Acupuncture Relieves Pain In Place of Opioids
Opioids are still a problem and although this epidemic is recognized and being dealt with on some levels, many people are still resorting to abuse. This can be due to many factors including lack of insurance, unable to cover co-pays, inability to receive optimal care, and overall, sheer desperation.
People in pain will often do anything for relief including ways to acquire pain meds through prescription manipulation, the black market, or by resorting to street purchases, including heroin. Some are in such dire straits that respectable citizens like homemakers, businesspeople and even doctors themselves are self-medicating with opioid and/or heroin abuse. This has resulted not only in serious addictions but so many deaths that according to the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS),
“During 2017, there were more than 72,000 overdose deaths in the United States, including 49,068 that involved an opioid, according to a provisional CDC count. More than 130 people died every day from opioid-related drug overdoses in 2016 and 2017,”
Until Big Pharma does something about the opioid crisis, acupuncture for pain management may be a possible remedy. Through natural stimulation of the body’s powerful healing mechanisms, these modalities have been shown to be a comparable choice without the side effects or dependency. In fact, acupuncture has been used to treat all kinds of addiction with many studies showing significant results.
A Chinese study posted by Medscape stated that,
“…several brain neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, opioid and amino acids including GABA have been implicated in the modulation of dopamine release by acupuncture. These results provided clear evidence for the biological effects of acupuncture that ultimately may help us to understand how acupuncture can be used to treat abused drugs.”
Painless Pain Relief
Acupuncture has long been used (a 2,000-4,000 year old practice) for pain management. Although some might say that the hair-thin needles can rarely pose some slight discomfort, it is mostly a painless experience with no side effects. Unlike pain medications such as opioids and other synthetics that could wreak havoc on your digestive tract, focus, and energy levels, acupuncture offers a clean approach with real results.
The Cleveland Clinic recently reported that a new government advisory has recommended non-addictive pain management options first to all practicing medical personnel. Although Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) describes acupuncture as moving stuck Qi (“chee”) the life force energy, the Cleveland Clinic offers its own medical description stating that acupuncture works by:
- Encouraging the nervous system to release endorphins, natural pain relieving chemicals
- Reducing inflammation topically or on a cellular level
- Addressing specific muscle trigger points linked to calming spasms
What To Expect
An acupuncture session lasts about forty-five minutes to an hour. It requires lying in a comfortable, still position with the hair-thin needles placed in various locations (not just where it hurts). Treatment protocol can vary but twice per week for about six weeks could have lasting effects that keep pain at bay much longer than a pill would. This is not only during an acupuncture treatment but many report relief long after treatments have ceased.
Very Well Health reported that,
“In a 2009 study of 638 adults with chronic low back pain, participants undergoing 10 acupuncture sessions (administered over the course of seven weeks) had greater improvement in symptoms than those who received standard care. One year after treatment, study members in the acupuncture group were also more likely to show significant improvements in dysfunction.”
Once a six week session is completed then a once per month (or more) acupuncture for pain maintenance program is the optimal approach. Staying away from pharmaceuticals and letting your body strengthen itself through the power of acupuncture could mean the difference between opioid addiction or a healthy trajectory to optimal pain relief.
Little Ones
Society reveres its young and for good reason, they are the future. However, parents duped by Big Pharma’s fear campaign still, under the ‘guidance’ of a medical doctor, administer their children highly toxic, often addictive pain killers such as opiods. In some cases it may be unavoidable but in many cases acupuncture is a natural, non-toxic option that has shown some significant study results.
An integrated medicine center in Chicago studied fifty-five children presenting with different pain related conditions including sports injuries to migraines and Crohn’s disease (chronic inflammation of the intestines) to leukemia. The study stated and concluded that,
“Participants received eight individually tailored acupuncture treatments. Sessions were 60 minutes long, with 30 minutes dedicated to acupuncture intervention. Participants rated their pain (APPT – Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool) and nausea (PeNAT – Pediatric Nausea Assessment) prior to and after each treatment session. Mixed models indicated significant positive results both during and after treatment sessions for pain, nausea, and QoL [quality of life] indicators [concluding that] Acupuncture may be a safe and effective adjunct treatment for chronic pain conditions in pediatric populations.”
No one needs to struggle with the toxicity and potential addiction associated with opioid or even other conventional pain relievers. It has been shown in these and many other scientific studies that acupuncture relieves pain in place of opioids. At Integrative Med Solutions (a Westchester acupuncture clinic), 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 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.