Acupuncture

What is Acupuncture?
This is a technique where sterile needles are inserted into specific pressure points for the purpose of neuromodulation (or regulation of the nervous system).  

Chiropractors who use acupuncture have taken an additional 200 hours of formal training before being permitted to perform acupuncture. 

What does Acupuncture do?
It is used to encourage natural healing, muscle relaxation, decrease pain and improve function in affected areas of the body. It has been proven to be helpful in many conditions including joint pain, back pain, migraines, and headaches. This can be a great additional modality that can be used to treat your musculoskeletal related pain. 

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Neck Pain
Acupuncture has been shown to reduce pain in cases of chronic neck pain. Those who received chiropractic care with other modalities including acupuncture have moderately better pain reduction, greater patient satisfaction, and improved function, range of motion and strength. 

Headaches
The treatment of acute or chronic tension0type headaches through acupuncture has been found to be effective. With acupuncture, there is evidence of reducing the frequency of migraine-type headaches when combined with symptomatic treatment. 

Low Back Pain
Acupuncture has been found to be useful for relief of chronic low back pain and improved function versus conventional therapies alone and than no treatment or short term "sham" treatment.

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Does Acupuncture Hurt?
Despite what many people think, it is a gentle, painless treatment option and is safe during pregnancy. There are few side effects which may include skin irritation or bruising.

For more information, please reach out to an acupuncture trained chiropractor or any other healthcare provider. 

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Disclaimer
The advice provided in this article is for information purposes only. It is meant to augment and not replace consultation with a licensed healthcare provider. Consultation with a Chiropractor or other primary care provider is recommended for anyone suffering from a health problem. ​

References

1. Ontario Chiropractic Association. Acupuncture Insurance Best Practices Guide [Internet]. 2nd ed. 2014. Accessed August 224, 2016]. https://www.chiropractic.on.ca/acupuncture#.V72561UrKUk.
2. Linde K, Allais G, Fei Y, Mehring M, Shin B, Vickers A et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016.
3. Cabýohlu MT, Ergene N, Tan U. The mechanism of acupuncture and clinical applications. Intern J Neuroscience. 2006; 116: 115-25. doi: 1080/00207450500341472.
4. Carlesso L, MacDermid J, Gross A, Walton D, Santaguida P. Treatment preferences amongst physical therapists and chiropractors for the management of neck pain: results of an international survey. Chiropr Man Ther. 2014; 22(1): 11.
5. Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine. Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews. 2016.
6. Furlan A, van Tulder M, Cherkin D, et al. Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain: an updated systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane collaboration. Spine. 2005; 30(8): 944-63.
7. CCA Website. Beyond adjustments: when do chiropractors use acupuncture? 23 May 2020. https://www.chiropractic.ca/blog/beyond-adjustments-when-do-chiropractors-use-acupuncture/