Though not much recognised or used for acute illness or acute pain because modern health institutions have such powerful drugs, acupuncture and Chinese herbs, for example, can often support your body back to health without the need for powerful medication.
Ask yourself – is your pain acute or chronic? Researchers classify any pain that’s gone on for more than 2 weeks as chronic!
And when pain is chronic, advice about what to take for it changes, drastically.
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has the job of assessing the cost and efficacy of drugs which doctors can prescribe.
What they say is that Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammoatory Drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen, and painkillers like acetamonophen (paracetemol, trade names Panadol or Tylenol) plus benzodiazepines and opioids (all of which are used for acute pain) should NOT be prescribed for chronic pain.
Instead, they want doctors to use anti-depressants for the psychological effects of pain or
- group exercise programmes
- psychological therapy or
- acupuncture! (NICE draft clinical guidelines, August 3, 2020)
Yes, you read that right. Acupuncture!
Why, you ask!
In health, if you have pain, your body produces neutrophils – white blood cells. These are your body’s first line of defence when dealing with inflammation.
Neutrophils set off a process that leads to REPAIR.
Unfortunately, it turns out, painkillers like NSAIDS, acetaminophen and steroids interfere with your body’s neutrophil production.
That stops it from dealing with the acute pain inflammation and then repair.
So the pain persists and, in effect, your acute pain becomes chronic. (Sci Transl Med, 2022; 14(644): eabj9954)
Of course, morphine and opioids do mask acute pain (and chronic pain) but they lead to addiction, not to mention many mental states and wooziness.
And many NSAIDs are bad for your digestion and may cause bleeding.
So, it turns out that modern research backs up the ancient idea that acupuncture can help chronic pain. (However, we often find it works for acute pain and acute illness too!)
The trouble is that few acupuncturists are set up to provide a 24-hour service. But if we’re open, ring us – we may be able to help.
Of course, if you’ve broken a bone, had a severe accident or are unconscious, get to A&E!
Recently, we’ve used acupuncture for
- back pain
- shoulder pain
- knee pain
- headache and migraine
- hip pain
- pain from repetitive and strain injury
- wrist pain
- neck pain
- menstrual pain (ie dysmenorrhoea)
- indigestion including reflux, burning and IBS
- leg pains, like sciatica
But there are lots of different kinds of pain and the list above just shows some recent examples.
Acupuncture for Pain offer
We have a special introductory offer for you. Come four times over two or at most three weeks, and the cost is greatly reduced.
However, you can’t book this directly through our normal booking system which is at www.brief.me.uk.
Instead, you contact Jonathan first.
He needs to talk to you to establish if he thinks you might benefit from this.
That’s because he only wants people on this particular programme whom he’s fairly sure he can help.
By the way … these four treatments over a couple of weeks won’t necessarily cure your pain – you may need more than four treatments!
But usually four treatments are enough to show if it’s going to help you.
What acupuncture system does Jonathan usually use for this? Either the Dr Richard Tan Balance system or the system handed down via Master Tung.
He’ll send you the link to book your first appointment.
Contact Jonathan on 07950-012501 or jonathan@lothianacupuncture.co