Acute and Chronic Pain

Acute pain is a sharp and often sudden sensation in your body. It might last a moment or linger for a couple of weeks. Acute pain does not last more than six months and often heals beforehand. Three types of acute pain: postsurgical pain, a muscle strain, or an immediate injury such as burn, cut, or broken bone.

Acute pain is a warning sign to pay attention and seek immediate help if necessary. If you have an acute pain that is not a medical emergency, acupuncture may help. Acupuncture is best known for pain relief.

Chronic pain may be dull and constant or it comes and goes. It definitely lasts at least three months or longer. Chronic pain is often physical, but may also have an emotional component. Chronic pain lingers in a specific part of the body or many parts of the body at once. The effects may include limited mobility or range of motion. As a result, muscles may also get tense and if you are not moving your body regularly, a lack of energy or loss of appetite.

So often people who experience chronic pain, may naturally also experience a deep sadness, depression, anger, loss, or anxiousness. Acupuncture is very effective for chronic pain relief. If you are experiencing chronic pain, contact our office to make an appointment today.

The difference between acute and chronic pain is often determined by the length of time and the quality of pain. Acute pain is shorter, and the sensation is often sharp and sudden. Chronic pain is longer and the sensation is often dull and constant. Both require a pain management plan.

Chronic pain lasts a long time, three months or longer and may happen anywhere in the body. It may impact everyday life negatively and may lead to depression or trouble sleeping. Three types of chronic pain include neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain, and cancer pain.

Common chronic pain conditions may include: diabetic neuropathy, sciatic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, back pain, neck pain, chronic pelvic pain, migraine pain, TMJ, fibromyalgia, cancer pain, scar tissue pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and neurological pain.

Yes, holistic medicine treats chronic pain. Acupuncture is one of the oldest recorded forms of holistic medicine and by today’s standards the most well researched in providing chronic pain relief naturally.

There are a number of modalities that treat chronic pain naturally. I treat chronic pain primarily with acupuncture. Depending on a person’s condition, I may also use cupping, tuina massage, and Chinese herbs.

Pain management is a multidisciplinary approach to assess and address pain. It often involves various kinds of doctors (physicians, acupuncturists, and therapists) who evaluate, diagnose, and treat different types of pain.

The goal of natural pain management is to engage with exercise, acupuncture, massage, and relaxation techniques regularly. Acupuncture is a safe and effective, drug-free approach to pain relief and pain management.

Yes, acupuncture can relieve pain. Acupuncture has a 2,000+ year history and is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) as an effective medical specialty to relieve pain. Many of my patients have immediate relief and also experience progressive relief over the course of days, weeks, and months.

Yes, acupuncture provides lasting pain relief. Pain relief may last several days to several weeks or it may resolve completely.

Some variables to consider include a patient’s age, type of condition being treated, and severity of the condition. Generally the younger the person is the faster it takes to heal. If you’re new to acupuncture, expect to participate in three months of consistent acupuncture care, which will likely be one treatment per week for ten to twelve weeks.

The practitioner works with a patient in a partnership to provide lasting results. The result of acupuncture treatments support a patient’s wish to make positive, lasting changes in health. In turn, a person’s actions strengthen the effects of treatment.

Acupuncture relieves physical pain by removing blocks and it stimulates blood circulation to encourage free flow. In Chinese Medicine, pain is recognized as an obstruction or a block often caused by an underlying pattern of excess or deficiency.

Acupuncture points may be stimulated at the localized pain area and often other parts of the body. A treatment plan is designed to select acupuncture points that have specific functions and actions. The purpose of treatment is to decrease the intensity, duration, and frequency of pain.

The more a person comes in for treatment — in the beginning from 1-2 treatments per week to treatment every 4-6 weeks as preventative care — your body will experience less pain and a greater ability to move freely.

Chinese herbal formulas relieve pain. These formula ingredients are ordered by priority into four categories: Chief, Deputy, Assistant, and Envoy. From leading to supporting roles, the arrangement and dosage of each herb determines the principle actions of a given remedy.

There are a number of Chinese herbs that relieve pain. Depending on the type of pain you have there will be at least one or two formulas that may be used simultaneously to treat your symptoms.

As an example, one Chinese herb that addresses acute headaches and neck stiffness is Chai Hu/Bupleurum, which is a Chief herb in an herbal formula with a handful of Assistant herbs. Chai Hu/Bupleurum works by relieving muscle tension.

Yes, cupping therapy is very effective for pain relief.

Cupping is a physical manipulation technique that gathers the skin (primarily on the back) with about a dozen suction cups. The purpose of cupping is to ventilate blood stagnation from the belly of the muscle to the surface of the skin. Like acupuncture, cupping has been around for centuries and is designed to remove blockages, stop pain, improve internal health, and encourage the smooth flow of circulation throughout the body.

Yes, tuina massage (pronounced “twee nah”) successfully treats musculoskeletal pain and respiratory conditions. Tuina massage is associated with Chinese medicine and treats all ages from infants to elders. The practitioner uses hands, fingers, and forearms to apply acupressure by kneading, rolling, and gliding techniques that correspond to acupuncture channels. The purpose of tuina massage is to heal injuries, reduce stress, and encourage relaxation. A positive effect of tuina massage is deep relaxation and better sleep.