Acupuncture is best known for helping people get out of pain. Pain can be generally broken into two categories for treatment, and those include acute and chronic.
Acute Pain
Acute pain often comes from some sort of accident or injury, is sudden in onset, and often includes some sort of redness, swelling, and/or inability to use the affected area. If you live in the greater Portland area, Solstice Natural Health is a premier source for treatment of acute pain that is the result of:
- Motor Vehicle Accident
- Workplace accident
- Sports Injury
- Post-surgical Pain
- Pain related to Childbirth
Treatments for acute pain are often done close together, and may include exercise recommendations and instructions for the use of topical herbs and/or liniments. A treatment plan will be tailored to your needs.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is any pain that persists for weeks, months or even years. Chronic pain can be related to injury (the injury heals but the pain persists), or it can come from a complex internal or even unknown source. In 1997 the National Institutes of Health officially recognized acupuncture as an effective treatment for pain.
For patients living in or near Portland, I commonly treat the following types of chronic pain with acupuncture:
- Headache
- Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel
- Fibromyalgia
- Low Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Joint Pain
- TMJ Pain
- Painful Menses
- Nerve Pain
- Tendonitis
Treatment plans for dealing with chronic pain often include acupuncture, external and/or internal herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, mind-body therapy (such as meditation), and stretching exercises. I will also refer to trusted chiropractors, physical therapists or DOs when necessary.