Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Pain

Hello to the Rebalance community,

My name is Kirsten Kirby I am a Registered Acupuncturist here in Toronto and a new member to the Rebalance Team.

I am happy to be one of the new members to introduce Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Registered Acupuncture to you.

A very brief summary would be: Acupuncture uses your own body’s internal mechanisms to help bring your individual body back into Balance. All bodies have an internal map that Acupuncturists call “channels”, many vessels and neurological pathways meet on these “channels“ at particular “points”. When encouraged these “points“ can help Rebalance the body. When the fine needle stimulates the body under the skin a cascade of reactions go to alert the brain for self-healing in the body.

Do you have Chronic Pain? Have you had Physical Therapy with relief but the “issue” continues to return? Do you enjoy a massage but hope that the effects would last?

The most important question is: Is the pain you have idiopathic? There hasn’t been a found cause or reason for your pain?

Acupuncture could be a great place for you to start looking for relief. I understand if you haven’t tried it before it already sounds like a strange way to find relief. But what if I told you that many countries and organizations around the world use Acupuncture? OR that the World Health Organization WHO recommends Acupuncture for over 100 different conditions and of that, 43 specific diseases that research supports as measurable positive outcomes from Acupuncture.

The most notable and shared across many publications and articles regarding acupuncture for headache, arthritis, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint pain, lumbar, shoulder, and neck pain. Based on published evidence, acupuncture is most likely to benefit patients with low back pain, neck pain, chronic idiopathic or tension headache, migraine, and knee osteoarthritis pain syndromes.

Ok so many studies have shown the benefits of acupuncture when relieving chronic pain, but how does it work?

From some western medicine perspectives the needles are found to be a “foreign” object under the surface of the skin, as a normal mechanism of the body, a cascade of triggers and chemical catalysis increase blood flow, often increasing heat and cell proliferation in the area. The acupuncture “point” is the direct localized technique that can decrease inflammation and stimulate the autoimmune system in the area.

Several Studies have also noted that the needles themselves break down the fibroblasts (scar tissue) in the body that initiates collagen production, an increase in blood circulation that in turn leads to pain relief, and the reduction of inflammation and swelling.

Basically healing with your own body.

How simple!

And Get this!

Acupuncture is safe with little to no adverse side effects, this therapy is complementary to most western therapeutic methods like; Chiropractic, Physical therapy, and Pharmaceutical prescriptions.

So why not?

Like I say to all of my clients, with Acupuncture we can focus on the Person and not the Symptom, and that everybody is different and with that expect an individualized form of healthcare.  These studies only reflect that story.  You have your own story to tell, I encourage you to find a solution to Rebalance your vessel with Acupuncture. I welcome you to log in for a free 15 minute consultation with me to find out more or to answer any questions that you may have.

References:

1. The Use of Acupuncture in Sports Medicine
2. Acupuncture Induces Adenosine in Fibroblasts Through Energy Metabolism and Promotes Proliferation by Activating MAPK Signaling Pathway via Adenosine3 Receptor
3. Acupuncture on the Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor and Type I Collagen in Colons of Rats with Crohn’s Disease
4. Connective Tissue Fibroblast Response to Acupuncture: Dose-Dependent Effect of Bidirectional Needle Rotation