Pain relief.
Acute Pain
Mostly this tends to be from an injury - there is a specific event that you can point to - this is when my pain started. It might stem from an awkward movement, lifting something heavy, lifting something at an awkward angle, an accident or it may be aggravation of a previous injury which had settled down but never completely resolved. A multi-faceted approach tends to offer the best results. Acupuncture treatment combined with tuina massage, infra-red heat lamp, a herbal formula and possibly some topical application products - heat patches, liniment or a cream. The consultation process clarifies your history and preferences in order to put together the best treatment plan for you. With acute pain we are hoping to provide some level of pain relief and promote the flow of blood to the area to allow the body to naturally heal the damage that has occurred.
Obviously with some acute injuries a western medical intervention is necessary - a cast may need to be applied to a broken bone or an X-ray may need to be taken to ascertain the level of damage. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can still provide some relief and promote healing alongside western medical interventions. Very often the best results are produced when both systems are used in tandem.
Chronic Pain
This tends to be stubborn and does not easily respond to treatment. I find that here the multi-faceted approach is essential. Living with chronic pain is very difficult. It affects every aspect of your life. It may be constant or intermittent or cyclical and is incredibly wearing and tiring affecting daily life and your mood. The interventions offered to those suffering from chronic pain tend to have their own side effects which add new and constant symptoms to the sufferers life.
In Chinese Medicine, pain is considered to be due to an obstruction - the flow of blood and body fluids have been impacted leading to irritation and pain. The job of the Chinese Medicine practitioner is to remove the obstruction. I find that acupuncture combined with an infra-red lamp, tuina massage and possibly a herbal formula produces the best results. Some pain will begin to improve immediately and will improve by degrees with each subsequent treatment. Other times, pain will recede and flare, sciatic pain for example is one which commonly follows this pattern and also tooth pain or facial neuralgia. Regular treatment is necessary in particular at the beginning. As the pain improves, the treatments can be spaced out. The use of topical application products at home in between treatments can be helpful. For some the alteration of diet can also be helpful. Some foods are inflammatory and may aggravate the problem. A full discussion with your practitioner will reveal what course of action might suit you best.
