Acupuncture for Effective Pain Relief at
Harmony Acupuncture Kanata

In North America, pain is the most common condition treated with acupuncture. This is because acupuncture is known to be a safe and often very effective alternative to pain medications, many of which are toxic and potentially addictive.

According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, pain of muscles, bones, and joints is caused by obstruction of the flow of Qi and blood in the meridians (which are energy channels in the human body through which Qi flows to permeate different areas of the body). Treatment with acupuncture removes these blockages.

In addition to acupuncture, many other techniques are used to treat pain, such as moxibustion, Tuina massage, cupping, electroacupuncture, and plum-blossom to strengthen the flow of Qi and blood (circulation). When proper circulation is restored, pain subsides.

In chronic cases in which the condition has not been properly
treated, abnormal functioning of the internal organs may be involved. Treatment in such cases is usually more complex, requiring more time and the use of additional therapies, such as Chinese herbal medicine.

When the system once again works in harmony, the pain that had been serving as the body’s alarm signal is relieved.

Studies on animals using acupuncture or acupressure to relieve pain showed a substantial analgesic effect: a rise of more than 100 percent in the pain threshold. This indicates that the efficacy of acupuncture is not associated with a patient’s psychological suggestibility. However, a calm, positive mental state of a person during the therapy can further improve the results.

Western medical research reveals that acupuncture causes a release of endogenous opioid peptides such as beta-endorphins, enkephalins, and endorphins (morphine-like substances produced inside the body) in the central nervous system which have pain-relieving and calming effects. Acupuncture anaesthesia commonly practiced in China effectively relieves or reduces the pain of surgery during which a patient remains conscious. It is used as an alternative for patients who cannot tolerate Western anaesthesia during surgery.

Acupuncture is a powerful technique which can be used to treat many painful conditions, most commonly:

• Acute trauma and sport injuries
• Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia
• Headaches, earaches, and eye pain
• Stiff neck
• Shoulder pain
• Elbow and arm pain
• Chronic lower back pain
• Knee pain
• Ankle and foot pain
• Facial neuralgias and coastal neuralgias
• Post-operative pain
• Pain associated with dysfunction of the digestive system: stomach pain, abdominal pain, colic pain caused by gall stones
• Renal colic
• Menstrual cramps, and postpartum abdominal pain