Pain Not Only Hurts
Whether it is acute or chronic pain, we just do not like dealing with it! Pain affects our mood, our sleep, and our ability to carry out our life. As a society, we are accustomed to treating pain with “quick fixes” in the form of a Tylenol, Motrin, or in more severe cases, Vicodin. These quick fixes do work fast, they do help in the moment, but they have a laundry list of side effects and ultimately do not address the reason we are experiencing pain in the first place.
Chronic pain is rampant in our country, being the leading reason we don’t show up for work. Chronic pain is defined as pain, regardless of intensity or frequency, that lasts for 6 months. It is considered to be either nociceptive (caused by inflamed or damaged tissue) or neuropathic (caused by damage or altered nervous system function). Whether it is nociceptive or neuropathic, chronic pain affects our brain and how we process pain signals. People in chronic pain have HIGHER sensitivity to pain signals, experience structural changes in the areas of the brain that process pain, and are more likely to suffer from mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and fatigue. These emotional states, as well as simple day-to-day stressors, cause a decrease in our natural painkillers, such as endorphins, and heighten our nervous system’s sensitivity, causing more pain. To put it simply, pain not only leads to changes in our mental and emotional states, but also can be caused by our mental and emotional states.
Acupuncture has received a lot of praise as a treatment for pain because it acknowledges the interaction of our physical, mental, and emotional bodies and it is able to treat pain from all of it’s different causes. The needling of acupuncture points has been shown to release opiate like natural chemicals in the body. Acupuncture calms us so that our nervous system can take a break from being in hyper-alert mode, thus improving our mood and sleep. Acupuncture can have direct and structural effects on our muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments by increasing circulation, decreasing inflammation, improving stability and strength, and increasing proprioception.
Now, let's not put acupuncture in the same bag as the "quick fixes", because most of the time it's not. Both acute and chronic pain often require multiple treatments and respond best when combined with other lifestyle changes such as exercise, stretching, massage, diet shifts, etc. I find those who manage their pain successfully are able to do these three things:
1) Recognize the many different ways their body reacts to their pain.
2) Recognize the importance of having different tools to treat the many different ways their body reacts to their pain.
3) Understand their bodies limitations, and do not try to push through or over them.
