Pain and Inflammation

“No-Pills” Pain and Stress Relief

Physical pain is often the result of imbalances in the flow of Chi energy that result in joint and back pain, digestive issues, sleep problems, nervousness, and many other ailments.

When to Seek Help

Whether you suffer from chronic joint or back pain, migraine headaches arthritis, menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel or any number of maladies that make you hurt, you probably know that pain killing medicines can work for a while – but sooner or later you need a stronger dosage, or need to keep switching medications. Every drug has negative side effects, and many are addictive. 

Forms Of Treatment

Acupuncture has proven to be very effective against many pain conditions. In fact, musculoskeletal complaints and pain account for seven of the top ten conditions for which people seek acupuncture, according to a 2007 National Health Interview Survey. Dr. Pailin is an expert in using the ancient art of Acupuncture to help balance the body’s Chi energy flow, fight inflammation and relieve pain without medication, and that has come a welcome relief to many of her patients who no longer suffer from debilitating, constant pain.

What to Expect From Treatment

The National Institute of Health has cited the evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness for postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, postoperative dental pain, pain from menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, and fibromyalgia and has noted a number of other “exciting potential areas for the use of acupuncture.”

In February 2011, the National Institute of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense cosponsored a workshop titled “Acupuncture Treatment for Acute Pain.” At the workshop, Richard Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, Colonel (Ret), USAF, a radiation oncologist, shared his experience as the first full-time acupuncturist in a radiation oncology department. This acupuncture clinic became so popular that, in 2002, Niemtzow started the first full-time acupuncture clinic for the U.S. Air Force at Andrews Air Force Base (now Joint Base Andrews).

Niemtzow discussed the successful use of acupuncture and its subsequent adoption in the Armed Forces for use in battlefield situations, and recent studies that are contributing to an evidence base for use in emergency and clinic settings. Niemtzow emphasized that multiple treatments can be effective for reducing pain, and that pain relief is not always temporary, but “can last up to years.” A database from the U.S. Air Force acupuncture program at the Helms Medical Institute is a useful snapshot of the scope of acupuncture use (e.g., back and neck pain, headache, upper-extremity pain, complex pain, and psychiatric-related pain) and its benefit (average improvement scores: 17% are 90% better; 25% are 50% better; and 74% are 42% better). Niemtzow underscored the natural aspects of acupuncture by noting that acupuncture is an especially valuable option for pilots, who cannot take ibuprofen because of its tendency to cause blurred vision.