A Natural Solution for Chronic Pain
by Jewel Sommerville, D.Ac.

 

“Pain afflicts over 50 million people in the US, with 30.7% of US adults suffering with chronic pain (Bauer, et al. Chin J Integr Med. 2016 Jan; 22(6):403-11).”

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Chronic pain chronically disrupts American life. From the workplace to an individual’s personal and professional goals, chronic pain is interrupting your joy, it’s interrupting your potential; but it doesn’t have to.

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New guidelines published in the Annals of Internal Medicine from the American College of Physicians support the use of natural and psychological therapies over medications for acute and chronic lower back pain. Therapies recommended include: Acupuncture, exercise, heat, massage, spinal manipulation and mindfulness stress reduction techniques. Additionally, a 2016 evidence-based study by Kligler, Teets and Quick (Am Fam Physician. 2016 Sep 1; 94(5):369-74) found Acupuncture to be effective in treating chronic low back pain.

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An evidence-based review, by Macpherson, et al. (Macpherson, et al. NIHR Journals Library. 2017 Jan.) included 18,000 patients and examined the role of Acupuncture for chronic pain related to the neck and low back, osteoarthritis of the knee, and headache and migraine pain. Acupuncture proved to be significantly more effective at pain reduction than both sham acupuncture and the usual care of such conditions.

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The use of Acupuncture for patients suffering simultaneously from pain and depression was also examined in this study. Acupuncture with counseling proved to be clinically effective for depression and pain. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture was noted for all conditions (Macpherson, et al. NIHR Journals Library. 2017 Jan.).

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An additional benefit of choosing Acupuncture over a medication is its effectiveness to relieve the source of the pain; truly treating the root of the problem. Most medications, over-the-counter or prescription, merely mask the problem allowing a patient to further injure him/herself.

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A second study led by Macpherson (Pain. 2017 May; 158(5): 784-793) supported the long-term effectiveness of Acupuncture for chronic pain relief (low back; neck; shoulder; osteoarthritis of the knee; headache; migraine). This study, involving 17,922 patients and 29 trials, found “90% of the benefit of acupuncture relative to controls would be sustained for 12 months.” This demonstrates acupuncture is not only effective for chronic pain relief but that, after a course of acupuncture treatment, chronic pain relief is sustained for the next 12 months.

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Other studies have shown “a potentially important role for acupuncture” as an effective treatment for migraines, tension-type headaches and several other types of chronic headache disorders (Coeytaux, RR; Befus, D. Headache. 2016 Jul;56(7) 1238-40) and in the prevention of episodic migraines (Linde, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Jun28;(6)).

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These studies confirm the use of Acupuncture for chronic pain stemming from multiple sources in the body as well as its use for psychological concerns.

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East Asian Medicine, including Acupuncture, originated over 5,000 years ago. Logically, any medical practice in existence for 5,000+ years must be effective or we humans would have stopped choosing it for care long ago!

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However, modern research further confirming its effectiveness with conditions ranging from fertility to chronic pain supports the choice of Acupuncture as a safe, practical, natural solution to chronic disorders and chronic pain.

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Pain does not have to be an accepted part of your life; it does not need to interrupt your potential any longer. Choose a natural, safe option for relief. Choose Acupuncture.

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Jewel Sommerville, Doctor of Acupuncture, is the Founder of Holistic Health Rhode Island, Ltd., established in Rhode Island in 2002 @ 990 Main Street, East Greenwich; a center dedicated to treating the source of the problem to regain one’s health and well-being. www.holistichealthri.com; 401-398-2933.

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