Acupuncture for Neuropathic Pain

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be used to treat as wide a variety of health issues as Western medicine. In particular, acupuncture is often use to treat neuropathic pain, that is, pain in the central or peripheral nervous system, from back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome and other types of peripheral neuropathy.

Neuropathy Treatment

• An acupuncturist will usually spend considerable time looking at the big picture with any diagnosis. In the case of neuropathic conditions, there are many possibilities as to cause. Neuropathic pain is pain resulting from an acute or chronic injury to the nervous system. Some conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, have physical or mechanical causes such as repetitive hand movements. Other types of neuropathy can be caused by anything from diabetes to sciatica to other physical or emotional stresses.

  This makes communication of paramount importance with your acupuncturist. Some questions from your practitioner may seem unusual or even a bit psychological in background to someone expecting a more typical physician consultation. It is important for your acupuncturist to have a full, honest picture of what is troubling you in order to design an effective treatment.

  Your treatment is designed based on your practitioner's overall understanding of your condition and your symptoms. Your treatment will be designed with one or more of these objectives, among others: (1) move Qi through your system, (2) increase blood flow, (3) decrease inflammation, (4) alleviate pain or (5) reduce stress.

What is Acupuncture?

• An acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of sterile, stainless steel needles into specific points along a system of meridians in the body designed to stimulate the flow of Qi (pronounced "chee") or vital energy. It is through the free flow of this energy along these pathways that the inflammation and swelling are reduced.

Treatment

• The needles are left in place for about 20 to 30 minutes or more while the patient lies quietly resting.

  When the needles are in place, the acupuncturist will sometimes stimulate the points further by manipulating, twirling or applying electrical stimulation to the needles.

Duration

• Some patients will see improvements after just one treatment. Other patients, particularly patients who have had a long-standing injury or gone a significant time without treatment, may need several treatments before seeing significant improvement.

History

• The documented art of acupuncture dates back more than 2,500 years, making it the oldest form of professional medicine practiced in the world. About one quarter of the world's population is currently treated with acupuncture.