Pain hurts and is the body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. Pain can happen
suddenly, develop slowly, be short-lived or last several months. Pain is classified as
acute pain or chronic pain.
Acupuncture treatments for pain management can be very helpful for both acute and
chronic pain, but the treatment goals are different. It is helpful for patients to understand
the difference between acute and chronic pain.
Acute pain is like an alarm that tells you to rest your injury in order to give it a chance to
heal. Acupuncture speeds up the healing process by reducing inflammation and swelling
and also providing pain relief.
Chronic pain has a neurological component that makes it more complicated. About 30%
of Americans suffer from chronic pain and it is often poorly understood, poorly treated
or stigmatized. Chronic pain is like a broken alarm that is permanently stuck in the “on”
position. This is one reason why it can be difficult to diagnosis and treat. Acupuncture
works to restore health in the body, through the nervous, neurological and circulatory
systems, thus helping the many components of chronic pain.
Depending on the severity of pain, it is possible that patients may not see immediate
results and will need to develop an on-going treatment program. In other cases, the pain
may be completely alleviated in just a few treatments.