Many people learn to live with chronic pain and do not consult a specialist to help relieve the daily ailments. In some cases, ignorance of the pathology or the widespread belief that aging means to live with pain, many do not receive the appropriate treatment capable of subtracting pain, slow the evolution of the pathology and, therefore, improve their quality of life.

Currently, we are living in a new era in medicine, since the alternative medicine is added to the traditional medicine, which combined to achieve better results in the inhibition of chronic pain. One of those techniques, which is gaining adherents every day, is acupuncture.

Acupuncture is effective in 49 diseases and disorders

This traditional Chinese technique arises from the conception of the body as a network of interconnected points through which energy flows. When there is a blockage or stagnation of that energy in the canal, it is when the pain occurs.

The acupuncture is to stimulate anatomical locations on the skin through the insertion of thin metal needles. Their placement in specific areas of the body called acupuncture points, allow better electrical conduction which is capable of provoking biological responses in the patient. In this way, they (acupuncturists) provoke stimuli in the nervous, hormonal and immune system that manage to restore the body to a state of equilibrium.

Such is its effectiveness, that the World Health Organization has described this technique as an effective option against pain. In addition, it is effective in at least 49 diseases and disorders. Especially, it has demonstrated great benefits in the treatment of low back pain, postoperative pain, and fibromyalgia, neuropathic, joint and musculoskeletal pain. It also acts on hormonal and nervous system levels.

Although it is a simple and painless technique, it is not completely innocuous, special care should be taken in pregnant patients, in infected areas, patients with blood clotting problems or serious neurological or psychiatric disorders. Even so, it is necessary to go to the pain specialist beforehand, who will determine the suitability of alternative medicine in the case of each patient.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been shown to have benefits in the treatment of chronic pain, but also in many other aspects, such as improvement in physical recovery, digestion or reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression. It has also been seen as improving the circulation of blood since it regulates the blood flow favoring the contribution of nutrients and oxygen in the body.

This method of traditional Chinese medicine has been used for several years in different hospitals throughout Europe and U.S and has already begun to be implemented in some centers in the Middle East for treating chronic pain and improve the quality of life of patients.

Medications are often not enough to treat chronic pain, but there are alternative therapies that are showing success in dealing with this condition. Although the pain is supposed to be good because it warns us of injuries, infections or illnesses, it is not so useful when it never goes away.

A better way to relieve pain

Chronic pain can come from many causes, from migraines to cancer, and persist from a few months to live after injury or illness. It can disrupt sleep, because of depression and anxiety, lower libido, affect social relationships and affect memory and cognitive functioning.

Usually, the first defense against this threat is medication, but not enough and carries risks like upset stomach or addiction. That is why more and more people are turning to acupuncture to relieve chronic pain.

Science is slowly incorporating this ancient practice of Chinese medicine, although experts have not yet discovered why inserting needles into the skin helps relieve back pain, injury, and diseases such as fibromyalgia. According to some specialists, acupuncture blocks pain signals or stimulates the body to release painkillers.

Several studies showed that patients who received acupuncture had less migraine or injury pain than those receiving standard drug treatments. Even when progress was modest, the great advantage of this practice was the lack of side effects. In addition, even if the needles are not placed exactly along the meridians (energy channels, according to Chinese tradition), patients receive equal benefits and if done correctly, this procedure causes little or no discomfort.

Among its many benefits, Acupuncture helps to improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure, encourage the elimination of toxic products through the lymphatic system, improve muscle tone, prevent muscle atrophy, and reduce emotional stress.

Scientists know that physical contact helps in reducing pain, although they do not know how this mechanism works. In addition, specialists argue that soft touch and acupuncture therapy decreases the production of cortisol, a stress-releasing hormone (in turn, associated with increased pain). However, despite all positive studies, experts are still not sure how many messages need to be applied or what type they should be before a particular pathology.