Acupuncture for Pain

Whether you’ve been in pain for one week or twenty years, acupuncture can offer relief while correcting the root cause of your pain with little to no side-effects. An ever growing body of research reveals that acupuncture is an effective treatment for many different types of acute and chronic pain such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, arthritis, menstrual pain, migraines and headaches as well as pain caused by cancer and surgery (1-2). The American College of Physicians now recommends acupuncture as a first-line option for treating acute and chronic low back pain (3). In one study, acupuncture has even been shown to provide greater pain relief than prescription pain medication with far fewer side-effects (4).

Acupuncture is more than just a temporary analgesic (5). By relaxing muscle tension, improving circulation, reducing swelling and improving range of motion, acupuncture helps reduce or eliminate the need for pain medications, speeds healing and resolves the underlying condition leading to pain so you can get back to doing the activities that you love. Because of its effectiveness, holistic approach and low risk, acupuncture is an excellent first stop for treating your pain.

Our Approach

Our practitioners use a distal style of acupuncture, known as the Balance Method, that is especially effective in treating pain. We are committed to practicing and refining this unique style of acupuncture. For most conditions, you will not need to undress because acupuncture points that lie between the elbows and hands and between the knees and feet are used to treat pain anywhere in the body.

"How many treatments will I need?" is by far the most common question we get asked. Most of our patients feel immediate relief during their first treatment, however a series of treatments are usually required in order to maintain or further reduce pain. Our goal is for you to be pain free as quickly as possible.

Below is a graph representing a common response to acupuncture over an initial course of 12 treatments. This response to acupuncture is common enough that it can be used as an example of how acupuncture works over time to reduce pain. Every person is different and we cannot guarantee that your treatment results will exactly match those shown in this graph. However, the graph is helpful in illustrating how acupuncture steps down pain over time. The progress is usually more of a zig-zag pattern, like that seen in the graph, instead of a perfectly straight line. For most injuries, arthritis or chronic pain conditions, additional courses of treatment can be needed.

How often you need to come for treatment will be determined by how much pain relief you get from your treatments and how long that relief lasts. The hope is that you will be able to come in for follow up acupuncture treatments before your pain as risen back up to where it started before you began getting acupuncture.

We can safely say that if you do not come in often enough or long enough, acupuncture probably won’t work for you because you won’t be able to experience this stepping down of the pain. Read more about How Acupuncture Steps Down Pain.

Acupuncture helps eliminate pain, reduce swelling, improve circulation and improve range of motion. Not only does acupuncture  speed the body's healing process but is also helps you feel better than ever. If you suffer from pain and your particular condition is not listed here, call us for a free consultation to determine if acupuncture can help you.