02/26/2020 / By Darnel Fernandez
Acupuncture is an ancient therapeutic approach employed by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It involves inserting needles on specific points of the skin to elicit a physiological or metabolic change. People often seek an acupuncturist when they need to deal with body pain, whether it is chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term). A highly skilled acupuncturist can treat various forms of pain, and repeated sessions have been found to prevent bone deterioration and help rebuild bone. But how exactly does this happen?
This holistic technique works by remapping the pathways for pain signals in the brain. Once the body experiences different electrical frequencies applied to the needles, it starts to release endorphins, a type of hormone that relieves pain. Studies have also shown that acupuncture can modify the protein synthesis of the connective tissues surrounding the bones, making them less likely to deteriorate. (Related: Acupuncture significantly reduces pain following C-section: Research.)
Bone health has always been a prevalent global health topic, especially among the elderly. One of the more common bone problems is osteoporosis, which is often accompanied by chronic pain. Acupuncture is an effective treatment for osteoporosis-induced pain.
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion, researchers from China divided 80 patients with osteoporosis randomly into two groups: The first group was given calcium carbonate with vitamin D orally, alongside injections of calcitonin, a hormone that encourages the bones to absorb calcium; the other group was given the same substances, but was supplemented with acupuncture sessions for eight weeks.
Once the eight-week study period is done, the researchers observed that 80 percent of the patients in the calcitonin plus supplements group reported significantly less bone pain. However, 92.5 percent of the participants in the acupuncture group saw an improvement in their symptoms. The researchers concluded that acupuncture can not only relieve pain, it can also be an effective treatment for bone problem symptoms.
Acupuncture can do so much more than treat osteoporosis-related pain. Here are other health benefits of this holistic healing art:
Naturopathy.news has everything you need to know about acupuncture and other forms of healing art that can help reduce chronic pain.
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