knowledge
Chronic Pain
For millions of people chronic pain is a constant struggle. And the traditional standard of care for pain treatment does not offer patients a comprehensive solution. Medications are often prescribed despite evidence showing that this can compound health issues and lead to addiction.
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Research shows that lifestyle and state of mind have incredible links to physical comfort levels. At our clinic we work with you to determine the root cause of physical pain by looking at the connections between mind, body, and soul. Our approach for pain management is based on our comprehensive philosophy of using the principles of nature to guide the body towards a state of balance and harmony.
Clinical evidence indicates that electroacupuncture is more effective than manual acupuncture for pain relief
(Ulett et al., 1998), (Schliessbach et al., 2011).
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1. Increases blood flow
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By increasing blood flow at the painful area, we help flush out inflammatory cytokines (Kimura et al., 2015) that irritate the peripheral nociceptors and increase the sensation of pain (Ozaktay et al., 2006). This increase in blood flow also helps nourish the tissue and speed up the healing process.
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2. Increases Endogenous Opiates
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Electroacupuncture stimulates the production of endogenous opiates and endocannabinoid substances, those are your body’s natural painkillers! These endocannabinoids also help to block pro-inflammatory cytokines (Chen et al., 2009) which further helps with pain relief.
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3. Blocks Painful Stimuli
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Electroacupuncture blocks the transmission of painful stimuli in the central nervous system by increasing molecules such as spinal opioids, serotonin and norepinephrine (Chang et al., 2012).
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4. Increase Energy Production
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Microcurrent application increases the energy supply (ATP) in the cells (Cheng et al., 1982) and this can accelerate tissue healing and facilitate muscle relaxation
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5. Regulate nerve pathway & increase neuro-plasticity
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Electroacupuncture sends consistent signals along the nerve pathway and this regulates the nerve conductivity which helps with nerve pain and numbness. By adding points on other areas of the body, away from the painful area, we are also able to regulate the signals along affected nerve pathways and rewire neurons in the somatosensory cortex (Maeda et al., 2017). Because of the way that the body is mapped onto the brain, points on the feet or hand for example map to specific areas of the central nervous system (somatotopic arrangement) and we utilize those correspondances to create neuro-plasticity and decrease pain.
References:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2003.09.018
Ulett, G., Han, S., & Han, J. (1998). Electroacupuncture: mechanisms and clinical application. Biological Psychiatry, 44(2), 129-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3223(97)00394-6
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Schliessbach, J., van der Klift, E., Arendt-Nielsen, L., Curatolo, M., & Streitberger, K. (2011). The Effect of Brief Electrical and Manual Acupuncture Stimulation on Mechanical Experimental Pain. Pain Medicine, 12(2), 268-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.01051.x
Kimura, K., Ryujin, T., Uno, M., & Wakayama, I. (2015). The Effect of Electroacupuncture with Different Frequencies on Muscle Oxygenation in Humans. Evidence-Based Complementary And Alternative Medicine, 2015, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/620785
Ozaktay, A. C., Kallakuri, S., Takebayashi, T., Cavanaugh, J. M., Asik, I., DeLeo, J. A., & Weinstein, J. N. (2006). Effects of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor on sensitivity of dorsal root ganglion and peripheral receptive fields in rats. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 15(10), 1529–1537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-005-0058-8
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Chang, K. H., Won, R., Shim, I., Lee, H., & Lee, B. H. (2012). Effects of Electroacupuncture at BL60 on Formalin-Induced Pain in Rats. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2012, 324039. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/324039\
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Cheng N, Van Hoof H, Bockx E, Hoogmartens MJ, Mulier JC, De Dijcker FJ, Sansen WM, De Loecker W. The effects of electric currents on ATP generation, protein synthesis, and membrane transport of rat skin. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1982 Nov-Dec;(171):264-72. PMID: 7140077.
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Chen, L., Zhang, J., Li, F., Qiu, Y., Wang, L., Li, Y. H., Shi, J., Pan, H. L., & Li, M. (2009). Endogenous anandamide and cannabinoid receptor-2 contribute to electroacupuncture analgesia in rats. The journal of pain, 10(7), 732–739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2008.12.012
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Maeda, Y., Kim, H., Kettner, N., Kim, J., Cina, S., Malatesta, C., Gerber, J., McManus, C., Ong-Sutherland, R., Mezzacappa, P., Libby, A., Mawla, I., Morse, L. R., Kaptchuk, T. J., Audette, J., & Napadow, V. (2017). Rewiring the primary somatosensory cortex in carpal tunnel syndrome with acupuncture. Brain : a journal of neurology, 140(4), 914–927. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx015
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