Acupuncture offers a unique approach to pain management and activating your body’s healing capabilities. Acupuncture, which stems from ancient Eastern practices, has been accepted as an alternative treatment for various ailments in today’s healthcare landscape. By stimulating specific points on the body with ultra-fine needles, acupuncture strives to restore balance within the body and promote healing.
Here, we will explore some of the benefits of acupuncture in modern medicine, how acupuncture procedures are performed, and how acupuncture can improve your health.
How Acupuncture Works
Acupuncture is a very versatile form of treatment that can treat a diverse array of ailments. Research shows that acupuncture treatment stimulates the nervous system to release neurotransmitters that alter the body’s hormones and affect the neurological system, stimulating both the limbic and paralimbic networks.
The precise reasoning for how acupuncture works is still being continually researched. However, current research suggests several possible explanations for how acupuncture works:
Endorphin Release: Acupuncture affects the nervous system and causes the release of endorphins. As the body’s natural pain reliever, elevated endorphin levels can reduce pain and promote well-being and relief.
Neurotransmitter Regulation: By influencing the nervous system, acupuncture may influence the production and release of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine are essential for regulating mood, sleep, and overall well-being. When these neurotransmitters are released, pain perception can be affected and improved.
Immune System Regulation: New research suggests that acupuncture may affect the immune system. Since acupuncture primarily stimulates the nervous system, targeting specific areas can enhance the body’s ability to fight infections.
Autonomic Nervous System Regulation: The autonomic nervous system regulates and controls involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiration. The effects of acupuncture can support conditions such as asthma, allergies, or poor gut health. Acupuncture may help to find balance in this system and support lifestyle changes to promote healing.
The Benefits of Acupuncture
Acupuncture has shown promising results for those dealing with various health conditions and ailments. However, acupuncture is hardly a one-size-fits-all treatment, and the results can vary from person to person. Some of the health conditions that can be treated with acupuncture are:
General Pain: Acupuncture has gained attention for its ability to address and relieve back pain, neck pain, headaches, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Its pain-relieving effects are typically successful, making it one of the most popular applications for pain management.
Mental Health: By regulating neurotransmitters and increasing serotonin and dopamine levels, acupuncture can be used to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can also help to regulate sleep patterns caused by insomnia and improve sleep quality.
Digestive Health: Acupuncture’s effect on the autonomic nervous system can help address digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gut disorders, and nausea.
Women’s Health: In a similar way to the way pain is addressed, acupuncture has been used to treat pain from menstrual cramps. Holistically, acupuncture’s effects work together to treat a wide array of women’s health issues, from menopausal symptoms to infertility.
Integrating Acupuncture with Conventional Medicine
While acupuncture is a great therapy to utilize on its own, it’s essential to consider its integration with conventional medicine. Combining acupuncture with traditional treatment can be one of the best ways to achieve results, especially when treating chronic illnesses or certain diseases. Acupuncture can be used alongside pain management medications, complementary to lifestyle changes such as dieting, or aid in post-surgical recovery by aiding circulation.
Before considering acupuncture, ensure that you are consulting with your doctor or a licensed acupuncturist. Be upfront and transparent about your medical history to ensure that you are not exacerbating any underlying symptoms with acupuncture.
What to Expect At Your Acupuncture Appointment
When you arrive at your acupuncture appointment, the acupuncturist will do a thorough consultation. You can expect to discuss your medical history, symptoms, and potential avenues for treatment. Your acupuncturist may recommend combining different therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic care, or discuss ways to integrate acupuncture into the treatment plans set forth by your primary care physician.
Once a treatment plan is established, the acupuncturist will also begin to explain the needle insertion process and the steps they will be taking. Thin, sterile needles, about two to five times smaller than your typical medical needle, are inserted into specific points on the body. In some cases, the acupuncturist may twirl or move the needles to find the right spot for the treatment to work. Heat or electrical pulses may also be applied to the needles to supplement and aid the healing and therapy.
While many people have different pain tolerance levels, most describe the experience as a mild pinch or prick. Once the needles are inserted, you will be asked to relax and let your body adjust. The needles typically stay in place for ten minutes to an hour, depending on the procedure you are having done. At this point in the process, many patients report experiencing heaviness or a state of relaxation, which usually indicates that the treatment is working.
Schedule an Acupuncture Appointment With Governor’s Park Chiropractic
There are many reasons to consider acupuncture as your next treatment approach. If you are struggling with finding a solution for headaches, back and neck pain, depression, or even an old injury that has not healed, you should visit your doctor to see if acupuncture is right for you. The benefits of acupuncture are holistic, benefitting more than just one part of your body.
As Denver’s premier acupuncture and chiropractic specialists, Governor’s Park Chiropractic offers full-service treatment that addresses the root cause of your condition and gets you back to the life you love. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our chiropractors and acupuncturists in Wheat Ridge, Lone Tree, and Denver, Colorado.
Governor's Park Chiropractic is the Colorado chiropractor team dedicated to helping individuals get out of pain and achieve better health. Offering a range of services and treatment options to meet the specific needs of each patient.