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18 September 2012

When Looking For Pain Relief From Acupuncture Irvine Residents Can Rely On Expert Practitioners In Their Area

By Rebekah Alford


When they need help with pain management through acupuncture Irvine residents can rest assured they have competent experts in their area. This has become a tremendously popular way to treat pain in recent years. This article will briefly explain what this ancient form of treatment is and how it is being used to combat pain-related conditions.

Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years and is perhaps the best known branch of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves the use of tiny needles to penetrate certain points on the skin. The points are said to exist along lines known as energy meridians. The meridians carry a life force energy known as Qi (or Chi) throughout the body. There are said to be twelve main meridians in the human body.

Chinese medicine holds that disturbances in the flow of Qi is what underlies disease. This causes disharmony in the delicate balance of the human body and eventually results in ill-health. The needles are a way to stimulate the Qi, restore harmony, and thus good health. The treatment, and the theory behind it provoke controversy in the West as there is no conclusive proof supporting the existence of Qi.

Whatever the controversies surrounding it, there can be no doubt that it can be a superbly effective means of combating chronic pain. Over the last twenty years its popularity as a treatment for pain has snowballed. It has now reached the point where it is accepted as a valid modality by many Western doctors. In 2007 a National Health Interview Survey investigated the ten most common conditions that people seek help with using acupuncture.

Musculoskeletal conditions made up seven out of these top ten conditions, with back pain being the most common. Joint pain, migraine, and neck pain were three of the others. Other common pain-related issues that people often seek help for include sciatica, arthritis, tennis elbow and menstrual cramps.

Conventional medicine puts forward several theories to explain how it produces such excellent results. The idea that the needles stimulate the body's production of endorphins is one of them. Endorphins are chemicals that the body produces to inhibit pain, ease stress levels, and boost the immune system. Their effect mimics that of opiates and explains why they can induce state of intoxication.

Another point of view holds that the needles in some way act upon the operation of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit nerve impulses from the cells of the body to the brain. The transmission of pain and other sensations is one of the many processes they control. The theory holds that the needles affect the action of neurotransmitters and in so doing affect the pain impulse.

Many people are wary of this treatment due to the use of needles. This is a common concern but any fear of pain is unfounded. The needles used are very fine and only produce a pin-prick sensation at most. Patients should certainly not feel any pain. If they're considering getting help for chronic pain through acupuncture Irvine residents can expect to gain substantial relief from this ancient healing modality.




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