Become Pain Free

I recently spoke with a client who was living with long-standing pain and restricted movement following a joint injury. They had tried several other treatment approaches without success and felt frustrated by the stories they had read online about treatments delivering immediate results. They felt these accounts did not reflect the experience of people who have been living with chronic pain and limitation for a long time.

With acupuncture, significant pain relief can sometimes occur after one or two treatments, particularly for acute pain. This can also happen with chronic conditions, but when pain and restriction have been present for a long time, it often takes a course of treatment to achieve lasting improvement. Most people understand that a broken bone or damaged ligament needs time to heal. Chronic pain can be more complex: the original injury may have healed, yet the pain can remain. Why does this happen?

In Chinese Medicine, two important factors at the site of an injury are Qi and Blood. An injury can disrupt their healthy flow, leading to pain and restricted movement. A person’s overall health, underlying deficiencies or excesses, and stagnation that has developed over time can all influence how quickly the body recovers and how readily pain resolves.

There may also be other factors involved, such as scar tissue or physical obstructions like cysts. These can complicate recovery by impeding blood flow and slowing the healing process. This does not mean acupuncture cannot support healing in these circumstances; it simply means that progress may take longer.

As acupuncturists, it is important to consider the whole picture when treating pain. Where underlying factors are contributing to a condition from a Chinese Medicine perspective, these can be addressed alongside the pain itself.

We live in a culture that often expects immediate results, and this can make it difficult to be patient with the healing process. Yet patience and pacing are essential. As a general guide, if pain or injury has been present for many years, it is likely to take time to improve. It is important to be prepared for that.

I understand this from personal experience. I lived with a frozen shoulder for around five years—before I trained in acupuncture. I experienced significant pain, interrupted sleep, and excruciating pain with certain movements that would stop me in my tracks. At times, I felt it would never improve. Many years later, I am pleased to say that I am pain-free and my shoulder is no longer frozen. Healing took time; it did not happen overnight. However, acupuncture played an important role in resolving my symptoms, and it is one of the many reasons I believe so passionately in this system of treatment.

Pain is the body’s way of telling us that something needs attention, and it is important that we listen. Acupuncture and the wisdom of Chinese Medicine can offer safe, natural support for pain management and recovery. Acupuncture may help with the following conditions:

• Arthritis
• Back pain and sciatica
• Bursitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Frozen shoulder and shoulder pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Lumbar pain
• Musculoskeletal pain
• Neck pain
• Nerve pain and nerve entrapment
• Neuralgia
• Osteoarthritis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Rotator cuff pain
• Sports injuries
• Rheumatoid arthritis management
• Tennis elbow
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Wrist pain

For further information, or to discuss how acupuncture may help with your pain, please contact me by email at wellpointacupuncture@outlook.com or by phone on 087 4690565.