Acupuncture is an Eastern practice of medicine, traditionally used in China to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, pain, and health. It has become popular in Canada in recent decades to aid in the treatment and management of a variety of conditions.
When acupuncture is performed, a number of extremely thin needles are inserted into the patient in specific points at various depths. In ancient Chinese medicine, these specific points of insertion help modify the flow of energy, or chi, of a person to help treat and cure diseases. Modern research has shown that the insertion of needles stimulates the activity of adenosine, an amino acid which becomes active in the skin after an injury to ease pain. This is why acupuncture has been successful in pain management for a variety of conditions.
While acupuncture can help with the treatment of various diseases, its primary focus of pain management comes with a variety of benefits. If you’ve been debating trying acupuncture as part of your healthcare solutions, check out these benefits of acupuncture to help you make your mind!
Acupuncture Benefits
Few Side Effects
For most patients, acupuncture has very few side effects. While some patients can be at risk for some mild side effects, like bruising or soreness, most people won’t feel any pain during the procedures at all. Being painless is one of the best benefits of acupuncture. Because acupuncture is a regulated medical practice, you can be sure that your certified practitioner is using tools that meet the required standards and has the medical knowledge to ensure your safety.
To make sure acupuncture is right for you, always consult with your medical practitioner first.
Headache and Migraine Relief
Acupuncture has been proven to help with headaches and migraines. Patients who suffer from chronic headaches and migraines often see a reduction in the frequency and/or severity of these events after starting acupuncture. By inserting the needles at various places around the head, face, and neck at regular intervals (often once per week), patients can find relief from their headaches and migraines.
Back Pain and Joint Pain Management
Back pain, knee pain, neck pain, elbow pain, shoulder pain – any joint pain management plan should include acupuncture. It has been proven to help in cases of joint pain, back pain, and neck pain. While this pain may not be completely managed by acupuncture alone, it is an important tool to use as part of your overall healthcare solution for joint pain management.
Effective Combination with Other Treatments
As previously mentioned, acupuncture has been proven to help with pain and pain management. However, many patients also use it to help with things like insomnia, nausea, stomach pain, allergies, arthritis, and many more conditions as well. While it hasn’t been scientifically proven to help with these, many patients find relief from these afflictions with acupuncture.
When used in combination with other treatments, acupuncture can provide additional benefits and management. If you receive physiotherapy, get massages, take pain medication, or other more intrusive procedures, acupuncture can help supplement these treatments to help naturally alleviate conditions.
Replace Pain Medication
While often, acupuncture can be used in combination with other treatment methods for pain management, sometimes it can completely replace it. For some patients who take pain medication for chronic pain or flare ups, this can be completely avoided after acupuncture treatments. Some patients see wild success with acupuncture and are able to completely stop taking pain medication.
Contact Physio Art for Acupuncture in Hamilton
If you’re interested in exploring the benefits of acupuncture for yourself, or want more information, contact the professionals at Physio Art. Our certified and experienced acupuncturists can answer all your questions and help you find relief from pain.
Contact us today for more information and to book an acupuncture in Hamilton appointment today!