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The Chinese have practiced the modality of acupuncture for thousands of years. Acupuncture is recognized as a safe and time-tested approach in holistic healing that can be used to ease pain, aid in the prevention of disease, and return overall balance to the mind, body, and soul.
According to the experts at Performance Spine and Sports Medicine in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, “Acupuncture is the insertion of fine sterile needles into specific locations on the body to elicit a therapeutic response.”
Generally speaking, most of the patients who undergo an acupuncture treatment session indicate they feel deeply relaxed and have an increase in energy levels subsequent to the treatment. The pain may be minimal, if existent at all. Acupuncture typically is not known to produce any negative side effects when administered by a qualified and licensed professional.
There is a form of medical acupuncture called integrative neuromuscular acupoint system (INMAS) that serves to combine modern theories of Chinese acupuncture with Western medical ideas in an effort to treat chronic back pain without the use of drugs or invasive surgery. Acupuncture has been proven to be effective in the treatment of back pain. It helps to relax one’s muscles and have an anti-inflammatory effect upon the nerves. It creates a change in the mind as to how one perceives pain. It gives the patient maximum potential to heal himself. Acupuncture not only treats the ailments, but the symptoms, as well.
Simply speaking, acupuncture helps the flow of oxygen-rich blood, removes obstructions from the muscles, and relaxes the nervous system. It also allows one to be able to breathe deeper, notice a decrease in pain, improve sleep, and even aid in digestion.
The beauty of acupuncture is that this time-honored healing modality can be used in conjunction with modern Western medical practices for optimum results to the patient. When deciding to undergo acupuncture treatments, one must be prepared for several weekly treatments, perhaps up to 12 sessions. An initial visit with an acupuncturist will include and exam and assessment of the patient’s condition. Most sessions last about 30 minutes.
When the session begins, the patient will be asked to lie down, either face-up, face-down, or on his/her side. This all depends upon where the needles will be inserted. Single-use disposable needles should only be used. The initial injection of the needle into the patient may or may not be felt, but once the needle reaches the appropriate depth, the patient should feel an aching sensation. The needles may sometimes be heated or stimulated with electricity once they have been inserted. The patient should expect the needles to remain inserted for about 20 minutes.
As traditional Chinese medicine explains it, “health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of yin and yan of the life force known as qi or chi. Qi is said to flow through meridians in the human body. Through 350 acupuncture points in the body, these meridians and energy flows may be accessed.” Illness, then, is seen as an imbalance of the forces. As needles are inserted into certain points with appropriate combinations, it allows for the flow of energy to be brought back into balance.
Again, while acupuncture has been proven to be safe and effective, certain risks can present themselves, and these include bleeding, bruising, or soreness at the insertion sites; needles that are unsterilized could pose a risk of infection to the patient; although rare, when a needle is inserted deeply into the chest or upper back, there is the risk of a collapsed lung; and acupuncture can be dangerous if the patient suffers from a bleeding disorder or is taking blood thinners.
In short, acupuncture can get to the point in treating your chronic pain in your back or anywhere else in your body.
(Information for this article was provided by the experts at Performance Spine & Sports Medicine through the web site http://local.yodle.com/articles/benefits-of-using-acupuncture-to-treat-back-pain and www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156488.php)
Add a Comment1 Comments
Hi Ann- Glad to see your post on the benefits of acupuncture. As you said, this has been used for thousands of years, and while acupuncture may be unfamiliar to many people in the West, there have to be good reasons why it's been in use for so long. In addition to back pain, acupuncture has also been used to treat anxiety, insomnia, digestive problems, menstrual cramps, weight control, infertility and more. If you'll pardon the pun, I liked the "point" of your article.
November 27, 2009 - 4:02pmTake good care,
Pat
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