Acupuncture for Chronic Pain Brisbane
Acupuncture For Chronic Pain
Acupuncture has been found to be an effective form of treatment for chronic pain. In this article, Brisbane south side 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, osteo-arthritis, 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 musculo-skeletal 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 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 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 myself, 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.
Acupuncture for pain relief -just as effective as pain medication.
Acupuncture For Pain Relief
The report made mention of an Australian clinical trial conducted in a hospital setting and was offered by researchers at Emergency Departments to 500 people presenting with pain. The types of pain involved in the trial included back pain, ligament sprains and migraines. 80 per cent of those who received the Acupuncture treatment said that it worked slightly better than drug therapy.
The reporter pointed out how useful it is to have an effective treatment for pain for those who cannot tolerate pharmaceutical drugs.
Other benefits of using Acupuncture over pharmaceutical drugs for pain relief include: -It being a lot less of a load on the liver as compared with pain medication; It having minimal to no side effects and it providing an alternative for the growing opioid addiction.
You can watch the news report here.
If you are suffering from any type of pain, whether it be chronic or acute, it is most definitely worth visiting a nationally registered Acupuncturist and receiving a course of treatments.
I usually tell my clients to try at least three Acupuncture treatments in fairly quick succession to gauge whether or not it is a suitable treatment for their presenting problem. In the majority of cases, it most definitely is effective and on the odd occasion, when it may not seem to be a suitable treatment, then a referral for an alternate therapy will be made.
If you would like to contact Michelle Blum, who is a nationally registered Acupuncturist of 17 years as well as a qualified Naturopath please do not hesitate to contact her Brisbane clinic based in the south-side suburb of Moorooka, only 10 to 15 minutes from the city.
Acupuncture relieves pain from failed back surgery
Acupuncture Is An Effective Treatment for Back Pain
Acupuncture is a popular and effective treatment of choice for those suffering with back pain. In particular, it has been found that Acupuncture can be a helpful treatment for those who continue to experience pain after back surgery. This is known as Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS).
In a recent study, two types of acupuncture protocols were used to treat patients who were experiencing pain after failed back surgery. It was noted that one protocol used in the study achieved a 94.87 per cent improvement in symptoms whilst the other achieved a 76.32 per cent improvement.
The study involved 80 participants and the improvements noted included the following:
- A reduction in lumbar pain
- Reduced leg pain and numbness
- Less sensory and motor impairment
- A reduction in limits on daily life activities and bladder dysfunction.
Effectiveness was also measured in relation to improvements in the ability to walk, lift a straightened leg, roll while lying down, stand, lean forward, sit for an extended period of time, and lift.
The author of the study noted that given the complexity of FBSS (Failed Back Surgery Syndrome) and the success rates of acupuncture in eliminating or reducing FBSS related pain, acupuncture provides a therapeutic option for patients requiring pain relief.
For more details on the study please visit this paper here.
If you would like to discuss how Acupuncture may help you with your back pain or if you would like to make a booking please contact Michelle Blum Natural Health here.