Key Takeaways
- Acupuncture is widely recognized in Western society for its effectiveness in pain relief.
- Stagnation, caused by physical trauma, leads to pain; acupuncture can help eliminate this stagnation.
- According to the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture stimulates nerves and enhances natural painkillers in the body.
- Various types of pain, including emotional, can be treated with acupuncture.
- Researching acupuncture can provide supportive evidence and awareness of pain relief options.
A simple Google search for “acupuncture to remedy pain” will return over 4.2 million hits which makes it quite clear that there is a lot of information on the internet on this subject. In Western society acupuncture is most commonly identified with its ability to relieve, and in many cases eliminate, chronic and acute pains and aches.
Traditional Chinese medicine has a saying “where there’s stagnation there’s pain and where there’s pain there’s stagnation”. Acupuncture needles can be used to move or eliminate the stagnation which is causing the pain. You might ask, what exactly is stagnated and why did it get stuck? Stagnation can be caused by a litany of things but primarily it is due to physical trauma (bumps, bruises, sprains, strains, various injuries, surgery, etc). These types of trauma often create a situation where blood and Qi can become stagnant and cause blockage. Acupuncture, cupping, herbs and bodywork are effective therapies which can help clear out stagnation to help the body heal and return to balance.
You also might be wondering how sticking acupuncture needles into the body can help relieve pain and resolve stagnation. The Mayo Clinic website discusses this very subject and states that “many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. This stimulation appears to boost the activity of your body’s natural painkillers and increase blood flow.” [link] Stimulation of the body’s natural resources is a key component to how acupuncture works to help the body heal itself. Many times all it takes is a few acupuncture sessions to resolve pains and aches that have been present for long durations of time.
There are many different kinds and variations of pain so while I just mentioned physical trauma and how effective acupuncture can be I would also state that pain from various illnesses as well as emotional pain can be treated and alleviated.
When I was first introduced to acupuncture I did extensive research on the web and I encourage all curious souls to do the same. You will find supportive evidence and also skepticism, just try and keep an open mind and an open heart and remember one thing…. there is no amount of pain that is acceptable. No one should needlessly suffer when there are so many options to live life free of pain and suffering.
