Acupuncture and Massage Together
To Speed Healing Of Acute, Chronic, and Neuropathic Pain
There are three main types of pain. The first is acute pain. It sets the stage for the next type of pain. If left untreated or treated in a way that does not resolve the root cause, chronic pain patterns can develop. This pain affects us on a much deeper level, the nervous system, affects the emotions. An additional type of pain is neuropathy. Neuropathy can bring about pain, tingling or numbness in the limbs, muscle weakness, or total loss of sensation at its worst.
Most Western Doctors will prescribe pain killers, anti-inflammatories and anti-depressants to treat people with acute and chronic pain, however taking prescription medication long term can be harmful to our internal organs. Some will refer people to a specialist for sometimes unnecessary surgeries. Again, these only assist and provide some relief but don’t treat the body as a whole or get to the root of the issue.
When looking at acupuncture, its purpose is to correct chi imbalances and unblock the meridians, allowing the chi to flow freely once again in the body. This restores balance in the body and aides the body’s own ability to heal itself. From a pain relieving aspect, acupuncture aids the body to release its very own pain-reliever, known as endorphins, which has effects similar to morphine. These natural anti-inflammatory compounds and painkillers released into the body help the healing process in joints and muscles and aid recovery by boosting the immune system and the body’s ability to heal itself, thus, restoring yin and yang balance.
Turning to massage therapy, in the West, massage has been advocated since the time of Hippocrates. In fourth century B.C. Massage therapy’s objective is to restore homeostasis of the mind, body, and spirit, which enhances the function of these and promotes well-being and enhances the body’s ability to heal itself through manual manipulation of soft tissue. It affects the circulation of blood and lymph, reduces muscular tension or flaccidity, affects the nervous system through stimulation or sedation, and enhances tissue repair. These effects provide a number of healing benefits.
How does combining the two, acupuncture and massage, add benefit to the patient? By utilizing acupuncture and massage therapy together, it immensely reduces healing time, cutting reduction and recovery from pain by more than half. Also knowing that these two systems of healing have been around long before modern medicine and are still in use today and often in use together as in TCM is a great sign and confidence. By working both with acupuncture and massage, the two treatment systems complement each other. Massage works from external to internal; while Acupuncture works from internal to external. Both of them synergise each other to be a good treatment combination of the mind and physical body for vibrant health, mental clarity and emotional balance by unblocking or redirecting energy flows.