Beyond Acupuncture: 4 Other Treatments for Pain Management

Each day in my Washington DC acupuncture office, I see the amazing consequences of acupuncture as a tool for pain relief. But in addition to acupuncture, several associated treatment methods are particularly impressive at relieving pain:

1) Gua Sha

2) Cupping

3) Acupressure

4) Guided Breathwork

Gua Sha : This is a method commonly used in Asia for any type of pain. It is also used to relieve cold/flu, sinus, and upper respiratory symptoms. Using a smooth instrument, the practitioner applies massage oil to the painful muscles and with gentle pressure moves the instrument several times in a downward motion. Frequently this may produce a patch of redness, with many red dots called petechiae. Gua Sha is particularly effective for long-lasting pain and injuries buried below the surface, in the deeper layers of muscle.

Cupping: You may have seen photographs of people with curious circular purple marks on their backs. These are the aftereffects of cupping, an important pain management method in Chinese Medicine. Specially made glass cups are used to alleviate all kinds of muscle pain, often on the back, neck and shoulders. Cupping is also used to relieve cold and upper respiratory symptoms. Cupping works by creating suction within the cup by means of a flame or pump, thereby drawing the muscle area into the cup. This creates a “reverse massage” for the area, augmenting circulation of blood, lymph and fuids in the body.

Acupressure : Acupressure is the application of finger pressure to the acupuncture points. Each point is held from 30 seconds up to 4 minutes. During an acupressure treatment, the muscle tension at each point literally “melts” away, and frees the energy flow in that area. Patients often feel a great sense of relaxation, openness, and energy flow when receiving acupressure. It’s an excellent treatment for addressing broader areas of muscle tension that restrict movement – either the range of movement of the head, neck, shoulders, low back and hips, or the range of movement of the muscles involved in breathing fully and deeply. Clients who do not like needles often love this method of treatment.

Guided Breathwork : Breathwork is just a type of conscious breathing. Breathing consciously is a very effective tool for relaxing the muscles at a deep level, thus reducing painful symptoms. I frequently combine guided breathwork with acupressure and/or acupuncture, helping clients observe where their breathing is restricted and muscles are tense, and helping them towards opening and releasing the tension in those areas. Results from these combinations of treatments can be remarkable and fast.

Conclusion

Overall, acupuncture and its associated treatment techniques are outstanding techniques for pain relief due to their effectiveness and lack of side-effects. I suggest they be utilised as a primary treatment for both acute and long-lasting pain issues. As always, if you have any questions about your health condition or situation, please feel free to contact my office for a complimentary telephone or in-person consultation.

Jeremy Riesenfeld, L.Ac. Is a Washington DC acupuncture practitioner. One of his areas of specialty is acupuncture for pain relief.

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