Pain and Acupuncture: Are Drugs Needed?

Pain is a common part of every day life. From strategically finding the edge of the coffee table with your shin at night to giving birth, the large range of discomfort can be felt multiple times during the average day by all living creatures under the sky. Depending on one’s tolerance to said discomfort, determines how long one deals with the pain before seeking aid.

One of the most common forms of pain relief received is the use of medication: Steroid shots, NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug), and Morphine, just to name the major medications. Even though they can decrease the pain, they are costly and have side effects that are damaging to the liver, bowels, ligaments, and other parts of the body.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to assist people with a variety of conditions, as well as pain. When certain acupuncture points are stimulated, endorphins are released. These neuropeptides are released from the nervous system into the blood stream and cause an opiate effect that decreased pain. Acupuncture can also be used to help direct the endorphins and target different areas of the body that are experiencing pain. After stimulating the acupuncture points that release the endorphins, needles are placed around painful sites and is referred to as “Surrounding the Dragon.” This action attracts the blood to the area, bringing the neuropeptides along for the ride.

Many patients in our Pearland office have responded favorably after receiving acupuncture for painful areas such as:

• Headache
• Neck
• Shoulder
• Elbow
• Wrist
• Back
• Rib
• Hip
• Knee
• Foot

If you are experiencing pain and want to see what acupuncture can potentially do for you, then give our Friendswood office a call and schedule your appointment. Additional services we offer to help with our patients suffering from pain include chiropractic, neurological rehabilitation, and nutritional support.