Acupuncture

Useful Information

An estimated 8 out of 10 people will have back pain at some point in life. Back pain is one of the top reasons people seek medical treatment. It is also the number 1 reported reason for seeking acupuncture, the good news is that chronic lower back pain is one of the conditions that research suggests acupuncture may be an effective tool for treating.

How Acupuncture Helps Back Pain

Acupuncture began in China more than 2,500 years ago. It involves inserting thin needles at certain points on the body. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the body has more than 2,000 of these points. They are connected by pathways or meridians, which create a flow of energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”).

Stimulating these points is said to correct the imbalance of qi and improve the flow of energy.

Acupuncture helps with the following conditions:-

• Muscular, Skeletal and Neurological problems: Back pain, Sciatica, Frozen shoulder, Stiff neck, Tennis elbow, Muscle strain, Arthritis
• Insomnia, Stress, Anxiety, Fatigue, Indigestion, Colitis, Asthma, etc.
• Practitioners believe that this helps relieve pain and improve health. It’s thought the effects come from stimulating the central nervous system. This may trigger the release of chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals either alter the experience of pain or produce bodily changes that promote a sense of well-being.

Other theories suggest Acupuncture works by speeding the relay of electromagnetic signals. This may begin the flow of pain-killing chemicals such as endorphins. Or it may release immune system cells in the body. Triggering the release of natural opioids. These are chemicals in the brain that may lessen pain or promote sleep.

Changing brain chemistry by altering the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Neurotransmitters either stimulate or dampen nerve impulses. Neurohormones affect the function or activity of an organ in the body.

One major hypothesis produced by research, is that acupuncture works through neurohormonal pathways. Basically, a very fine and specially designed needle is inserted through specific points in the body and stimulate the nerve. The nerve actually sends signals to the brain, and the brain releases neural hormones such as beta-Endorphins. By doing this, the patient may feel euphoric and relaxed, and this increases the pain threshold and they feel less pain. Another belief is that acupuncture works by reducing pro-inflammatory markers, or proteins, in the body.

Acupuncture can significantly decrease these pro-inflammatory markers which decreases inflammation and reduces pain. Yet another hypothesis applies specifically to how acupuncture can be used to treat nerve damage, such as chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that often causes numbness or weakness in the feet and hands. The idea is that by putting the needle in, you stimulate the brain to secrete some nerve growth factor, and then that helps the nerve to regenerate.

Acupuncture is one of Simone's skills and she combines it with The Dorn Method and a Swiss Deep-Tissue Massage

Next Steps

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