Quick Summary

Chronic pain impacts daily life and mental health, leading to limitations in physical activity and social engagements. Traditional treatments often rely on medication, which can have adverse effects and risk addiction. This article discusses the challenges of managing chronic pain and explores acupuncture as a holistic alternative for pain relief, highlighting its benefits without the side effects associated with conventional pain medications.

Living With Chronic Pain

It is never a good feeling to experience chronic pain as it hinders you from day-to-day activities and doing what you are used to doing each day of the week. So, begin looking for help to ease or resolve the pain as soon as possible.

The most common choice is to book an appointment with your healthcare provider and see what options there are. If you are looking for an alternative method instead of taking medication, Acupuncture is one of the most common modalities for treating chronic pain.

Would you believe that more and more people are starting to believe in holistic medicine, and the one they are talking about the most is Acupuncture?

Those who get acupuncture treatments will tell you that it has become the best solution to their chronic pain and is worth the time and energy invested in these alternative treatments.

Causes Of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is an unpleasant feeling that comes from damaged tissues, an illness, nerve damage, or non-tissue factors, like psychological or social factors. We will discuss some of these experiences below, but basically, they all have one thing in common: Your body is dealing with a pain that you should not ignore.

Our body's pain system is highly complex, and when you are sensing these signs, you should not ignore them. When your body alerts you to the first signs of something not feeling right, it is crucial not to forget it and immediately investigate the cause of the pain.

When dealing with pain, we all respond to it differently. The way we deal with the impact of physical pain can range from person to person. There is also the experience of sensitivity, how it affects our emotions and how someone lives with the pain.

The body manages the pain as best as it can, but by doing so, it can exhaust both the body and mind, creating an emotional connection between them.

What are they common types of pain?

There are five different types of pain that people may experience in their lifetime:

• Acute pain is the most common injury or illness that usually lasts anywhere between a day to three months. Once resolved, the pain subsides.

• Chronic pain is an ongoing pain that doesn't subside and lasts for several months. It can be a constant or intermittent feeling of pain shooting around the body through your nervous system.

• Nociceptive pain is physical or potential damage to the body that presents as a sharp, throbbing pain caused by external tissue damage—commonly associated with a sports injury or dental procedures.

• Neuropathic pain is a feeling of stabbing, shooting or even burning pain due to an association with damage to the nerves. It is a type of chronic pain that can lead to mobility issues and affect touch sensitivity.

• Radicular pain radiates from the back and hip through the spine down to your legs. The spinal nerve gets compressed or inflamed, causing numbness, tingling or muscle weakness, also known as sciatica pain.

When Chronic Pain Is Too Much.

Chronic pain can become so overwhelming that it stops you from living everyday life. For some, it will not be able to pick up a box or sit comfortably, while for others, it could be more about how it affects their social life.  

Unfortunately, pain isn't always curable, and medical professionals don't have a magic cure.

There is not always an intervention that makes chronic pain disappear, and sadly some people with chronic pain may never be pain-free again.

For example, some won't be able to exercise, which leads to them most likely gaining weight or not eating and becoming malnourished.

Another common effect of chronic pain is that you miss prior social engagements. For example, someone who has committed to going to a friend's wedding feels so much pain that they cancel.

As a result, they become overwhelmed and frustrated, spiralling into mental health issues like depression, insomnia, fatigue and decreased overall physical and psychological functioning.

If a person is feeling any of these symptoms, they should consider getting an evaluation for their chronic pain and undergo a careful assessment.

How Is Chronic Pain Treated Medically?

When you see a healthcare provider, the medical professional will diagnose the symptoms and determine what is causing the pain.

They will likely want a blood test and send you to imaging testing like an X-ray or MRI. They will often put you on medication and advise you to make lifestyle changes while seeking therapy.

Adverse Effects Of Pain Medication

When dealing with chronic pain, taking medication is a valuable tool that is always helpful in relieving discomfort and physical distress, but it can also cause side effects.

Prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs (OTC) are given with the best intentions and are safe when following the label's direction, but they can also be harmful to the body.

The adverse effects can range from short-term effects like dizziness, nausea, itching or drowsiness to long-term, which include tolerance and addiction.

Taking pain medication helps deceive the brain into thinking it needs the painkiller to feel good, which lowers your body's ability to produce those endorphins you would naturally have made on your own if it wasn't for the distraction of chronic pain.

When constantly taking painkillers, it ends up taking its toll on the nervous system and the body's natural ability to relieve pain, and that is when you may find other parts of the body are being damaged.

For those people who get addicted to pain medication, it's a difficult journey to escape withdrawal. While it doesn't last forever, you will experience nausea, vomiting, insomnia, muscle aches and pains, agitation and anxiety.

It is an unpleasant experience that should not be done independently; seeking treatment immediately when struggling with pain medication is vital for a safe recovery from addiction.  

The Role Of Acupuncture In Pain Management

As mentioned before, Acupuncture is becoming increasingly thought of as the first line of therapy for pain management. More are becoming more aware of its benefits and being open to trying Acupuncture to manage their pain. Acupuncture is excellent as it doesn't tamper with your body since you won't have to take anything.

An acupuncturist will help stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissues throughout the body to alleviate pain, tension, and stress.

It involves putting needles on specific points on the body, which helps the affected pain. The benefits of Acupuncture have been studied and found to help reduce pain with benefits including:

• Improved energy

• Improved sleep

• Improve digestion

• Better mental clarity

• Reduced Stress, Anxiety and depression

These benefits can help reduce pain perception and increase pain tolerance, and when used alongside other life changes, they can have even more positive effects on a person's day-to-day well-being.

Whether you are looking for acupuncture for shoulder pain or another pain-related symptom, you may want to try to see if it helps alleviate your pain.

Adverse Effects of Acupuncture

While Acupuncture is a painless treatment, some may experience adverse effects, but in most cases, they are minimal.

The most common result is that a patient will feel the tiniest pain as the needles are inserted into the body or see minor bruising and skin irritation after treatment.

Other patients may find their initial symptoms worsen for a few days or experience other general changes in appetite, sleep, bowel or urination patterns.

You can find it on our service page if you want more information on what Acupuncture treatments are best for you.

If you have any further doubts or questions regarding this subject or another treatment, contact one of our experienced Acupuncturists or Registered Massage Therapists here at West End Wellness Clinic. You can either give us a call or make an appointment.

Disclaimer: Please remember this article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Please consult a healthcare provider or someone with the correct qualifications before starting any new exercise or treatment program.