How long will it take for my pain to heal? Is there anything I can I do to assist my recovery outside of my acupuncture appointments?
Acupuncture has been used as an effective treatment for pain for many years. Its ability to influence neural pathways via acupuncture point stimulation and deactivate pain centres in the brain have been extensively studied and mapped. Acupuncture also assists in activating the body’s natural opioids alongside various biochemicals that reduce pain to provide a safe and effective alternate to pharmaceutical drugs and more invasive treatments. Find out more about the evidence for acupuncture for pain at ‘Evidence Based Acupuncture’.
A course of acupuncture treatments varies for each person. Generally, 6 – 8 weekly treatments is a good range to start with. Treatment times will differ and are dependent on the type of injury – recent injury (acute trauma), or a more chronic pain condition, and your current overall health at the time of injury. Some patients will only receive 4 treatments, however, some may require 10 to feel pain free.
At Ballarat Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, we like to ensure your recovery is a speedy one, therefore your acupuncturist may have instructed you to use some form of herbal medicine as part of your treatment plan.
Here are a few conditions that may benefit from herbal application alongside acupuncture treatment:
- Low back pain
- Headaches and Migraine
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendonitis
- TMJ dysfunction
- Tennis elbow
- Sciatica
- Arthritis
- Neuralgia
- Neck pain
We offer liniments and herbal plasters from a variety of plants that contain active ingredients and have been used as traditional remedies for many centuries to assist in the healing of muscular aches and pains. The liniments and herbal plasters we prescribe will have warming qualities to aid the circulation of blood as well as provide anti-inflammatory effects for tendons muscles and tissues.
Below are instructions for herbal medicines to assist in your healing:
Herbal Liniment Application
- Apply oil or liniment to the affected area massage into the area for 2-5 minutes – including surrounding tissues that may be painful.
- Apply a warm heat pack – we want the heat for blood flow (Chinese medicine practitioners are not fans of ice as this restricts the movement of qi and blood and therefore the healing process) Yes! It will reduce pain in an acute injury, however, for healing, it’s the warmth we need.
- Relax for at least 15-20 minutes – watch some Netflix or practise some meditation or breathwork while the herbs infuse.
How to Apply Your Herbal Patch
- Ensure the affected area is clean and dry.
- Peel the adhesive backing of the herbal patch and apply the patch sticky side down on the affected area.
- Smooth out to ensure the patch is well adhered to the skin
Sometimes, we may also prescribe internal herbal medicine or supplements to support the body on a more systemic level. When the body is also struggling with internal inflammation, injured muscles and tendons may not recover as quickly as we would like. This is where we find it important to include internal prescriptions to ensure lower levels of inflammation in the body to improve the body’s healing abilities. This is particularly true in people who have more than one injury, or a chronic injury that is stubborn to heal. This form of treatment may also be more effective if you have also been diagnosed with an inflammatory disorders such as endometriosis, autoimmune disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
If you know someone who may benefit from acupuncture and herbal medicine for pain relief, give us a call or to book an appointment with one of our AHPRA registered Acupuncturists and Herbalists.
