How does acupuncture work to relieve pain? 

Acupuncture promotes blood flow

Everything you need to heal is contained within your blood. Your organs, muscles, tendons, bones, your entire body, needs high quality access to oxygen, nutrients, hormones and a plethora of other vital substances to heal. Decrease in blood flow can cause serious damage, and increase in blood flow, especially microcirculation, can bring all the right substances to an area to allow it to heal.

Acupuncture releases the body's own natural painkillers

Acupuncture release the bodies natural opioids, endorphins, and enkephalins.

Acupuncture reduces stress

Our autonomic nervous system contributes to something like 'polar opposite' affect for our nervous system. You've likely heard of the phrase 'fight or flight' and 'rest and digest'. This is your autonomic nervous system broken up into your sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest, digest and heal). An easy way to understand this is, if you were being chased by a tiger, it's not important to sleep, heal, digest, or reproduce at that time. Instead you need to stay away and run, go, go, go, resting will come later, healing will come later. Fortunately, most of us don't come into contact with tigers very often, however, our stressful lives, work, relationships, politics, financial situations and so forth, simulate this reaction and we can often be caught up in a fight or flight mode, and so our body is not in rest and digest and heal mode very often. Acupuncture appears to be able to modulate the autonomic nervous system and bring it back into a rest, digest and heal mode.

Acupuncture stimulates the body's own healing systems though local micro trauma

When the local pain areas are needled, a micro trauma occurs. This sends signals for the body to 'pay attention' to this area. As the body addresses the micro trauma, it addresses the tissue around it as well, thus healing past damaged tissue that has been causing a person pain.

Acupuncture resets the nervous system

Emerging studies are showing how acupuncture can help reset the nervous systems ability to address pain. There are two main types of nerves involved in a pain reaction, one that involves experiencing pain (nocioceptive) and the other that tells the body where the pain is (proprioceptive) and thus where to address healing. If these two nerves are firing correctly, the body should be able to know that it is injured and know where to address that injury and thus release pain killers and start the natural process of healing. Your body should be able to heal itself, however, this doesn't always go according to plan. In chronic pain conditions your body is sending pain signals (nociocpetive) but not communicating correctly where the problem is (proprioceptive). Thus, you are in pain and your body isn't able to react appropriately.

Sources:

  1. http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders
  2. https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1459-migraine-headache-acupuncture-relief
  3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/acupuncture-for-headache-2018012513146
  4. https://www.cochrane.org/CD007587/SYMPT_acupuncture-tension-type-headache
  5. https://chriskresser.com/chinese-medicine-demystified-part-iv-how-acupuncture-works/
  6. https://academic.oup.com/bjaed/article/7/4/135/466586
  7. https://chriskresser.com/chinese-medicine-demystified-part-v-a-closer-look-at-how-acupuncture-relieves-pain/
  8. http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jdms/papers/Vol13-issue11/Version-6/M0131166369.pdf
  9. Acupuncture in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomised trial. Lancet, July 2005.
  10. Acupuncture in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, February 2006.
  11. Acupuncture in patients with tension-type headache: randomised controlled trial. BMJ, August 2005.
  12. Acupuncture for Patients With Migraine: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA, May 2005.
  13. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, October 2012.
  14. Survey of Adverse Events Following Acupuncture (SAFA): a prospective study of 32,000 consultations. Acupuncture in Medicine, December 2001.
  15. Safety of Acupuncture: Results of a Prospective Observational Study with 229,230 Patients and Introduction of a Medical Information and Consent Form. Complementary Medicine Research, April 2009.
  16. The safety of acupuncture during pregnancy: a systematic review. Acupuncture in Medicine, June 2014.
  17. Cost-effectiveness of adjunct non-pharmacological interventions for osteoarthritis of the knee. PLOS One, March 2017.
  18. Paradoxes in Acupuncture Research: Strategies for Moving Forward. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medcine, 2011.
  19. The Long-term Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Prophylaxis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA Internal Medicine, April 2017.
Ben Ramirez
Ben Ramirez
2022-08-09
Great service and results!
Sarah
Sarah
2022-07-16
Emily helped me combat some pretty deep depression and anxiety yesterday. I had come to my wits end and western med was no longer helping me. She recommended herbs that are significantly decreasing the debilitating mental health symptoms I was experiencing and her treatment of acupuncture/reiki helped calm my nervous system. I’m noticing this all in less than 24 hrs, wow! THANK YOU 🙏
Lindsay Hovland
Lindsay Hovland
2022-07-15
I received a healing treatment from Crystal yesterday and the day before— acupuncture and cupping, along with ear seeds. She was so attentive and deeply caring for my personal needs and desires. I genuinely cannot wait to go back. Truly, it is honorable they are a non-profit organization for all the hard work and hours they put in. I will always go back. Thanks to the hardworking (shen) hands of Crystal.
Melissa Bell
Melissa Bell
2022-07-01
Would recommend! Very professional, clean, empathetic, experienced. Seen Jamie a few times and he's wonderful. Acupuncture can help with almost anything along with their other services.
Tammy Osolinski
Tammy Osolinski
2022-03-15
Brought in my 15 year old who was suffering from a sports related back injury. She has had two appointments (acupuncture and acupuncture with cupping) and has been experiencing good results. The healthcare team is extremely knowledgeable and comforting. They explain everything they are doing and ensure you are comfortable with every step. Would definitely recommend.
Jay Clement
Jay Clement
2022-01-09
I've been to other acupuncturists before, and Emily @ Lakewood did a fantastic job - way better than the others I've been to. Very thorough on intake, learning what to focus, and overall creating a great space. Thanks so much!
Shawna Seldon McGregor
Shawna Seldon McGregor
2021-11-13
Lakewood Community Acupuncture is amazing! I've received acupuncture, cupping and bodywork here. It was an outstanding experience. I felt amazing when I left and it addressed my chronic pain. I highly recommend LCP!
Coleen C
Coleen C
2021-09-24
Amazing practitioners who are dedicated to serving the community with powerful healing! Each session is greeted with compassion and incredible care. I came to the office experiencing a lot of pain in my back and neck. The day after receiving Tuina bodywork and Acupuncture, my pain was gone. I am so very grateful. Thank you!!
bic109
bic109
2021-08-17
I've been here a couple times and both were great.

Contact

7114 W Jefferson Ave, suite 112
Lakewood, CO 80235
(720) 242-9756
info@lakewoodacupuncture.org

Hours

Monday: 9am-6pm
Tuesday: 9am-7pm
Wednesday: 9am-7pm
Thursday: 9am-3pm
Friday: 8-7pm
Saturday: 9am-3pm
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