Acupuncture and Naturopathic Medicine for Chronic Pain

It seems as if, when you get older, the body’s ‘warranty’ expires. Just like your favorite device, after a certain amount of time it just breaks down and when you search for the receipt you find that it’s past its date of free repair.

For some, just getting going in the morning requires wincing in pain until all joints are able to right themselves and get working. Maybe it’s digestive difficulties or headaches or any other number of annoying pangs you just don’t have the energy to deal with. Either way it hurts and if it is a constant nag it is considered chronic or elongated pain.

Quelling the Pain
Reaching for over-the-counter (OTC) relief can offer a temporary fix but that is all it is often capable of. The chronic pain you experience will most likely continue and by relying on OTC choices or even seeing your doctor for a more powerful medicine could potentially set yourself up for a detrimental cycle. This is a reliance on conventional medicine’s band-aid approach which removes the possibility of allowing your body to tap into its deep, capable healing powers.

Choosing to be guided by a knowledgeable, well trained naturopathic doctor opens up a wide array of possibilities to use traditional medicine’s long healing history.

Acupuncture is one of the most capable alternative remedies with thousands of years behind its multi-layered success. It was introduced to the American mainstream in the 1970’s and has been recommended by many in the medical community ever since.

Choose acupuncture for chronic pain and it might be one of the most beneficial alternative reparative moves you ever make.

From the Lab
Acupuncture has had conventional medicine scratching its head for centuries. Yet, study after study confirms its beneficial results across the board.

When it comes to chronic pain, the New York Times (9/12) reported on a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It showed significant improvement when acupuncture was applied to individuals suffering from migraines, osteoarthritis, neck, shoulder and other bouts with chronic pain.

Lead author, Dr. Andrew J. Vickers comments,

“This [acupuncture] has been a controversial subject for a long time, But when you try to answer the question the right way, as we did, you get very clear answers. We think there’s firm evidence supporting acupuncture for the treatment of chronic pain.”

Mix it Up
Chronic pain can be related to a variety of causes that may include accumulative habits, environmental exposure, trauma or disease. Working with a naturopathic doctor, a direct course of treatment can be determined by attempting to find one or more of these potential causes.

Through a detailed intake session, specific clues can point to a specified protocol that not only includes acupuncture but possibly a change in diet (clinical nutrition); herbal remedies (botanical medicine); vitamin, mineral, enzyme and amino acid supplements (nutraceutical supplementation); and a centuries old practice of like-cures-like called homeopathy.

DHCB
According to UC Irvine pharmacology researchers, Chinese herbal medicines were studied to determine their effectiveness when used for chronic pain. One compound in particular was found called dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB). This is derived from the roots of the Corydalis yanhusuo plant.

Olivier Civelli, the Eric L. & Lila D. Nelson Chair in Neuropharmacology at Irvine comments,

“Today the pharmaceutical industry struggles to find new drugs. Yet for centuries people have used herbal remedies to address myriad health conditions, including pain. Our objective was to identify compounds in these herbal remedies that may help us discover new ways to treat health problems, We’re excited that this one shows promise as an effective pharmaceutical. It also shows a different way to understand the pain mechanism.”

This is just one example of how botanical medicine can be applied in conjunction with acupuncture and other remedies to reduce chronic pain and increase quality of life.

Eating is Medicine or Malicious
The old adage, “You are what you eat,” is not far from reminding one of the importance of dietary control. Through detailed blood work and a history intake a naturopathic doctor may offer a food protocol to address particular chronic pain symptoms.

It has been shown that refined sugars, processed boxed, canned, packaged foods and other stepped on, nutritionally stripped choices could lead to a variety of conditions and even diseases.

One particular systemic reaction is an auto-immune response. This is when the body attacks itself thinking there is an interloper. In actuality, it is the possible, habitual, constant dumping of toxic foods and vice practices (tobacco, alcohol, drugs) that some believe turns on this auto-immune response.

Some diseases according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association that may fall into this category include:

• Celiac disease
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia (associated)
• Grave’s disease
• Lupus
• Juvenile and type 1 diabetes
• Meniere’s disease
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ulcerative colitis

Slowly integrate live minimally cooked or raw produce for a systemic change that can rapidly show positive effects such as a much needed reduction in chronic pain. These include fresh, organic if possible, dark green leafy vegetables, colorful vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains (white rice is not a whole grain) and clean, filtered water.

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 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 In-Network Insurance Companies for Acupuncture that we participate with as well as insurance companies that commonly have Out-of-Network benefits. Please call 914.337.2980 or contact us to verify your specific benefits. If you are emailing, please include your full name, date of birth and insurance identification card number.