How Acupuncture Can Help Relieve Chronic Pain

Dealing with chronic pain can be exhausting, frustrating, and sometimes even overwhelming. Whether it's from an old injury, a health condition like arthritis or fibromyalgia, or something else entirely, living with persistent pain can take a real toll on your day-to-day life. While pain meds, physical therapy, and even surgery are common treatment options, more and more people are turning to acupuncture as a natural, effective way to find relief.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that has been around for thousands of years. It involves placing thin, sterile needles at specific points on the body to restore balance and promote healing. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture works by balancing or unblocking the flow of energy, known as "Qi" (pronounced "chee"), through meridians in the body. From a modern perspective, acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, increases circulation, reduces inflammation, and helps the body release its own natural painkillers—endorphins—all of which contribute to pain relief.

How Does Acupuncture Help with Chronic Pain?

Acupuncture offers several benefits when it comes to managing chronic pain. Through the placement of specific needles, acupuncture addresses both the physical and neurological aspects of pain. Here is how it works:

1. Stimulating Natural Painkillers

Acupuncture prompts the body to release endorphins and enkephalins, which are natural pain relief chemicals in the body. These neurotransmitters help reduce the perception and physical feeling of pain, providing a natural and drug-free way to manage constant discomfort.

2. Reducing Inflammation

Chronic pain is often linked to inflammation, a natural immune response that can be prolonged with certain conditions. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help decrease inflammatory markers, thereby alleviating pain associated with conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia.

3. Improving Blood Circulation

By stimulating specific points in the body, acupuncture enhances blood circulation, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues. Improved circulation promotes healing and reduces muscle stiffness, making it particularly beneficial for those suffering from conditions like chronic back pain or migraines.

4. Regulating the Nervous System

Chronic pain is often the result of an overactive nervous system. Acupuncture has been shown to calm the nervous system and adjust how your body responds to pain. This is particularly helpful when someone is struggling with neuropathic pain, such as sciatica or diabetic neuropathy.

5. Enhancing Overall Well-being

Beyond physical relief, acupuncture can improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and promote relaxation—all of which contribute to better pain management. Many patients report feeling a sense of calm and balance after acupuncture sessions, which can be essential for managing chronic pain holistically.

What Conditions Can Acupuncture Help With?

Acupuncture is commonly used to treat various chronic pain conditions, including:

• Lower back pain – One of the most common reasons people seek acupuncture, studies have shown it can provide significant relief for those with chronic lower back pain.

• Osteoarthritis – Acupuncture may help reduce joint pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis by improving circulation and reducing inflammation.

• Fibromyalgia – Many fibromyalgia sufferers experience pain relief, improved sleep, and increased energy levels with regular acupuncture treatments.

• Migraines and tension headaches – Acupuncture has been found to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines and chronic headaches.

• Neck and shoulder pain – Often caused by poor posture, stress, or repetitive movements, acupuncture can help alleviate tension and restore mobility.

• Sciatica – By reducing nerve inflammation and improving blood flow, acupuncture may provide relief from the radiating pain associated with sciatica.

What to Expect During an Acupuncture Session

If you’re considering acupuncture for chronic pain relief, here’s what you can expect:

1. Initial Consultation: Your acupuncturist will discuss your medical history, pain symptoms, and overall health.

2. Treatment Plan: Based on your symptoms, a personalized treatment plan will be created, including the number of sessions recommended.

3. Needle Insertion: Thin, sterile needles are inserted into specific acupuncture points. The process is generally painless, though some people may feel a slight tingling or warmth.

4. Relaxation Period: The needles are typically left in place for 15-30 minutes while you relax in a comfortable position.

5. Post-Treatment Sensations: Many people report feeling relaxed and a sense of calm after a session, with some experiencing immediate pain relief while others notice gradual improvements over multiple treatments.

Is Acupuncture Right for You?

Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for many people, but it’s important to consult with a qualified acupuncturist to determine if it’s the right approach for your specific condition. It can be used as a standalone treatment or in conjunction with other therapies such as physiotherapy and massage therapy.

If you’re looking for a natural way to manage chronic pain, or an additional treatment in your care plan, acupuncture may be worth exploring. By addressing both the physical and neurological aspects of pain, acupuncture offers a more natural solution that promotes healing and pain relief.

Benefits of Dry Needling and Intramuscular Stimulation

You may have heard the term Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) or Dry Needling (DN) when talking about physiotherapy and rehabilitation, but what actually is it and how is it beneficial? This blog will go through the differences between the two needling practices and how they may benefit you. In the end, the hope is you’ll gain more knowledge and decide whether either form of these needling practices are right for you in your recovery journey.

Dry Needling (DN)

Dry Needling (DN) or Trigger Point Dry Needling (TPDN), is the use of a small dry needle that is inserted into a taut band of muscle or trigger point to release tension. 

Trigger points are taut bands of muscle that may occlude blood flow causing a radiation of pain in a distinct pattern. Common areas for trigger points are the postural muscles around the neck and shoulders and your glute and quadriceps muscles. At their worst, you may feel a sharp pain or severe tightness that radiates outward. 

During a Dry Needling treatment the needle may go in and out of the targeted muscle or your practitioner may move it around slightly. The goal is to accurately target a trigger point, causing a muscle “twitch” when the needle is inserted. This response will effectively cause muscle relaxation (lengthening), pain relief, and increase blood flow.

Intra- Muscular Stimulation (IMS)

Intramuscular Stimulation or IMS is a form of intramuscular dry needling focused on relieving chronic pain. This method was developed by Dr. Chan Gunn and is taught at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Gunn worked for the Worker’s Compensation Board of BC. It was here he noticed patients with taut bands of contracted muscle that stayed shortened causing chronic stress on soft tissues, nerves, and joints ultimately leading to hypersensitivity. These areas of hypersensitivity would exist well past the successful healing of an injury causing, what Dr. Gunn referred to as neuropathic pain. 

IMS was developed to target neuropathic pain by addressing the area of discomfort, but also the dysfunction of the nervous system. During IMS treatment, a sterile dry needling is inserted into taut or tender muscles at the site of pain or near the spine where the nerve that is associated with the affected muscle originates. 

Accurate insertion of a dry needle will elicit a muscle “twitch” or a dull ache, while healthy muscle will feel painless. The ache or twitch response leads to three physiological effects; muscle relaxation (lengthening of the muscle), a healing response due to the microtrauma from the needle insertion, and improved nerve signaling due to a generation of an electrical potential.

The Difference Between IMS and Dry Needling

The main difference between IMS and DN is in the approach to treatment. The method of IMS focuses on chronic pain by addressing the area of pain and also the dysfunction of the nervous system, which is why you may have needles inserted in painful muscle as well as the corresponding nerve region of your back. While dry needling, looks more at muscle trigger points and aims to release radiating muscle tension. Is there overlap of these techniques? Very much so, however one may work better for you depending on the cause of your pain.

The Benefits of IMS and Dry Needling

The benefits of these two needling practices are similar in that they:

• Reduce Pain: This can take many forms. In many cases, the deactivation of trigger points alone can reduce pain locally; however, by improving muscle extensibility this can, take pressure off joints to reduce joint pain, or nerves to reduce radicular pain. Additionally, chemical changes within the muscle and associated nerves can block or influence the transmission of pain messages to the brain

• Improve Muscle Extensibility: The deactivation of trigger points is mostly to thank here. By releasing taut bands found within muscle, muscled spasms can be decreased, seeing an increased range of motion. Improved joint mechanics and using the “twitch response” to our advantage can allow for improved recruitment and activation of appropriate muscles.

• Promote Healing: By using a needle., we are creating tiny injuries in a dysfunctional muscle. The body then has an inflammatory response in the area. This is a natural healing process which stimulates healing through collagen and protein formation and can help to restore muscle function.
  
  

• Promote Blood Flow: Trigger points cause tightness in muscles which can occlude blood flow, restricting oxygen delivery. This lack of oxygen can contribute to pain in the affected area. By using DN or IMS to deactivate trigger points in the muscle, we can reduce the barrier to blood flow and improve oxygenation.
  
  

• Provide a Window of Opportunity: Using Dry Needling or IMS is kind of like pressing the RESET button on a muscle and nervous system. It provides a window of change where a muscle can be recruited more effectively and help re-establish movement patterns.

It is important to note, that you don’t want rely on dry needling as a stand alone treatment, but instead pair it with other physiotherapy techniques as well as appropriate home exercises to help reinforce movement patterns and repaired function.

If you are interested in either of these treatments, we have clinicians that are qualified in IMS and Dry Needling and are happy to help! Book an appointment with us online or by phone.