In my last post Acute Pain, Acupuncture and the Opioid Crisis, I talked about acute pain syndromes that are often addressed with the use of opioids. In this article, I want to talk about chronic pain and the use (or misuse) of opioids to address this problem. Here is an article from The New England Journal of Medicine. As I stated in my last article, it is great that the problem of abuse, addiction and overdose is getting media attention but in this article, the author states that there are “limited therapeutic alternatives for chronic pain”. This is just not the case and this misconception needs to change. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine excels at treating pain and it really shines in cases of chronic pain.
Chronic pain is defined as any pain that last longer than three months. I see many people who have been dealing with pain for years or even decades! This is because they simply do not know that there is an alternative. If you break a bone, the body will knit that bone back together, you don’t even have to be conscious for this to happen. So why should the body have trouble healing a pulled muscle in the lower back or why should neck pain become a chronic issue. The answer is that it should not have trouble with these and other pain syndromes and if it is, there is something wrong. Addressing what is causing the problem is the only way to allow the body to do its job and heal. Often, there are many contributing factors to chronic pain. Stress, poor diet and lifestyle, obesity, lack of proper exercise is just a few. But when you are in pain, it is often hard to see your way clear to making any changes that will help.
Acupuncture can help not only alleviate your chronic pain but allows the body to start healing. The great thing about seeing a Licensed Acupuncturist is that not only can they help alleviate your pain but they have been trained in Oriental Dietary Therapy, Exercise and Lifestyle modifications that will work synergistically with your treatments to not only give you immediate relief but relief that will last.
At Princeton Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, we see most pain syndromes respond immediately to treatment, right on the table! Increased range of motion and decreased pain can be experienced just seconds after inserting needles. If you have waited months or years, thinking that you just have to live with your pain, or manage it with medication, don’t wait another day, hour or minute. Relief can quite literally be seconds away!
Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!