Managing Pain with Acupuncture

Inflammation is the first phase of healing, but the pain associated with this inflammation may predispose some patients to chronic pain and disability.  If the initial pain experience is severe and continues, central pain hypersensitivity may develop.  Early intervention and prevention remain the best treatment, with rapid pain relief being the key. 

Acupuncture reduces pain via two different mechanisms.  It decreases the stimulation of nerve signals that lead to pain and it also reduces the expression of inflammatory chemicals that stimulate nerve endings that cause pain. 

Acupuncture may provide an analgesic effect by encouraging release of opiate based chemicals in the body and release of serotonin in the central nervous system.  It may also inhibit stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system to regulate inflammation and pain.  Acupuncture also seems to suppress Cox-2 in the spinal cord; Cox inhibitors are commonly used with some NSAIDs. 

If the patient’s pain is desensitized and there is increase tolerance to painful activities and therapy, the patient will hopefully avoid chronic pain syndrome and recover function faster to get their life back!