Acupuncture for Pain Management and Wellness

Acupuncture is a healing therapy that involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the body to treat health problems. It’s been a part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years, and has become more popular in the West in recent decades.

Acupuncture is thought to work by balancing and unblocking the flow of energy, or qi, in the body, which is responsible for different health issues. Scientific evidence also suggests that acupuncture can help by stimulating the body to release natural pain killers and other chemicals.

Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain, but it can also help with a range of other conditions, including: Sprain/Strain injuries to muscles and tendons (Sports Injuries and Whiplash), Chronic pain, Migraines, Headaches, Low back pain, Neck pain, Osteoarthritis (OA), Knee pain, Shoulder pain, Elbow Pain, Ankle Pain and Wrist Pain.

Acupuncture visits in our office take around 20–30 minutes. The needles are inserted 2–4 centimeters into the skin and left in place for 15–25 minutes, depending on the type of acupuncture and the condition being treated. In some cases, the needles may be manipulated manually, or stimulated with small electrical currents (electroacupuncture).”

“Blood flow is the body’s way of naturally healing,” says Houman Danesh, M.D., an assistant professor of anesthesiology and rehabilitation medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital who frequently combines cupping with mainstream pain therapy techniques. “Increased blood flow can be beneficial to jumpstart or restart a blunted healing response.”

You can also think of it as a “sterile inflammation,” says Reid Blackwelder, M.D., past president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. That’s because the cupping process draws blood from your vessels and into your tissue. Your body thinks it’s been injured, so it jumpstarts an inflammatory response, mobilizing antibodies to the area to try to heal it.

That may be why cupping is touted to treat a lot of pain-based conditions. Along with boosting athletic recovery, it’s also been used to manage things like sprain/strain injuries and whiplash, lower back pain, plantar fasciitis, and shoulder pain.

For athletes who aren’t hurt, the increased blood flow from cupping is thought to help repair muscle fibers after a tough workout.