“If there is free flow there is no pain; if there is pain there is lack of free flow”

— Yellow Emperor Classics

Acupuncture is most widely known for its remarkable effects on diminishing both chronic and acute pain. It is recognized as an effective pain management tool by numerous randomized controlled trials. The types of pain referenced in these studies as treatable by acupuncture include non-specific musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache, or shoulder pain. 

While there are several mechanisms for acupuncture’s pain-reducing effects, one of these is the high amounts of endorphins that acupuncture releases in the body. Endorphins are the body’s natural opioid-like painkillers. Coupled with some of the other benefits of acupuncture, such as improved circulation inflammation modulation, acupuncture is a favored choice in the management of pain as it may reduce the need for pharmaceutical medications, especially opiates, that pose greater risks and addiction. 

While relief can be achieved with one treatment, results are cumulative and depend on the severity of the pain and your overall health. For more effective and longer lasting pain relief, we usually recommend multiple and regularly spaced sessions to help your body fully heal and re-calibrate to a reduced pain level or pain-free state.

Acupuncture can treat (but not limited to): 

• Headaches/Migraines

• Shoulder/neck pain

• Back/hip pain

• Degenerative disc disease

• Arthritis

• Painful periods

• Pain of unknown origin