It’s no surprise to anyone – acupuncture has been around a long time. This medicine is older than electric lighting, the printing press, and all the castles in Europe. But for all its history, most people in the US still don’t know what acupuncture will treat.
When you get down to it acupuncture is a treatment for the nervous system. It improves healthy communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Since the nervous system touches into all parts of the body, this means that acupuncture can end up treating a lot of different problems. Here are some things that acupuncture is best at treating.
Pain
Pain is simply a signal received and interpreted by the brain. Acupuncture helps with pain relief because treatment tells the nerves to release their natural pain-killing transmitters. It also promotes increased blood flow around the needle, eliminating inflammation and promoting the healing of any tissue damaged and causing the pain.
Anxiety
Acupuncture also helps with anxiety! The part of the nervous system that acupuncture works through is called the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s the part that is opposite the fight-or-flight response. So when people get acupuncture treatment their fight-or-flight system naturally gets turned down. Patients feel a sense of calm and relaxation from treatment. Most patients fall asleep because they can get so relaxed!
Gut Problems
Acupuncture can help with gut problems by the same reason it helps with anxiety. Our parasympathetic nervous system is sometimes called the “rest and digest” reponse. When it gets activated, such as by acupuncture, the digestive system gets brought better into balance. This can help with functional gut problems like IBS, chronic constipation or other motility disorders. The neurotransmitter release from treatment can also influence the gut microbiome.
Ask About Others
If you have some problem other than these three, don’t despair. Acupuncture may be able to help you too, but for other conditions it is best to ask an acupuncturist whether treatment may help and what you could expect.
Whether you are looking for help with one of these problems, or if you have specific treatment questions, please consider scheduling an appointment and we will be happy to assist you with your health needs.