Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.
— J.K. Rowling
Pain is not normal. Many of us live with pain for so long and on such a chronic basis that we begin to believe it is normal. A way of life to be endured. But pain is our body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. Pain let’s us know as soon as we hurt ourselves. It can also alert us to a huge amount of hidden ailments from cancer to heart disease. Pain can be our friend…our body’s early warning system. Don’t ignore it.
Pain medication can be your best friend when something hurts. But remember…all that medication is doing is masking the symptoms. Stop taking it and the pain will reassert itself – often worse than it was before. There are surgical interventions that may be necessary from time to time – but it doesn’t always guarantee relief or long-term success in pain management.
In acupuncture, we believe in Qi (“chee”). This Qi follows your body’s meridian system and brings nourishment to each and every cell. When this Qi becomes blocked it can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain. Acupuncturists believe in treating your whole body, in restoring balance and the flow of Qi through your meridian system. We do this by inserting needles into specific points on your body, breaking up blockages and restoring the flow of Qi. Think of a river that has been dammed by trees and other debris. It backs up behind the dam and overflows it banks. But remove the blockage and the river flows freely again.
There are a lot of factors to consider when you are suffering pain and blocked Qi. Fatigue, stress, inadequate diet, emotional and physical trauma and environmental factors…like toxic chemicals…can all cause Qi to become blocked. So consider what is going on in your life and if you can remove any of these triggers from your day to day routine.
Acupuncture may relieve not only the symptom – pain – but it might also get to the core problem and help fix it. Using acupuncture in conjunction with other therapies like yoga, dietary supplements, nutrition advice and massage may help your body heal even faster.
A pain free life…now that’s heaven on earth.