Acupuncture for Chronic Pain

Acupuncture for chronic pain in Moorooka in Brisbane South

Acupuncture has been found to be an effective form of treatment for chronic pain. In this article, Brisbane southside Acupuncturist, Michelle Blum, explains how Acupuncture can do this.

Did you know that according to “Pain Australia” ………

• 3.24 million Aussies were living with chronic pain in the year 2018.

• 64 % of those with chronic pain were women whilst the remainder were men.

• 56 % of Australians living with chronic pain were reported to have restricted mobility.

• To add to this, approximately 46 % of people with chronic pain, sadly ended up experiencing depression and anxiety.

So what is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that usually lasts longer than the expected recovery time after an incident such as an injury, trauma or surgery.

Usually, chronic pain denotes pain that lingers for around 3 months or more.

Some of the conditions that produce chronic pain include migraines, osteoarthritis, muscle and joint pain. Other less, well known chronic pain conditions include nerve, pelvic, abdominal and facial pain as well as pain that persists post-surgery.

Acute pain on the other hand is pain that exists for a short time following surgery, trauma or other condition. It is usually the body’s signal for help and if left untreated, acute pain can sometimes lead to chronic pain.

It is always worth visiting a GP for a chronic pain diagnosis however in most cases, allopathic treatment will address the symptoms of pain only, which can end up providing a mere short-term solution.

Some of the medications given for chronic pain include cortisone injections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, paracetamol and codeine.

These medications provide short term pain relief only without considering what might be driving the pain in the first instance. This approach to treatment may also mean that once the drug therapy which can sometimes be addictive, ceases, the pain is likely to return.

Acupuncture, on the other hand, aims at relieving the symptoms in a non-drug and non-addictive manner as well as addressing and treating the cause of that pain.

Often an experienced Acupuncturist will also do an assessment of the body to see what musculoskeletal anomalies might be causing complications and treat these. This might involve helping to re-align the hips or pelvis.

In Chinese Medicine, there is a saying that “when there is a free flow of Qi there is no pain” hence painful conditions will often arise when the qi or vital force in the body is stagnant or blocked. Another way of saying this is that when there is a poor flow of nutrients, oxygen and blood to an area then pain ensues. Hence a lot of acupuncture treatments for pain will involve the movement of blood, nutrients and oxygen by the needling of certain acupuncture points on the body.

More often than not an Acupuncturist will insert needles in places that seem far from the site of pain. This is because of the intricate meridian network that exists within the body. Often points on the feet may be used to treat pain in the head area or upper extremities. This may not make much sense to the patient but a great deal of sense to the experienced Acupuncturist.

A “stick it where it hurts” Acupuncture approach is only used by non - Acupuncturists who use the term dry needling which is often a very superficial and simplistic style of treatment.

So, if you think you have chronic pain and would like to try Acupuncture but feel afraid that it might hurt then I urge you to seek out a Japanese style Acupuncturist like me, who has completed special post-graduate studies.

Japanese style acupuncture is very effective, relaxing and non - invasive so great for individuals that are a little worried that Acupuncture might be painful.

So, a little about me. My name is Michelle Blum and I am an Acupuncturist of 17 years. I have a 4-year bachelor degree in Health Sciences majoring in Acupuncture as well as an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathy. In addition, I have a certificate in Massage Therapy and Oriental Massage Therapy.

My Acupuncture practice is located in Moorooka on the south side of Brisbane just 10 or so minutes from Brisbane’s CBD.

Often, I will combine Acupuncture with my knowledge of these other modalities to give the best possible results.

Chronic pain is also something that can be addressed using Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine and Nutritional Medicine by looking at the body’s biochemistry as well as using supplements such as Magnesium, Curcumin and other natural
anti-inflammatories.

If you’re curious about receiving treatment for a chronic pain condition, feel free to contact me to discuss the best ways in which I can help you with the pain you might be experiencing.