According to the American Pain Association, an estimated 86 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. While chronic pain is often the result of a previous health condition, it can also occur with no apparent cause.

Low back pain, neck pain, headache, and joint pain are among the most common forms of chronic pain. There is a wide variety of conventional therapies to treat chronic pain, many involving medicative treatment. However, traditional Chinese medicine has two therapies proven to be effective in the management of chronic pain, acupuncture and massage.

Both acupuncture and massage therapy are regularly used to alleviate chronic pain. Acupuncture and massage therapy can be combined to provide an effective, natural solution to pain, discomfort and disease.

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is a therapeutic method used to reduce pain and enhance natural healing. Acupuncture is safe and effective and is often successfully used as an alternative to medicative therapies. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) acknowledge the efficacy and benefits of using acupuncture in the treatment of acute and chronic pain.

Western medicine´s viewpoint is that stimulation of certain acupuncture points, which coincide with specific pain points located on the body, produces an analgesic effect by increasing release of opioids and endorphins, the body´s natural painkillers.

Acupuncture also alleviates pain by working through the nervous system, altering pain signals sent to the brain from nerve fibers that both transmit and inhibit pain. Acupuncture stimulates the pain inhibitory nerve fibers, which relieves pain by lowering the pain input.

According to the National Institutes of Health´s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there is evidence that stimulating acupuncture points speeds relay of electromagnetic signals, which can increase levels and flow of natural pain-killing chemicals to afflicted areas. When pain is alleviated, individuals experience a greater sense of overall well-being.

From the Oriental perspective, acupuncture reduces pain by improving Chi flow in the body. Chronic pain is understood to occur when the flow of Chi is obstructed in one or more areas of the body. Blockage of the Chi can result in pain, as well as organ and tissue dysfunction. Acupuncture balances and regulates the flow of Chi, thereby alleviating pain and enhancing wellness.

Unlike most conventional therapies for pain management, acupuncture has no side effects. Acupuncture can effectively treat many pain conditions, including: Osteoarthritis, back pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, neck and shoulder pain, joint pain, headaches, migraines, tennis elbow, tendonitis, knee and ankle pain, sinus pain, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, and arthritis pain.

MASSAGE THERAPY

In addition to chronic pain management, numerous physical and mental health benefits have been attributed to massage, including: Stress reduction, decreased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, increased blood circulation, and improved joint range of motion.

Massage utilizes a holistic approach which reduces the body´s stress responses associated with pain, such as elevated cortisol. For individuals concerned about the long-term use of medication to manage chronic pain, massage can be an effective and natural pain control method.

According to a recent American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) survey, one in five U.S. adults got a therapeutic massage in the last year. Among those, 28 percent said massage therapy gave them "the greatest relief from pain."

Massage alleviates pain in several ways. It can increase blood flow to sore, stiff muscles and joints. Massage also triggers the release of opioids, natural painkillers in the brain. Additionally, massage increases the flow of oxytocin, a hormone that relaxes muscles. Massage can normalize and align body structure and function and reduce pain associated with body mechanics, poor posture and common ailments.

By emphasizing the physical anatomy to shorten and elongate muscles so that the body becomes structurally correct, massage therapy generally involves structural integration in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain conditions. This may incorporate several holistic massage therapy modalities including: Deep tissue, Swedish, cranial sacral, Shiatsu, and acupressure.

Massage therapy successfully treats a range of pain conditions, including: Arthritis, inflammation, fibromyalgia, headaches and migraines, sciatic leg pain, tendonitis, joint pain, back pain, and neck and shoulder pain.

For information about Acupuncture & Massage College´s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso, Admissions Director, at (305) 595-9500.