In 1997, the National Institutes of Health in the
United States officially recognised acupuncture as an effective
treatment
for
osteoarthritis, headaches, low back pain, fibromyalgia, menstrual
cramps, tennis elbow, myofascial pain, neck pain, and carpal tunnel
syndrome. Modern medical research has discovered that pain signals are
transmitted by specialised nervous system cells called nerve receptors,
which are found throughout the skin and other body tissues. These cells
respond to injury, inflammation or tissue damage. The signals travel by
electrical and chemical means, from receptors through sensory neurons
to the spinal cord and then through interneurons in the spinal cord to
the brain, where they are finally interpreted as pain.
TCM takes a
different view. This view is one of balance: a balance between the
principles of Yin and Yang, and between Qi (pronounced chee) and Blood.
Qi and Blood travel through the body along well-defined pathways called
channels or meridians. When there is not enough Qi and Blood or when
they are stuck in an area, there is an imbalance between Yin and Yang.
As a result of this imbalance, internal organs are not functioning
optimally and illness and pain develop.
Pain Control by TCM
In
Western medicine it is quite common for patients to be told by their
doctors that the real cause of their pain cannot be found. Fortunately,
acupuncture has acquired a very good reputation as a treatment for
relieving pain. Today many physicians are now referring their patients
for an acupuncture evaluation or patients are starting to investigate
the potential of acupuncture and herbal treatment for themselves.
In terms of pain control, the effects of Chinese herbal and acupuncture
treatment include:
Acupuncture
treats pain by using selected points on the effected channels to
activate qi and blood circulation. Acupuncture treatment for pain is
varied and based largely on what is causing the patient's suffering.
The
Chinese do not limit the use of acupuncture to alleviating pain only.
Instead treatment includes addressing all health issues the patient is
dealing with, some of which may be the cause of the pain.
How does
acupuncture relieve pain? Modern research has many explanations. They
include acupuncture's ability to effect the transmission of pain
impulses, to stimulate the release of endorphins (the body's natural
pain relievers), to increase seratonin levels which influences one's
sensitivity to pain, and to effect levels of acetylcholine and
catecholamine levels -- other neurotransmitters that influence our
perception of pain.
The practitioner of Oriental medicine will base
his/her diagnosis on observed imbalances noted in the patient that are
contributing to the manifestation of pain. These imbalances will be
caused by any one or combination of external, emotional or internal
factors. External factors are an excess of wind, cold, heat, dryness,
or dampness. Emotional factors also can cause pain. Internal factors
will include poor diet, stress, overstrain or lack of physical
exertion. Of course, trauma is also a cause.
The practitioner will
then address the imbalances created by these factors by stimulating the
appropriate acupuncture points. These points will reinstate a balance
of qi and blood, yin and yang, thus decreasing pain as well as reducing
the effects of the causes that created the pain in the first place.
Treatment for Pain with TCM
In
treating pain, practitioners of TCM often also include herbal medicine,
moxibustion therapy, dietary therapy and massage. The number of
treatments and the length of therapy that a patient may receive are
based on many factors including the patient's health, age, and personal
contribution to the therapy. Other deciding factors include the
severity and longevity of the pain and the patient's response to
therapy. The course of treatment will be determined during the first
few acupuncture sessions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes acupuncture’s ability to
treat over 30 diseases including these: