Acupuncture is a modality that has been used in Chinese medicine for over 3,000 years. In the western world it is most well-known for its ability to help with pain both acute and chronic.
How Does Acupuncture Help with Pain?
Acupuncture is able to exert its effect on pain in a couple different ways. First, it works by altering how the brain perceives pain stimulation. Second, acupuncture works by effecting muscle and nervous system pain reflexes; this enables it to affect internal organs as well. Third, acupuncture can release natural pain killers such as endorphin, dynorphine, encephalin, and endomorphin to such down the pain response. Much of the euphoria, relaxation and pain relief that is experienced right after acupuncture is attributed to the endorphin release. Finally, acupuncture is also thought to block pain signaling pathways within the spinal cord.
The body is Electric
Through science we now understand that every cell in the body functions on the basis of an electrical dimension. Some cells will respond by direct nerve stimulation others communicate via the exchange of sodium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. When tissues are injured, they become resistant to the normal flow of electricity and ion exchange. This causes waste products to build up within cells and nutrients, including oxygen to get locked out of the cells. The electrical current in the human body flows along the path of least resistance. In areas of injury and inflammatory accumulation resistance will be high. Acupuncture works to decrease this resistance so that nutrients can be supplied to the areas of injury to enable repair, healing and growth of the tissue.
Acupuncture Compared to Medications for Pain
Amazingly the success rate of acupuncture with chronic pain is in the range of 55-80%. Considering that the highly potent pain medication morphine helps pain about 70% of the time, acupuncture is a viable modality in pain management and eradication. Given that acupuncture has minimal to no side effects and morphine has endless side effects, it is easy to see why so many people are choosing acupuncture.
Electro Acupuncture
Electro acupuncture is often utilized by Dr. Ama to drive pain from the body and speed healing. Electro is amazing for acute and chronic pain. It can also be used for tissue regeneration in the knees, shoulders, back, ankles, and wrist, as well as for general musculoskeletal injuries. Before you run for the surgeon’s scalpel, give electro acupuncture a try. We think you will be quite impressed.
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