Acupuncture – A Painless Alternative to Surgery

With the prospect of surgery, an alternative therapy that promises no pain is certainly appealing. But is acupuncture treatment a stretch, or is it worth a shot? The answer may surprise you.

Acupuncture has been used to treat a wide variety of conditions for centuries and has been gaining popularity in the Western world. The doctors of ancient Chinese medicine have always placed great emphasis on the therapeutic value of acupuncture, and the popularity of this painless treatment has been steadily increasing since the eighteenth century.

It makes us think if acupuncture services in Lancashire can serve as an alternate to surgeries. Let’s have a look.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture treatment is a painless way to relieve chronic pain by stimulating specific acupressure points along the body. The needles used are hair-thin and are usually only minimally inserted into the skin. This stimulation releases endorphins into the body.

Endorphins are naturally occurring opioids that produce a sense of well-being and help relieve pain. Clinical studies have shown that acupuncture helps relieve back pain significantly compared to conventional treatments alone or in combination with other therapies. In fact, some results suggest that acupuncture may even be more effective than standard treatments in treating joint pain and back pain—and without the use of potentially harmful drugs!

How Does Acupuncture Help Relieve Pain?

The World Health Organization noted that acupuncture stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain and activates regions involved in pain control, resulting in reduced sensitivity to pain. For most people, acupuncture treatment is a relaxing, painless procedure, and many patients find it an effective alternative to surgery. Acupuncture can be especially helpful in managing pain and inflammation during recovery from surgery.

What Are the Most Common Acupuncture Points?

There are over 360 classical acupuncture points and more than 2000 total acupuncture pathways on the human body. The most common treatment locations are found in the ear, hand, and wrist, as well as the upper and lower legs, arms, abdomen, and back.

The exact location of each point varies depending on which practitioner is doing the locating, but they’re all connected to one another by energy channels known as meridians. In general, different organs correspond with specific acupuncture points, and stimulating any of these points can help with issues related to that organ.

 For example, stimulating the lung point can help with breathing problems like asthma, while stimulating the stomach point helps ease nausea and vomiting. The acupuncture points on the ear are connected to different organs like your heart, intestines, and kidneys. While many acupuncture points on your face and head help relieve congestion, stress, and headache. The acupuncture needles can be placed in your ear, face, or head, depending upon what you are suffering from. A study in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that more than 90 percent of participants saw improvement in their headaches after receiving acupuncture treatments.

Tapping Into the Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture can be used as an alternative to surgery, as well as to treat many other chronic conditions. Below are some of the most common ailments and surgeries that acupuncture can help with:

01. Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation and pain in the joints. One of the most common types of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tears on the joints. The symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Acupuncture can help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation, as well as increase the range of motion in the joints.

02. Acute Back Pain

Back pain is a very common ailment that often strikes without warning. Acute back pain tends to strike suddenly, whereas chronic back pain occurs over an extended period of time. Acupuncture has been shown to provide relief for back pain by increasing blood flow in the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the spine.

03. Knee Surgery

If you have chronic joint pain — for example, if you have osteoarthritis in your knee — acupuncture may help relieve your symptoms. Studies show that it can reduce the amount of pain medication you need to take and also relieve pain in soft tissue fibrosis of the knee, replacing the need for surgery to treat knee osteoarthritis.

04. Treating Joint Injuries

If you’ve had surgery on your knee or shoulder, acupuncture may help you heal faster. Studies have shown that people who get acupuncture after shoulder, hip, or knee replacement surgery report less pain and need fewer pain medications than those who don’t get acupuncture. Acupuncture may also help people recover from shoulder separation and rotator cuff repair.

05. Spine Surgery

If you have lower back pain and are considering spine surgery, you may be wondering if there is a less invasive alternative. After all, surgery can be risky and has significant recovery time associated with it. A study from Global Spine Journal suggests that acupuncture can be used to treat back pain as effectively as spine surgery.

Acupuncture treatment in Preston has been shown to reduce pain and improve range of motion in people who have experienced back pain and did not respond to other treatments. This is not to say that acupuncture will cure your back pain as well as an invasive surgical procedure, but it does mean that acupuncture can provide effective treatment for a variety of spine problems.

06. Acupuncture For Other Conditions

• Acupuncture is an effective treatment for many different types of pain, including headaches, backaches, and migraine.
• Women who undergo acupuncture treatments at certain stages of their monthly cycle find that it can help relieve symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Acupuncture is also very effective in helping reduce stress levels. Many people who suffer from stress-related conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression find that acupuncture treatments help them feel calmer and more at ease.

In addition to relieving pain, acupuncture can also be used to treat certain illnesses and conditions that are not generally associated with this form of therapy including alcoholism, and drug addiction.

As an accredited Chinese acupuncture clinic in Preston, 5 Star Clinic Ltd offers one of the best acupuncture services in Preston, including cupping and IASTM. Their professional acupuncturist and fibromyalgia specialists in Preston are trained for acupuncture treatment and fibromyalgia massage to help relieve back and neck pains and offer migraine and fibromyalgia treatment in Preston.

Book an appointment today to avail acupuncture services in Preston.