Flora Dowling Flora DowlingPeople with chronic painful conditions often seek medical treatment thinking of their body like their cars. All the doctor needs to do is to find out why they are in pain and then make it go away by cutting the right nerve or give them some magic pill or injection. Unfortunately things are rarely that simple, the diagnostic tests such as X-Rays, Myleograms and CAT scans frequently don’t show very much in spite of the pain. Surgery is often unsuccessful and can leave the patient with worse pain and disability. Conventional treatment relies on painkiller and anti-inflammatory drugs. A standard treatment for severe arthritis is cortisone steroids, sometimes by injection. Cortisone has undesirable side effects even aspirin may cause stomach ulcers. The harm that these drugs do to a patient’s general health often outweighs their temporary advantage. Ultimately, some are told, at the end of a long and frustrating treatment course that they are going to have to learn to live with their condition.
Acupuncture can give us valuable choices in the treatment of these acute and chronic conditions. Chinese Medicine is a powerful and complete system of medicine that has diagnosed, treated and prevented illness for well over 2000 years. There is a full range of effective treatments of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It is possible to take away a chronic knee, elbow or back pain that has plagued a patient for months or years. It is sometimes asked ‘Do I have to believe in acupuncture for it to work’? Acupuncture is used successfully on cats, dogs, horses and other animals; they do not understand or believe in the process that helps them get better!
One modern scientific explanation of acupuncture that can help us understand its effectiveness, is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These endorphins, cortisol, ACTH will either change the experience of pain or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones that influence the body’s own internal regulating system. Some of these substances are 50 to 100 times more potent at pain relief than many prescription drugs. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities, and promoting physical and emotional well-being.
Positive results can be achieved relatively quickly with acupuncture which works in a safe way, encouraging the body to promote natural healing and functioning. In arthritis, previously tender muscles relax following a successful treatment; much of the immobility, pain and sometimes the swelling over the joints disappears; at the same time, the patient feels a great deal better. In osteoarthritic conditions, where the adjacent bony surfaces are worn away over time, the needles are not going to alter the X-ray changes. However, it is remarkable how well a patient can function in spite of these changes if he is free from pain and stiffness. Many patients have their pain, swelling and stiffness significantly relieved by the time they have 6-10 acupuncture treatments. Often, patients experience relief from pain during their first treatment. They have been able to reduce, discontinue the corticoids, phenylbutazone and lead a more normal life. Before subjecting a patient to the hazards of surgery, acupuncture should be given a chance to relieve the symptoms
Acupuncture can work wonders in almost any kind of back pain. Whiplash from car accidents is a very common injury. X-Rays are often negative but the pains in the neck, back and headache may persist for many years. Acupuncture is the most effective and safest treatment for whiplash. It relieves muscle spasms and pain promptly. Slipped or degenerative discs cause severe pain in neck or lumber area or the back problem can often be a muscle and ligament problem. The spine’s mobility decreases; and weakness, spasm and pain commonly follow. Acupuncture can have marked improvement in a short period of time. That is one of the Chinese medicine’s strongest strengths -- significant reduction of pain without the prolonged use of drugs.
Acupuncture can be effective as the only treatment for arthritic conditions and back pain but it is also very compatible with other forms of health care, with medical doctors. physiotherapists, chiropractors, and osteopath. Chinese medicine greatly enhances the effect of other therapies, and reduces unwanted side effects from various drugs. More and more medical insurance companies cover acupuncture. The financial benefits of keeping patients healthy with low cost, makes more sense than paying the high cost of intervention with drugs, surgery and other invasive, dangerous and expensive tests and therapies.