Acupoint: Low-Back Pain

If standard treatments don’t relieve your chronic low-back pain, acupuncture may do the job, and two respected medical groups suggest that people in this situation give it a try. One large study found that both actual and “sham” acupuncture worked better than conventional treatments for back pain that had lasted more than three months. The jury’s still out on acupuncture for short-term (acute) pain in the low back.

Acupoint: Headaches

Acupuncture may help relieve migraines or tension headaches. Two large studies found that people receiving acupuncture had fewer days with tension headaches than those receiving conventional care.

Acupoint: Fibromyalgia

Studies that test how well acupuncture works against the pain of fibromyalgia have had mixed results. Some showed that it provided temporary pain relief, but others did not. A small study by the Mayo Clinic suggested that acupuncture may reduce two other problems of fibromyalgia: fatigue and anxiety. But overall, there’s not enough evidence yet to prove that acupuncture works for fibromyalgia.

Acupoint: Arthritis Pain

Acupuncture can be a helpful addition to conventional treatment for osteoarthritis, says the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. And some of the most promising, early research has shown acupuncture eased arthritis pain in the knee. However, more research is needed to prove without a doubt that it’s effective for osteoarthritis.

Acupoint: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Acupuncture was tested and compared with steroid pills for the hand and arm pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Researchers in Taiwan gave one group eight acupuncture treatments, over about a month, and those patients reported more relief, for a longer time, than the group taking medicine. While studies like this have been promising, more evidence is still needed to confirm that acupuncture is effective for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Acupoint: Dental Pain

Acupuncture provides relief from the pain of tooth extraction or dental surgery, but so does sham acupuncture, some studies show. Still, dental pain is considered by many to be one of the conditions that would respond to acupuncture.

Acupoint: Nausea

Acupuncture at the pericardium (P6) acupuncture point on the wrist can reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting, even after cancer drug treatments or surgery. Studies compared 10 different acupuncture methods — including needles, electrical stimulation, and acupressure — to medicines that block nausea or vomiting and found the acupuncture treatments worked.

Acupuncture and Cancer Care

Because acupuncture can lessen pain, nausea, and vomiting, it is sometimes used to help people cope with symptoms of cancer or chemotherapy. It also can help manage hot flashes associated with breast cancer. Be sure to talk to your doctor first and seek a practitioner who has experience working with cancer patients.

Acupuncture and Fertility

Celebrities such as singers Celine Dion and Mariah Carey credited acupuncture – used along with infertility treatments – with helping them get pregnant. A review of medical studies backs up this view, suggesting that acupuncture may boost the effectiveness of fertility treatments. One theory holds that acupuncture helps by reducing stress and increasing blood flow to the ovaries.

Acupuncture and Addiction?

Acupuncture has been used for a variety of other conditions, including smoking cessation, insomnia, fatigue, depression, and allergies. The evidence is mixed at best for some uses of acupuncture. For example, acupuncture needles placed in the outer ear to help people stop smoking do not work, studies found.

More Facts…

Here are some interesting facts and popular theories about the art and science of acupuncture that can help you understand more about the effectiveness of acupuncture in today’s modern world:

• The stimulated points raise the level of hormones in the body and improve the overall body’s immunity levels
• Acupuncture dilates the blood vessels, possibly by stimulating the body to release vasodilators such as histamine
• Acupuncture stimulates the secretion of endorphins to reduce pain
• Acupuncture affects the ability of the nervous system to perceive pain.
• Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in adults following surgery or taking chemotherapy and post-operative dental pain.

If you think you can benefit from acupuncture and are interested in your first treatment please call us at:

(713) 691-8355 (I-45 Tidwell Location) or
(713) 222-6374 (North Houston Location)

to schedule an appointment. At ChiroMax Wellness Centers we are dedicated to getting you out of pain and back to feeling good again. Most forms of insurance accepted.