Managing pain through acupuncture

July 24, 2012

Sticking an acupuncture needle into a point in the hand greatly diminishes the amount of brain activity associated with pain impulses, doctors reported. In a series of experiments conducted recently, it was found that the proper placement of the fine acupuncture needle in the area between the thumb and forefinger, called the Hegu point, allowed subjects to tolerate greater amounts of pain. And pictures of the brain before and after acupuncture treatment show dramatic decreases in brain activity — up to 70%.

The use of acupuncture for pain relief is gaining acceptance all over the world says Pauline Peck, founder of RWO-SHR Health Institute International in Miri, Sarawak.

“So many people suffering with pain, whether from cancer, headache, or an unexplained condition, rely on medications, such as morphine, which can become addicting. Acupuncture has no side effects, and other studies have shown the pain relief it provides can last for months.”

Acupuncture is a form of therapy that is being increasingly used in the management of pain. It originated in China, over 3000 years ago and is practised worldwide. Fine needles (32–36 gauge) are inserted into body locations known as acupoints. Classic texts describe up to 356 mapped points located on meridians or channels of energy flow on the surface of the body. In the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle.

A major assumption in TCM is that the health is achieved by maintaining the body in a ‘balanced state’ and that disease is as a result of an internal imbalance of yin and yang.

Peck teaches at the RWO-SHR Health Institute which provides training to practitioners interested in painless diagnoses, reflexology and acupressure. The method being taught is a form of medicine which does not involve pharmaceutical techniques, rather employs the foot reflex exercise in achieving its affects.

“We teach people how to treat pain from head to toe. Some patients consider acupuncture after other modalities don’t work – drugs, physical therapy and occupational therapy. Most of our patients have an effective response to acupuncture. Acupuncture can be useful by itself, or in combination with other therapies, for a wide range of health problems.”

She recalls that some doctors were sceptical at first. “The treatments helped reduce the patients’ use of medications and the positive results changed their (doctors’) minds,” she said.

At present, Peck is discovering the amazing results of combined reflexology and acupressure on patients with cerebral palsy, a disorder that involves the brain and nervous system. Cerebral palsy affects about 1 in 278 children.

Peck added that clinical research is continually being conducted to help determine which pain management therapies are the most effective in treating back pain, neck pain and so forth. Although more research needs to be conducted to fully understand how acupuncture affects the perception of pain, it is believed that acupuncture contributes to pain relief by releasing opioid peptides in the brain that have a natural analgesic effect.

“Although it has been practiced for thousands of years, there seems to be a lack of modern scientific studies to explain how and why acupuncture works,” she said. “More work is needed.” As scientific evidence mounts, skeptics await proof of what acupuncture devotees know from real life experience and 3,000 years of successful practice.

To support research and knowledge sharing, RWO-SHR Health Institute has organised a conference event – Incorporating the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Worldwide Conference and Exhibition. To be held on December 7 to 9 in Miri, Sarawak, the conference and exhibition event will feature international and local thought leaders in this field.

Speakers include: