More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Why Pain Is Necessary
People fear pain. To make matters worse, the stress from pain will make it feel more intense. Consider taking a step back and asking yourself why pain is necessary for survival?
When a caveman fell and struck his elbow on a rock, his first reaction was to cradle it in his opposite hand to protect it. If the injury is severe enough, chronic pain will result. This pain is a reminder to avoid further injury to the joint.
Pain in today's modern society is still necessary and protective you immediately pull the thorn from your foot and disinfect it well before infection sets in. So what about that old shoulder injury from college football? Must you be continually reminded to take it easy?
In the past three decades, there have been many advances in allopathic (Western) medicine in researching the etiology (cause) and pathogenesis (development) of pain syndromes, but a simple solution to the management of chronic pain has yet to be discovered.
Chronic pain is frustrating for both patients and health care professionals, as it is typically does not have an easy solution.
While opiates, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxants can help patients live more normal lives, these medications do not resolve the root cause of the chronic pain.
This is where acupuncture may be helpful. The reason why pain remains after we have healed is due to a neurotransmitter called substance P (which is responsible for sending pain signals to your brain) increasing in that neural pathway (the shoulder for instance).
Acupuncture has been shown through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) the “gold standard” in medical research to reduce substance P and reduce or resolve chronic pain.
Even over-the-counter medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have risks. Over 16,000 deaths and 60,000 hospitalizations per year are reported, typically due to their over-use or improper use. In comparison, acupuncture does not have such risks.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest known healing modalities on the planet; and one of the best suited for chronic pain management.
