Five Ways Acupuncture Can Provide Pain Relief and Make Your Life Better…
An estimated 20% of adults in the US live with chronic pain. 25.3 million experience consistent pain every day (for at least three months) and 40 million experience severe levels of pain. People who live with severe pain are also more likely to have poor health status, which means that pain impacts all areas of our lives. Yet there is a way to find pain relief for these individuals, and anyone experiencing pain: acupuncture. at Acupuncture Northbrook, we treat people holistically, with the Ancient Chinese medicine of acupuncture. In doing so, we teach each patient about the many benefits of acupuncture. Not only is it great for pain relief, but it can make your life better in a plethora of ways. Here’s how.
1. Pain Relief
Acupuncture is best known for its ability to relieve all types of pain, from more minor aches to cancer treatment symptoms. As a procedure that’s been practiced for over 2,500 years, acupuncture has proven effective at treating neck pain, upper and lower back pain, knee pain, osteoarthritis, menstrual pain, and more. Since pain can impact all areas of your life, it’s important to treat it at the source.
2. Eliminates Headaches and Migraines
While acupuncture can treat the pain associated with headaches and migraines, its also been shown to reduce the severity and incidence of tension headaches, as well as prevent migraines in some cases. In 2012, researchers completed a review of migraine studies and found that acupuncture was as effective as other migraine treatments, such as medication. The same review notes that acupuncture has fewer serious side effects than other treatments, as well as longer-lasting benefits.
3. Reduces Nausea
Acupuncture can help reduce feelings of nausea, regardless of the cause. For example, studies have proven it helpful for women with morning sickness. It’s also successfully used to treat chemotherapy-induced symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. Nausea can leave you feeling fatigued and drained, so having a natural treatment like acupuncture allows people to live their lives normally when they would otherwise struggle to do so.
4. Aids Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Acupuncture can aid with depression and anxiety in some people. One study found that a combination of acupuncture and antidepressant medication effectively eased the symptoms of depression. The same study concluded that using the two together made the treatment more tolerable for the patients, with very few complications. Separately, a clinical systematic review found evidence that acupuncture is effective for treating major depressive disorder for women during pregnancy.
5. Boosts Overall Mood
Upon completing an acupuncture treatment, people generally feel either relaxed or energized. In either case, people tend to feel happy and content, as acupuncture serves to restore harmonious balance in the body. People report better digestion and sleep, and often a sense of overall wellbeing as a result of acupuncture - all of which can result in an elevated mood for days after treatment.
Pain can impact all areas of our lives, and finding the right form of pain relief can completely change our quality of life. Acupuncture is a safe, effective treatment for pain that has been around for thousands of years - for good reason! If you’d like to explore acupuncture, book an appointment with the Sports Acupuncturist at Acupuncture Northbrook. We’re here to help!
