On Pins And Needles - Acupuncture for Pain Relief

The most popular form of pain relief that medicine has to offer is pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. If, like me,  you've spent a lot of time in chronic pain, you know that these medications can also have unreliable results. After a while, our bodies adapt to them, their effectiveness wears off, and we require higher doses or a change in  medications, or a combination of medications. For many of us, the side effects from some of the prescription medications can be worse than the pain condition it's self.  I have found a wonderful Doctor who has been great about researching the latest medications being used to treat pain. She also knows about the alternative holistic treatment options, and has taken the time to educate me on them and their effectiveness, and has given me the option to try them.  When you live with chronic pain their comes a time when you will do anything to get some relief. So, at my Doctors  recommendation, I have  incorporated many of them into my personal treatment plan.  Massages  - to relax the muscles (and me, as I have been known to fall asleep during them.) Be sure to let the therapist know that you have fibromyalgia and to adjust the pressure so it doesn't cause you pain during the massage.  Heat - to relax muscles and help with stiffness by boosting blood flow to the places where you hurt. I use an electric blanket on my bed, a heating pad, and an electric throw when I am sitting. A warm bath or shower helps. And you can throw your clothes into a dryer to warm them before you put them on. Chiropractic - adjustments and decompression have worked to relieve back, neck and shoulder pain for me. Physical Therapy  - to strengthen muscle support and alignment of of ligaments. Acupuncture - for chronic pain is a powerful and natural treatment. The needles stimulate points on your body that release endorphin's and other natural pain relievers. They also, according to research, increase the electromagnetic signals between the different cells in your body. This can encourage healing and eliminate pain. It is painless, and I have it done to both of my ears and down my back. After 15 to 20 minutes I feel relaxed and in less pain. It lasts about 3 to 4 days before the effects wear off. It has also helped with my fibromyalgia by retraining my brain in its response to nerve pain.   Acupuncture Treatment for Pain Management  Acupuncture for pain management has been used for centuries. Because it treats your body as a whole, acupuncture not only reduces pain immediately, but it can help you avoid future pain in the same areas. It’s so effective that conventional medical doctors now often suggest acupuncture treatment for pain. Acupuncture increases blood circulation to different parts of your body and relaxes your muscles. It also helps promote emotional well-being and can increase the effectiveness of your immune system. Instead of bringing the rest of your health down in order to reduce pain (like conventional medications do) it raises the level of your whole body health.  Source: http://www.acupages.com/Acupuncture-Pain-Relief-Treatment-for-Chronic-Acute-Pain.html In a 2006 Mayo Clinic study, acupuncture appeared to significantly reduce fatigue and anxiety among people with fibromyalgia. Other studies have suggested that acupuncture can temporarily ease fibromyalgia pain as well. Yet researchers who analyzed several clinical trials, including the Mayo Clinic study, concluded that overall, acupuncture is not effective in treating fibromyalgia.  Source: webmd.com/fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-pain-10/alternative-treatments-for-fibromyalgia  Acupuncture For Pain Relief Is Real “These effects may be real relief,” says Rick Hecht, MD, research director at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “There may be active ingredients that are still there even though the needles are not going into specific points and specific depths. What is doing it, you can’t tell, though other research is being done to break down the issue.” Source: webmd.com/pain-management/news/20120910/acupuncture-pain-relief?page=2 Trying it for yourself may be the only way to find out if it works for you. It may take several acupuncture treatments for you to conclude whether its benefits, if any, are worth the money. Many insurance plans do cover physical therapy, acupuncture. and massage with a referral from your Doctor. Always check with your Primary Care Doctor before trying any of these alternative treatments.  Good luck and God Bless! :)