| In my later years of medical school, I thought | | | | sympathetic, because they always have to look |
| that pain treatment was below me. Even though | | | | out for addicts. Acupuncture, conversely, can |
| acupuncture was best known for its effective | | | | treat addiction. |
| pain relief, I thought that the Western medical | | | | These are not the only causes of pain. It is |
| world was simply behind as usual. We were | | | | important to know the cause, and not just blindly |
| amazed to learned all the other diseases we could | | | | attempt to relieve the symptoms. Otherwise, |
| treat with acupuncture, like neurological problems, | | | | ineffective treatments could be due to a missed |
| immune system dysfunction, anxiety, and | | | | diagnosis. Also, we may approach pain from a |
| depression, and I thought, "Anyone can treat pain. | | | | vertebral problem differently than we do pain of |
| I'd rather focus on something more interesting." | | | | unknown origin. |
| As I wrote about Chinese medicine on the Pulse | | | | Rating the Pain & Measuring Progress |
| website, I thought, "It would be more beneficial | | | | For each pain location, I have patients rate the |
| for acupuncture's image if I focused on something | | | | severity on a scale of 1-10. A "10" would be the |
| like psychology. And, people really need to | | | | worst pain possible, like giving birth or a kidney |
| understand the complexity and power of our | | | | stone. Once we know the degree of pain for |
| herbal medicine system." | | | | each site, we can assess how much the |
| So talking about the treatment of pain wasn't | | | | acupuncture treatment changed it. It's nice when |
| really on my list. | | | | there's an immediate improvement of 20-30%, or |
| Western vs. Eastern Pain Relief | | | | even 100%, which happens in some cases. |
| But, I couldn't help seeing that Western medicine | | | | Sometimes, the patient can't reproduce the pain |
| didn't have great pain relief solutions. They always | | | | on the table because of posture, so we have to |
| have the side effects of some drugs, and the | | | | wait until the treatment is over. If possible, we |
| addictive potential of the opiates (their most | | | | can needle so that measuring progress is easier. |
| powerful pain killers). | | | | For example, if your pain is worse when walking, |
| My wonderfully well-read wife subscribes to a | | | | we can needle your hand (this is distal needling- |
| journal called The Pain Practitioner ( After reading | | | | needling away from the site of pain- another topic |
| that for a few months, I suddenly realized that | | | | entirely) while you walk around. Then we can tell |
| they never mentioned acupuncture. That's crazy, | | | | immediately if we're on the right track or not. |
| I thought. After all, it competes with drugs in | | | | Complementary Pain Management |
| terms of effectiveness and doesn't cause side | | | | At the same time, you may do other therapies. |
| effects. Plus, it's superior in permanently removing | | | | You might be looking into surgery, or other |
| neurogenic pain, and preventing temporary pain | | | | solutions- for example, than is a synthetic knee |
| from going through the "grooved into the brain" | | | | injection for people with very little knee cartilage. |
| process that leads to chronic pain syndromes. | | | | The synthetic fluid lasts for several months. |
| When you think of acupuncture, the first thing | | | | Interestingly, researchers have found that back |
| that should come to mind is "Superior for treating | | | | pain does not always correlate to changes in the |
| pain." | | | | spine. They've found many people with vertebral |
| Higher Standards for Pain Relief with Acupuncture | | | | problems that have no pain at all, and that some |
| I've found that many acupuncturists do not enjoy | | | | people with constant pain have no obvious |
| treating pain. I think this may be because they | | | | structural changes. |
| haven't learned a style of acupuncture that treats | | | | To me, this underlines the primacy of the nervous |
| pain effectively and quickly. In October 2002, I | | | | system. Your brain interprets and creates nerve |
| began a mentorship with Robert Chu, who had | | | | signals. Sometimes pain has to be "unlearned." This |
| learned a quick and powerful pain-relieving | | | | process may be accomplished with acupuncture |
| acupuncture system from a student of the | | | | alone, or in combination with counseling, |
| famous Taiwanese acupuncturist, Master Tong. | | | | meditation, or hypnosis. |
| Dr. Chu has taught me several acupuncture | | | | In some situations, physical rehabilitation is |
| systems that are not currently taught in | | | | indicated. Specific exercises prescribed by a |
| acupuncture schools. His goal is immediate pain | | | | trained physical therapist may help you regain |
| relief, to some degree, and immediate relaxation | | | | strength and function in the affected part of the |
| or a sense of well being in other diseases. | | | | body. You may also avail yourself of the slow, |
| This is a high standard - we can't always achieve | | | | demanding, and healing movements of Taichi. |
| total pain relief with one treatment. It may take | | | | The Process of Pain Control |
| ten treatments to make a permanent dent in | | | | For some people, pain goes away immediately, |
| some situations. But I like having big goals. I think | | | | and they are otherwise healthy. In that case, their |
| I'm more likely to make progress that way. | | | | partnership with the acupuncturist may come to |
| Location and Cause of Pain | | | | an end. |
| In the clinic, first we find out where your pain is. If | | | | But, others are stuck with chronic pain, and need |
| you've been in an accident, or there are | | | | continual treatment to experience a better quality |
| nerve-related issues, we do a physical examination | | | | of life. In these cases, it may be better to see |
| to discover the nature of the problem. For | | | | the acupuncturist every other day for |
| example, your pain may be due to a problem in | | | | concentrated therapy- we're more likely to shift |
| the spine, messages from the brain, one of your | | | | the body's neurological patterns that way. If that |
| internal organs, or because you've bruised a | | | | doesn't work, the acupuncturist may help you |
| muscle, tendon, or ligament. | | | | purchase a microcurrent or tens unit- these are |
| Sometimes, we can't find an obvious cause, even | | | | electrical stimulator pads that you can use at |
| with X-rays, MRI's, and lab tests. We have to | | | | home (or, in fact, anywhere) to keep the pain at |
| assume then that the cause is neurogenic- from | | | | bay. The pads are applied to specific points |
| the brain, nervous system, or even the psyche. | | | | according to the theories of Chinese medicine. |
| Pain can be a manifestation of emotion. There's | | | | For those whose pain is cause or greatly |
| nothing wrong, or less valid about that kind of | | | | influenced by emotional and mental factors, |
| pain. | | | | Chinese medicine can recommend dietary changes |
| Actually, Chinese medicine is well-suited to treat | | | | and new emotional habits. Taichi and meditation |
| that. And people with pain of a psychological origin | | | | can have a normalizing effect on the nervous and |
| may find their Western physician less | | | | immune systems as well. |