Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been used with some efficacy in almost all known patho­logic conditions because it works by nonspecific mechanisms that do not directly target any particular disease but result in normalized soft tissue function.  As the tissues in the body regain their normal function, overall health increases along with the ability to heal.

Almost all pathogic conditions involve soft tissue. Soft tissue makes up half of our body mass and is involved in every aspect of our functionality, therefore we can understand how acupuncture can affect so many conditions. *

The needles create tiny lesion is soft tissue which stimulate sensory nerves to secrete cytokines (hormone like signaling molecules), and send signals to the nervous system to activate the bodies healing mechanisms to repair the lesions. This response results in an anti-inflammatory reaction that leads to self-healing and restores normal physiology in the immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems. This therapy is inherently non-specific as it has been shown to treat the whole system. However, it can also be used to treat specific soft tissue pathological symptoms by selecting local and specific points for treatment.*

The painful tight band in the center of a muscle is commonly known as a trigger point. These are caused by a dysfunction at the junction where the motor nerve connects to a muscle fibre. Without intervention a trigger point can remain in spasm for extended periods of time causing pain. Acupuncture stimulates a release of signals for tissue healing, growth and repair to flood into the needled area. This causes a chemical change at the nerve junction site which effectively releases the trigger point.**

 Acupuncture can increase your healing response by reducing stress in both local and systemic body systems.  A small lesion is formed by the acupuncture needle in the tissue.  This stimulates signals for tissue healing, growth and repair to flood into the area.  The end result is a restoration of proper function of the soft tissue and relief of pain.  Nerve signals from acupuncture needle lesions also influence the nervous system at the brain and spinal cord to release healing signals into the blood stream.  This effect balances the proper functioning of the nervous system, immune system, endocrine system, and cardiovascular system.

The results of needle therapy are fairly predictable for soft tissue pain conditions and depend on the self-healing potential and the ability of the patients symptoms to heal.  For conditions that are not soft tissue related the results are less predictable.

The more areas and systems in the body that are damaged; the less efficient the healing response.   Each person will respond to treatment based on the severity of the injury, how long it has been injured, the structures involved and each person’s ability to heal. The more areas in the body that are damaged, the less the body will be less able to focus healing each site.  If your body is under stress, it will shift its resources only toward survival; this will also decrease your healing response.*

Our body’s energy is limited. We use a certain amount just to maintain homeostasis, or physiological harmony.  Any physical or emotional stress will consume more energy and requires adjustments in the distribution of resources of body to sustain homeostasis.

For example, an emotional stress such as fear, the body will direct resources away from digestion and immune processes to the muscles so we can fight of a bear attack.  If the stress persists, the digestive and immune systems may malfunction and result in a disease such as a gastric ulcer or infection.  This is also why a physiological stressor or disease will cause tiredness and fatigue.

Needling triggers a response which removes or reduces and stress restores health to normalize homeostasis.  As the severity of the condition or stressor increases less of the body’s resources are able to be allocated to maintaining homeostasis and healing.  In severe cases where the self-healing potential is hindered, the condition may not response to needle therapy.

A contracted muscle is weaker and shorter than it should be which creates an imbalance in the muscular skeletal system. Acupuncture can reliably release contractions of the soft tissue and move the body toward harmony of motion and function; this in turn reduces stress in the musculosk­eletal system, increases efficiency in the body and enables faster recovery from training and competition. This makes the therapy viable as a safe means of enhancing athletic physical performance.