More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Chinese Medicine & Pain Management
Promoting good health can be a daunting task when you are in pain. After the emergency of an injury has been addressed by your doctor, there are many natural health solutions that may assist in managing and decreasing pain.
In cases of an immediate past injury, such as a car accident, the focus is to alleviate pain and promote the natural healing process. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs will help promote the healing process of damaged muscles, bones and tendons to get you back on your feet quicker while also naturally managing pain. Massage and physical therapy can help strengthen the body in a slow and gentle process that decreases the chance of an acute injury turning into a chronic condition.
When faced with long term pain, a good health care practitioner will not only work to put out the fire, so to speak, but should also be simultaneously getting to the root cause that started the pain. A healthy body should be able to heal from an old injury, so if pain has become chronic, we want to ask what in the body has allowed this to happen. Chinese medicine will not only look at the location of your pain, but other seemingly unrelated issues to get a clear idea of what long term pattern or “habit” your body has to create comprehensive treatment plans.
Of course, the most effective methods of long-term pain relief are ones that you can do for yourself. Simple dietary and lifestyle changes may make a world of difference. Food sensitivities coupled with chronic dehydration can cause the body to respond with an inflammatory condition leading to chronic pain.
Supplements that you can purchase for yourself can decrease inflammation in the body as well as help the damaged cells to heal, such as those containing Essential Fatty Acids like fish or flax oil. Consult a professional before self-prescribing as many store bought products may interact with medications or may not be appropriate for every condition with similar symptoms.
While we all want relief from our pain immediately, real healing takes time. Many patients experience some degree of relief with their first acupuncture session, but Chinese medicine is built upon the principal of healing the whole body, and so long-lasting benefits may take multiple treatments over the course of time.
