Acupuncture the pain away: An integrated approach to managing pain

Pain is one of the most common experiences that people go through. It can wear on you and limit your quality of life, whether from a sports injury, an autoimmune issue, stress or bad posture, or unknown reasons. However, it is important to remember that pain is your body’s way of signalling that something is wrong. This warning system, though helpful in identifying dysfunction and injury, can sometimes go beyond the limit of what is helpful and can even become over-reactive, especially when issues become chronic. Acupuncture is well known for its ability to assist in dealing with pain, but what is it doing to help reduce the pain and address the underlying issue?

Acupuncture affects the body in numerous ways, all of which play a different role in helping manage pain. The most basic is its ability to help relax muscles and connective tissue. This is helpful when the pain stems from the body being overworked or under-supported, leading to tension buildup. I see this most commonly from office workers sitting at desks all day and athletes overworking their bodies. Acupuncture can help ease the tension and reduce the pain effectively and sustainably so that it stays healthy moving forward.

The next way that acupuncture assists in managing pain is through the endocrine system. Acupuncture releases pain-killing hormones and regulates hormonal balance in the body. Beyond the analgesic effects, this can assist with systemic pain issues relating to digestion and gynecological issues and help with sleep and energy levels, which may contribute to the pain.

The most profound way acupuncture assists with pain is through the nervous system. Not only does acupuncture affect the peripheral nervous system, making it able to calm pain signals, but it can also regulate the autonomic nervous system, meaning it can help the body relax, better communicate its needs, and prioritize its function. When the autonomic nervous system is in a fight-or-flight state, it prioritizes immediate safety and survival, meaning long-term functions are deprioritized. Furthermore, as the nervous system stays in an aroused state for long periods, it becomes more sensitive to stressors, meaning the pain and other negative symptoms are more easily triggered. Acupuncture can moderate the nervous system and help widen your window of capacity to allow for more tolerance to the stressors contributing to your pain.

While pain is a normal part of living, it does not have to detract from your ability to function and enjoy life. Acupuncture is a great tool to help lessen pain and help yourself become more resilient.

References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3658605/