Chronic pain is described as the kind of pain that persists over a long period of time. It is obvious that it limits your regular lifestyle and standard of living. So, it should be no surprise that probably the most popular use of acupuncture is pain management.
Acupuncture is claimed to be an effective treatment for many forms of chronic pain. It has also proved to be good for treating postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, nausea caused by pregnancy and dental pain. Acupuncture has also been shown to be effective for dealing with various painful conditions including migraines, back pain, tennis elbow and menstrual cramps.
Much research has been done on acupuncture but the answer as to why it works is still yet to be fully established.
However, one of the theories that explains why acupuncture works so well for treating pain is the Gate Theory of Pain. First proposed in 1965, this claims that acupuncture does its work through the nervous system where there are fibers that both transmit and inhibit pain.
These are found in the substancia gelatinosa of the spinal cord. This substancia gelatinosa is responsible for sending signals to the brain regarding pain and it is suggested that acupuncture activates the fibers that inhibit pain, thus preventing the signal from reaching the brain and thereby lowering your sensation of pain.
The two types of fibers are called A-beta and C nerve fibers. A-beta fibers have a low volt threshold, conduct faster and are large. C fibers are just the opposite - they are small, conduct slowly and have a high volt threshold.
Increased impulses from the A-beta fiber closes the gate that transmits the pain signals from the C fibers. This is where acupuncture comes in. It acts as a pain reliever by stimulating the acupoint which affects the A beta fibers. When the needle is constantly twirled, non pain impulses are transmitted through the substancia gelatinosa, closing the gate that would otherwise allow pain impulses to get through.
The impulses from the A-beta fibers are then relayed to the thalamus which is the part of the brain that is usually responsible for dealing with pain. Once the final 'gate' is closed, the whole body experiences relief from pain.
Another theory looks at acupuncture as a counter-pain treatment. It claims that when we experience pain in one part of the body, the experience of pain in another part of the body will be lessened. However this theory does not explain the long term effectiveness of pain relief from acupuncture.
Acupuncture and Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is described as the kind of pain that persists over a long period of time. It is obvious that it limits your regular lifestyle and standard of living. So, it should be no surprise that probably the most popular use of acupuncture is pain management.
Acupuncture is claimed to be an effective treatment for many forms of chronic pain. It has also proved to be good for treating postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, nausea caused by pregnancy and dental pain. Acupuncture has also been shown to be effective for dealing with various painful conditions including migraines, back pain, tennis elbow and menstrual cramps.
Much research has been done on acupuncture but the answer as to why it works is still yet to be fully established.
However, one of the theories that explains why acupuncture works so well for treating pain is the Gate Theory of Pain. First proposed in 1965, this claims that acupuncture does its work through the nervous system where there are fibers that both transmit and inhibit pain. These are found in the substancia gelatinosa of the spinal cord. This substancia gelatinosa is responsible for sending signals to the brain regarding pain and it is suggested that acupuncture activates the fibers that inhibit pain, thus preventing the signal from reaching the brain and thereby lowering your sensation of pain.
The two types of fibers are called A-beta and C nerve fibers. A-beta fibers have a low volt threshold, conduct faster and are large. C fibers are just the opposite - they are small, conduct slowly and have a high volt threshold.
Increased impulses from the A-beta fiber closes the gate that transmits the pain signals from the C fibers. This is where acupuncture comes in. It acts as a pain reliever by stimulating the acupoint which affects the A beta fibers. When the needle is constantly twirled, non pain impulses are transmitted through the substancia gelatinosa, closing the gate that would otherwise allow pain impulses to get through.
The impulses from the A-beta fibers are then relayed to the thalamus which is the part of the brain that is usually responsible for dealing with pain. Once the final 'gate' is closed, the whole body experiences relief from pain.
Another theory looks at acupuncture as a counter-pain treatment. It claims that when we experience pain in one part of the body, the experience of pain in another part of the body will be lessened. However this theory does not explain the long term effectiveness of pain relief from acupuncture.
Filed as: Acupuncture