Pain

Pain has multiple causes.  We know it can be from use, overuse, injury, trauma, infection, disease process or even of unknown causes.  Many types of pain are diagnosed According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: When seeing an acupuncturist we discuss the pain when it happens what quality or sensation, burning, numbness, throbbing, is it fixed or does it move.  We discuss if movement or rest, ice or heat makes it better or worse.  Knee pain and back pain are very commonly and effectively treated with acupuncture as well as Arthritis of most joints.  Acupuncture is one method that is recommended and shown effective in lieu of opioid pain relievers.  We focus on moving qi and blood (increasing circulation) to relieve pain.  This can be useful to get us back in motion but it is not usually that simple.  One thing to note acupuncture will not repair the damage done by trauma or years and years of hard use.  Acupuncture is useful to manage the pain to restore movement and keep the joint as healthy as possible. In some cases we relieve the muscle tension surrounding the joint, a process that is useful to protect the body but gets in a loop that needs to be broken and once done will allow for more movement and less pain.  

In the case of headaches we will discuss the area of the head affected.  It is useful to figure what meridian in important to use in treatment.  

{this information is not intended to treat anything but offered for informational/ educational purposes.  If you have issues or questions we are happy to discuss them with you and see if this would be appropriate or how we can help}