ACUPUNCTURE AND THE PAIN MECHANISM

Most pain symptoms involve inflammation and tissue injury. These processes result in the releasing of biochemicals that cause pain. Pain makes muscles tight and reduces blood flow causing low oxygen and nutrient supply to the painful tissues. The low supply of oxygen and nutrition makes painful tissue even more painful and tight. Once this vicious cycle is formed, tender or painful spots are gradually formed in muscles and tendons. In addition, pain symptoms also increase emotional stress. All of this slows down our self-healing capacity, the mechanism by which our body heals itself.

Acupuncture needling can precisely dissolve the painful spots in the soft tissues resulting in muscle and tendon relaxation and restore blood flow with sufficient oxygen and nutrition. Acupuncture needling and the lesions left after the needles have been removed also stimulate the brain and the spinal cord to release our self-made painkillers, the endorphins. Our endorphins not only reduce pain, they also reduce emotional stress. The brain, stimulated by needling, releases biochemicals to normalize immune reactions and endocrine (hormonal) activities. All this leads to restoration of self-healing and results in analgesia without side effects.