{"id":2409,"date":"2021-07-19T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T15:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tybeeacupuncture.com\/?p=2409"},"modified":"2021-06-28T13:19:34","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T20:19:34","slug":"acupuncture-is-great-for-treating-chronic-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tybeeacupuncture.com\/acupuncture-is-great-for-treating-chronic-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Acupuncture is Great for Treating Chronic Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Acupuncture<\/p>\n

The National Institutes of Health estimates that approximately 25.3 million adults suffer from chronic pain (defined as experiencing pain every day for the preceding three months). They also estimate that nearly 40 million adults experience what is considered severe levels of pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chronic pain can be debilitating for those suffering from it and directly impacts quality of life. People often treat chronic pain with anti-inflammatory medications (both prescription and over-the-counter), physical therapy, or with ice and heat, but those options don\u2019t always provide long lasting relief. According to<\/span> Harvard Medical School<\/span><\/a>, \u201cacupuncture is an option with a good track record that\u2019s worth considering.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Harvard cites a study originally published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that found acupuncture to be a valid and effective treatment for chronic pain conditions. \u201cResearch from an international team of experts adds to the evidence that it does provide real relief from common forms of pain. The team pooled the results of 29 studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. Some had acupuncture, some had \u2018scham\u2019 acupuncture, and some didn\u2019t have acupuncture at all. Overall, acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What acupuncture does best is not to merely address the pain, but to treat the underlying cause of the pain. For example, acupuncture is often indicated to treat chronic pain conditions that radiate pain along a nerve pathway, pain causing muscle spasms, inflammation, scar tissue, and pain that is located in multiple areas of the body.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many times, acupuncture is used as a supplement to other medical treatments or as an alternative for a standard pain treatment option. Many patients find the pain relief from acupuncture treatments to last from several hours to even weeks after treatment, depending on the severity of their condition. Scientific research has shown acupuncture to be effective\u2014or more effective\u2014than other treatment options for conditions like:<\/span><\/p>\n