Acupuncture, as a therapeutic intervention is effective for nausea and vomiting associated with surgery, chemotherapy and pregnancy. In addition, acupuncture has a significant effect on pain and can be helpful in conditions such as low back pain, osteoarthritis, myofascial pain, menstrual cramps, headache, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Acupuncture has been used much more widely in other parts of the world
including both Europe and Asia. Another prestigious organization, the World
Health Organization of the United Nations has also created a list of
illnesses for which acupuncture is an appropriate treatment. That is:
| Musculo-Skeletal, Neurological and Stress Related Conditions: |
| Back Pain |
Depression |
Stroke |
| Tendonitis |
Anxiety |
Neuralgia |
| Sciatica |
Stress |
Cerebral Palsy |
| Stiff Neck |
Insomnia |
Bell's Palsy |
| Bursitis |
Headache |
|
| Arthritis |
Sprains |
|
 |
| Female Conditions: |
| PMS |
|
|
| Menstrual Cramps |
|
|
| Pelvic Inflammatory Disease |
|
|
| Irregular and Painful Periods |
|
| Infertility |
|
|
| Vaginitis |
|
|
|
| Male Conditions: |
| Infertility |
|
|
| Impotence |
|
|
|
| Infections and General Conditions: |
| Colds and Flu |
Deafness |
Ulcers |
| Hayfever |
Earache |
Indigestion |
| Bronchitis |
Dizziness |
Colitis |
| Sore Throat |
Tinnitus |
Hemorrhoids |
| Sinus Infections |
Poor Eyesight |
Diarrhea/Constipation |
| Asthma |
Hepatitis |
High Blood Pressure |
| Herpes |
Diabetes |
Hypoglycemia |
| Achne |
Eczema |
Dermatological Conditions |
A Closer Look at PAIN Search
According to the National Institute of Health:
"Pain is a critical national health problem. It is the most common reason
for medical appointments, nearly 40 million visits annually, and costs this
country over $100 billion each year in health care and lost productivity.
Pain has a profound effect on the quality of human life. In addition to
possible deleterious effects on immune function, pain can cause disruptions
in sleep, eating, mobility, and overall functional status. In the
hospitalized patient, pain may be associated with increased length of stay,
longer recovery time, and poorer patient outcomes, all of which have health
care quality and cost implications."
Pain, in general, has an infinite number of possible causes and
manifestations, however, muscle constriction based pain caused by chronic
over-use, repetitive strain, poor posture and stress is quite common and
very effectively relieved by acupuncture, and specifically, by a technique
originally invented in the field of physical therapy by Janet Travell. That
technique, called myofascial trigger point needling is traditionally
executed using injections of local anesthetics with hypodermic needles
however, trigger point releases can be effectively executed to reduce
chronic muscle constriction based pain with a simple acupuncture trigger
point technique.
The release of a trigger point is in fact a release in the exterior layers
of the body. When generated with acupuncture needles, there is an actual
physiological shift that is both visual and tactile. It is as if a ripple is
generated through a tissue which has been previously frozen. Usually, for
the patient, it is an experience that is quite unexpected and surprising. From a Chinese medical perspective, the surface of the body must be cleared
of constriction and pain before one could effectively enter into the
interior of the body and treat it thoroughly. By inspiring the surface
tissue to open, acupuncture can then help to create a sustained shift in a
body's habitual pain pattern and conditions occurring more deeply in the
body are given a greater opportunity to heal. |
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