How Does Acupuncture Work?
Most people know acupuncture to involve inserting needles into the body. Although there are different philosophies that aim to explain how acupuncture works (Eastern vs Western Medicine Approaches), I will focus on the modern biological perspective.
From a modern biological perspective, acupuncture stimulates the body to balance itself. It achieves this through complex nerve-related pathways in our body that act on the immune system, nervous system and inflammatory systems.
Acupuncture improves the flow of oxygen, nutrients and blood flow to nourish and help heal certain areas of the body naturally. It achieves this by causing your blood vessels to dilate and increase blood flow to specific areas of the body. It also helps to release our body’s natural painkillers, called endorphins to help block pain and help us feel relief.
Some acupuncture points are actually nerve bundles on the body. Nerve bundles are areas on the body with high “neuro-reactivity” or “pressure points”, which means that inserting a needle into these areas will help your body to change abnormal function of the nervous system.
What Can Acupuncture Help With?
The following are a list of conditions that acupuncture has been shown through research to help with:
- Migraines/headaches
- Low back pain
- Neck Pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Knee Pain
- Sprains/Strains
- Sciatica
- Nerve-Related pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Sleeping Disorders
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
Typically, acupuncture does not hurt and can be a relaxing treatment. The needles inserted into your body are extremely small (much smaller than needles used for vaccines or blood collection) and are nearly painless. They stimulate your body’s own ability to relieve pain and release endorphins (the “feel- good” chemicals in our body). Most patients report feeling relaxed after treatments and less pain upon leaving the clinic.
How Many Treatments Does it Take To Work?
The number of treatment that a patient may require for any given condition is going to vary widely from case to case. Some factors that may influence your treatment plan may include the severity of the condition, how long you have had the problem and your overall general health. It is important to speak with a practitioner who performs acupuncture who can give you targeted information on what it is that you are looking to achieve and how many treatments it may take to see results.