Acupuncture for Pain & Injury FAQ.
By Kari Pettersen
Working within VO2 Max Health and Performance Gym and having previously worked at the Anodyne Chiropractic and Sports Therapy Clinic; I have seen my fair share of sports related injuries. Whether its sports, car accidents, work related or chronic pain from arthritis /old injuries everyone can agree that being in pain just plain sucks! I am here to tell you that acupuncture can help improve your pain. I know first hand. I had debilitating nerve pain from a sting ray wound to my right arm from surfing in Nicaragua. The pain felt like a combination of freezing cold and feeling like I was being electrocuted. This lasted for a year guys! After 10 acupuncture sessions I was off my pain medication and the pain was gone! I know from experience and from seeing it everyday that acupuncture can heal pain. I am going to get straight to the point and give you some information on acupuncture and pain and how I can get you feeling better so you can get back to doing what you love.
These are some ways acupuncture treats pain.
Decreases inflammation and swelling- this can be local area but also systemic inflammation within the body. Most chronic diseases are from inflammation within the body.
Relaxes muscles and relieves spasms- needling knots and spasms can get the muscle to release and relax.
Lowers the body’s pain response- the needles work on the nervous system to interrupt the pain signal. This causes the body to release chemicals, such as endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain killers.
Improves local blood circulation to increase delivery of nutrients- by creating a micro trauma with the needles the body responds by activating blood flow to specific areas that are being targeted with acupuncture.
Helps decrease stress associated with pain and diagnosis- acupuncture down regulates the sympathetic nervous system and up regulates the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is involved in active things like thinking, movement, analyzing and stress while the parasympathetic nervous system is involved in passive things like sleep, digestion and healing. By down-regulating the sympathetic nervous system you disengage the fight or-flight stress mechanisms of the body & by up-regulating the parasympathetic nervous system you engage the healing mechanisms to come on board which speeds up the healing process. This is why in my treatments I diagnose and treat the entire body ( sometimes needles all over the body) to help heal injuries.
Dosage of acupuncture matters.
Just as important as the treatment itself; it is equally important that you have clear and concise treatment plan. Amount of treatments and spacing of treatments is crucial to your acupuncture success! Acupuncturist, Katie Altneu, interviewed 200 acupuncturists to find out how many acupuncture treatments on average patients need to get the long last success people want. She found that most disorders need on average 6-8 or 8-10 treatments. Of course, every condition is unique. Generally the rule of thumb is that acute conditions take less treatments than chronic conditions. Thats what I am here for. I am your guide to get you the right amount of treatments to get you where you want to be. I will assess your condition, give you a clear and concise treatment plan and re-evaluate through out the treatment process.
Here are some conditions that I frequently treat
Achilles tendinitis
Ankle Sprains
Bursitis of hip and shoulder
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries
Ilio-tibial band problems
Impingement Syndrome
Knee pain
Localized neck pain
Lower back pain
Muscle tension headaches
Migraines
Osteoarthritis Pain
Planter fasciitis
Rotator cuff injuries
Sciatica
Shin splints
Tennis and golfers elbow (Lateral and medial epicondylitis)
TMJ and jaw pain
Sometimes conditions will fluctuate during a treatment plan.
There is always a chance when working with pain that it can get temporarily worse before it improves. As your acupuncturist I will monitor you throughout your treatment plan and adjust your treatment accordingly to minimize the chance of discomfort.
Modalities that I use
Electo-acupuncture- I use electrical acupuncture to increase microcirculation, decrease inflammation and result in faster healing. Many find that tough muscles that normally can not relax are also released with electro- acupuncture.
Cupping- cupping provides myofascial release resulting in improved circulation and decreased inflammation.
Gua Sha- gentle scrapping of the muscle allows adhesions to be worked out and circulation to be improved.
Tui Na Massage- this is a gentle massage technique that can be used for not only pain and injury but also gastrointestinal and menstrual issues.
Moxabustion & Infra Red- the gentle application of heat to certain points for specific conditions.