

When I have helped reestablish free flow and reduce someoneʼs pain they often tell me that they could not imagine that they would have ever gotten rid of their pain. It is like a window of freedom is opened and people can see the world in a fresh, new way. From this position all sorts of possibilities arise. People begin to do be able to do every day activities again and to simply enjoy their life more. Most importantly, when a person in chronic pain experiences that window of freedom they gain one of the most powerful medical advantages, hope. With hope we can see the possibility of a different future for ourselves. One where we are more active, lively and engaged with the world.

As people come in for pain management it is uncommon to find that acupuncture helps with a range of other issues. They find that their acid reflux has also died down and they are taking less prolisec, that their digestion is a lot better, they have more energy and their mood has improved. Since Chinese Medicine is holistic in nature as a clinician I am able to help a
whole host of issues while addressing my patientʼs pain.

Look for future articles on stress and pain management to get a deep relook into how one can address their pain.