Acupuncture for Natural Pain Management
Over the last decade, opioids and a long list of conventional other pain medications, have become the normal course of action for pain management. As a result we are seeing epidemic proportions of unassuming people gravely affected by these pain meds. Some have even become ‘collateral addicts’ turning to street drugs when recent, ‘too little too late,’ restrictions stop access to pain medications.
Acupuncture for natural pain management has always been available but now it is being sought after more than ever. The personal toll from the opioid crisis has affected millions of Americans, resulting in more patients turning to alternative remedies for a side effect free, full spectrum, pain management experience.
Acupuncture is one of the safest, simplest ways to prime your system into optimal healing mode. This modality works not only at the location and root of the pain but on peripheral causes as well.
No Placebo
Many have tried to debunk acupuncture as a valid tool for pain management, deeming it simply a harmless placebo effect where a person convinces oneself that it works. These allegations are applied for good reason as medical prescriptions and surgical procedures can be highly lucrative. Yet, study after study shows how acupuncture proves itself a viable remedy, beyond a placebo.
As reported by Harvard Health,
“A study published in 2012 in Archives of Internal Medicine pooled results of 29 studies, involving nearly 18,000 people, of acupuncture for chronic pain (including back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headaches, and shoulder pain). Some of the studies compared acupuncture to simulated acupuncture, and some compared acupuncture to no acupuncture. In both types of studies, true acupuncture provided the greatest pain relief. Differences between actual and sham acupuncture suggest that the effect of acupuncture is more than just placebo.”
Cancer Pain Management
It is difficult enough to withstand some of the most powerful medicines used to treat various cancers when more medicine for pain is required. Now, acupuncture is being used in place of strong pain meds throughout the country.
Medscape reports on how studies have shown how acupuncture reduces two types of cancer pain. One of the studies published in the European Journal of Cancer Care (2016) stated,
“In conclusion, our findings support acupuncture as an effective treatment in alleviating pain among cancer patients and survivors, particularly malignancy-related and surgery-induced pain. To expand the application of acupuncture on cancer-related pain,”
Breast cancer patients have also reported acupuncture as a preference for pain management.
BMJ Journals showed a study by researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York which found that,
“Breast cancer survivors who take aromatase inhibitors (AI) often suffer from chronic pain. Emerging evidence supports the use of acupuncture as an effective pain management strategy for this condition,…We found similar rates of preference for acupuncture versus medication among breast cancer survivors for pain management.”
Pediatric Pain
Watching a child experience painful symptoms is difficult. Most parents will give them anything to stop such distress. Sometimes these medications can make children sick, fatigued or disoriented. Medical professionals are now recommending acupuncture for pediatric use.
Findings presented by Rush University researchers at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium in NYC 2015 stated that,
“When pain persists in childhood, it can impair quality of life (QoL) greatly and have significant physical, psychologic, and social consequences…evidence supporting the efficacy of acupuncture in pediatric pain management is lacking. This study examined the impact of acupuncture on pain, nausea, and QoL in children with diverse chronic pain conditions…[conclusion] Acupuncture may be a safe and effective adjunct treatment for chronic pain conditions in pediatric populations.”
Emergency Room Situations
Pain is a daily challenge for emergency room practitioners. However, this type of pain comes hard and fast requiring immediate, detailed attention. Many emergency room patients cannot take these immediate pharmaceutical pain remedies due to allergies, addiction or even religious restrictions. Acupuncture has been shown to easily rise above a synthetic protocol in an emergency room situation to calm a stressful experience or rapidly reduce acute symptoms.
Australia has been implementing acupuncture for natural pain management in many of its hospitals. Research published in the Medical Journal of Australia reported that,
“Our study has shown acupuncture is a viable alternative, and would be especially beneficial for patients who are unable to take standard pain-relieving drugs because of other medical conditions.”
Specific acupuncture points can be applied during an emergency that work just as well, if not better, than conventional medications for pain.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine published a 2016 study by Tunisian researchers titled ‘Acupuncture vs intravenous morphine in the management of acute pain in the ED [emergency department]’. The study concluded that,
“This article provides an update on one of the oldest pain relief techniques (acupuncture) that could find a central place in the management of acute care settings. This should be considered especially in today’s increasingly complicated and poly-medicated patients to avoid adverse drug reactions.”
Acupuncture for natural pain management is worth the effort to experience a well-rounded healing experience. Rather than only concentrating on fixing the symptoms, acupuncture adds the approach of moving the pain away rather than trying to stamp it out. When this is achieved, optimal life force can flow again resulting in less pain and better health.
At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture and naturopathic treatment program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the acupuncture treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health. To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture in Westchester NY and naturopathic medicine can benefit you, please call our office at 914.337.2980 or Click Here to schedule an online appointment.
*Please Click Here to see a current list of Insurance Companies that commonly carry acupuncture benefits for its members. Please call 914.337.2980 or securely email info@intmedsolutions.com to verify your specific benefits. If you are emailing, please include your full name, date of birth and insurance identification card number.