Surprising Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture has several philosophies in common with chiropractic care. Both treatments enhance the body’s ability to heal itself, though each uses different techniques. 

Since it’s drug-free, acupuncture is an ideal complementary therapy that works alongside other treatments, producing dramatic results even though it’s not fully understood how these benefits emerge. 

The team at Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport, located in Midtown Manhattan, turns to acupuncture when they feel you can gain from its effects, typically for pain relief and the healing of soft tissue injuries. Make an appointment today to find out more about these and other surprising benefits of acupuncture. 

The principles behind acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine describes the acupuncture process in flowing and poetic terms as a treatment that helps restore balance to your body through the manipulation of its life force, called Qi. The yin and yang of Qi are meant to work in harmony, and when they become unbalanced, pain and illness are thought to result. 

Clinical analysis of acupuncture suggests that stimulation of sensory nerves creates neurological effects that mask pain, possibly through the release of endorphins — natural chemicals used by your body to reduce pain and create a sense of well-being. 

How acupuncture works

Using a set of fine needles, our acupuncturist locates strategic points on your body connected with the symptoms you’re experiencing. These acupressure points are then pierced with the needles. Because of the tiny diameter, there’s very little sensation. You may feel a tiny pinch or nothing at all. 

Various depths are used to create different therapeutic effects. Our team may also manipulate the needles, spinning them lightly, tapping them, or applying mild heat or electrical signals as needed. These stimulations produce the pain-relieving effects. 

There’s little risk associated with acupuncture treatment. There’s a very slight risk of infection or needles breaking. If you have any reaction to treatment, it might be minor bleeding, bruising, and soreness around some of the needle treatment sites. 

Surprising benefits of acupuncture

Though the reasons why acupuncture works aren’t fully understood, statistically significant results are shown in clinical trials. While some people don’t respond to acupuncture, its safety makes it an effective complementary treatment in pain management programs. 

If you’re one of the people who respond to acupuncture treatment, some of the benefits you may experience include these surprising results: 

Ideal add-on treatment

If your pain management program provides you with some relief but isn’t fully reducing your pain, adding acupuncture is a drug-free and very low-risk way to expand pain relief efforts. It won’t conflict with other medications or physical therapy, nor will it trigger allergies or other reactions. 

Works on several types of pain

Whether your condition is due to chronic pain, migraines, or headaches, acupuncture can reduce your pain experience. It’s commonly used to treat: 

• Neck and lower back pain
• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Knee pain
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Fatigue
• Nausea

These are just some of the many conditions that acupuncture can improve.

Can target multiple conditions

Acupuncture can aid healing in several areas. For example, you may find that treatment for joint pain also reduces the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks. Often, the effects of acupuncture are system-wide and not limited to the condition.

Low risk of side effects

Drug-free and limited in its physical impact, acupuncture has a high level of safety in the hands of experienced practitioners like our team at Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport.

Find out more by contacting Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport by phone or online. You’ve got nothing to lose but your pain. Book a consultation now.