Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for Chronic Pain

Navigating chronic pain is a journey many of us have taken, however it’s one you don’t need to do alone! I am dedicated to not only offer pain relief, but also understand the root cause of your pain and offer preventative measures to reduce its chance of return.

Personally, chronic pain was my entrance into this medicine and I cannot be more grateful. Chronic pain is considered to be any pain condition lasting more than 3 weeks or beyond the usual recovery period.

• muscular

• joint

• headaches

• nerve menstrual

• gastrointestinal

• inflammation, infections
  

Chronic pain enhances your central nervous system response to pain -> central desensitisation, “a hypersensitivity to stimuli and an increased pain response”. This and poor remodelling of the nervous system can prolong chronic pain. I’m a big science nerd, so let’s take a peek into how acupuncture approaches pain through the lens of fascia, neurotransmitters, and blood flow!

Fascia is the connective tissue surrounding muscle groups. It relays a cascade of signals through the nervous system and muscles. Acupuncture for chronic pain employs this system to communicate and generate change in certain body systems and areas.

The transmission of pain signals involve neurotransmitters. Research has shown acupuncture for chronic pain to regulate these neurotransmitters.

Blood flow increases with acupuncture because it floods the area with blood and healing mediators to heal the tissue. It also stimulates the release of neurotrophic substances such as nerve growth factors to reduce pain and promote the regeneration and repair of nerve fibres. Chinese medicine’s approach to chronic pain looks at the whole body. I will look at whether excess inflammation, stagnation, or pressure may be a contributing factors. I will look to see if your diet or your body’s response to certain foods is causing internal upset. I will look into your body’s ability to absorb nutrients efficiently, so as to generate the blood and nutrients necessary for healing responses. I will look at your circulation patterns and work to assist its function.

Overall, I aim for my treatments to create long-term stability, resistance, power, flexibility, and elasticity for you.