Back Pain Relief with Acupuncture

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Introduction:

Acupuncture, to a much greater extent, is finding its way into mainstream medical practice. Among other things, in the field of pain management, back pain relief in particular, many people are trying acupuncture.

Aside from improvement with pain, people who've used acupuncture have reported obtaining a greater feeling of well-being and general improvement in their health. Acupuncture, as everybody knows, involves very fine needle insertions into specific body surface points. The points lie along the energy conduits, also called the meridians. With acupuncture, the points are stimulated, producing beneficial physical and mental changes in the body.

If you have found that pain medications, strengthening exercises and other strategies have not produced the relief you need, this article delves into various aspects of employing ancient Chinese medicine to provide effective relief for back pain. Keep an open mind. It may serve you very well. Read on....

Pain Relief - Have You Considered Acupuncture for Your Back Pain?

Pain Relief Studies by the National Institute of Health show that acupuncture is effective in treating back pain, and 2500 years of success for the Chinese backs this up. Yet, no one is sure exactly why acupuncture works. Eastern philosophy holds that the needles unblock interrupted chi. Western medicine has a few theories of its own when it comes to pain relief.

Some believe acupuncture stimulates the nervous system and the 2000 energy centers in the body, which in turn triggers the release of natural painkillers in the form of endorphins, opioid peptides, and chemicals from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Others believe that acupuncture needles help contracted muscles relax, stimulate nerves in the legs, and decrease inflammation of the nerves in the lower back which results in pain relief.

In the United States there are over fifty acupuncture training schools, which require approximately 3000 credit hours of study and offer the equivalent of a Master’s Degree. The training regimen over time is close to the same as for an internship and residency for a MD certificate of practice

States have different requirements for acupuncturists, since it deals with pain relief and associated cures but all must take a state examinations and/ or a national exam in order to be licensed to practice. To find an acupuncturist, contact the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, pick three and conduct sufficient research to determine the qualifications and credentials of you acupuncturist particularly in the area of pain relief in general and specifically for back pain or any particular painful condition.

Don’t be surprised if the practitioner treats your back pain by putting needles in your ankles, knees, or fingers. This is a technique called percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS),where needles are inserted into nerve centers and electrically stimulated. You can expect to feel pain relief for chronic pain in about ten to fifteen treatments and sooner for acute or sudden pain.

Other things an acupuncturist may do:

Use moxibustion, an herb that is burned onto the needle before insertion to stimulate the area being treated;
Cupping: burn cotton in a glass cup, which is then placed on the skin to create a vacuum
Prescribe herbal supplements in addition to physical treatment.

When you are considering acupuncture, it is important to make sure the practitioner is someone you feel comfortable working with. Look for someone who not only has a great deal of experience in pain relief and is also interested in your whole health and will take time to ask and answer your questions.

As an alternative to acupuncture, alternative topical pain relief, non-narcotic are available for pain relief at...

The Centre for Pain Relief in New York City
Pain Relief Information and Solutions
Back Pain Relief

The Author, Ray Attebery, is the President for The Centre for Pain Relief in New York City.

In Summary:

Many people today are seeking more natural alternatives to treating pain. Medications invevitably have troublesome side effects, and some have recently been recalled or reevaluated by pharmaceutical manufacturers after action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These considerations make the alternative of employing acupuncture for effective back pain relief worth investigating as outlined above.