At Your Acupuncture Clinic we address pain, so you can regain control of your life. We know that it's not just about managing pain relief, but getting back to doing the things you love. We build relationships with our clients to first relieve, then stabilise conditions. Through open communication, we're able to establish your goals so you can relieve, stabilise, and thrive.
By targeting the symptoms and causative elements, acupuncture has the potential to relieve acute and chronic pain. Research has shown that acupuncture, when used on its own or in conjunction with other treatments, has helped with recovery and reduced pain by:
- Increasing blood circulation to the affected area
- Decreasing inflammation
- Reducing muscle spasm by relieving tension [13]
Generally, most people feel some pain relief from their first visit. This is because acupuncture assists the release of endorphins which are our body’s natural pain relievers [6].
Mark has developed a special interest in the treatment and co-management of chronic pain and trauma including neuropathic pain, headache and migraines, low back and neck pain.
Evidence suggests acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal, headache, and osteoarthritis pain with results persisting over time and unable to be explained by placebo [17]. At Your Acupuncture Clinic, we work with you independently and / or in partnership with your health professional to assist in the management and relief of pain associated with:
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Migraine and headaches
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Osteoarthritis
To discuss how Your Acupuncture Clinic may be able assist you, speak with one of our team members on 0403 503 010 .
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is caused by a dysfunction in the nervous system with symptoms including numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain. Your Acupuncture Clinic works to alleviate and manage the pain associated with peripheral neuropathy. We do so by using treatment to stimulate blood flow, natural pain relievers (endorphins and opioid receptors), and encourage the movement of oxygen, and nutrients to the applicable areas. Research suggests acupuncture can improve nerve conduction in both sensory and motor nerves and can be effective in controlling neuropathic symptoms in some peripheral neuropathies. Studies into this field are continuing to better characterise its effect and optimal use [5].
Migraines & Headaches
Acupuncture can play an important role as a part of a treatment plan for migraines, tension headache and a range of chronic headache disorders [2].
For the treatment of headaches, acupuncture is considered cost effective [7] and has been shown as effective for frequent episodic and chronic tension-type headaches. In a study hosted by Cochrane Library it found at least a 50% reduction in headache frequency was much higher for acupuncture groups compared with control groups (2 trials, n=1472) and greater than sham acupuncture groups (5 trials, n=703) [10].
In treating migraines, acupuncture can reduce migraine frequency [11], has proven to be at least as effective as conventional preventative medication [4], and is superior to sham acupuncture in effectiveness and recurrence risk [19]. As a result, acupuncture is considered a safe, long lasting and cost effective [4] option for the treatment of migraines.
Low Back Pain
Low back pain can interfere with daily living often affecting your quality of life and the quality of life of those around you. For the management of chronic back pain, acupuncture is supported by high quality evidence of good efficacy and outcomes [18] with research demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing the intensity of chronic low back pain and improving function [1].
In a systematic review of 32 randomised controlled trials acupuncture was found to be superior to sham acupuncture in reducing pain and improving function of chronic low back pain. Acupuncture was also found equal to usual care for pain and function but superior when combined with usual care to usual care alone [8]. In another overview of 16 systematic reviews acupuncture was shown to provide short-term improvements in pain and function for chronic lower back pain when used on its own or in conjunction to conventional therapy. A further subgroup review of seven systematic reviews revealed acupuncture as more clinically effective than no treatment for pain relief and functionality and a subgroup review of five systematic reviews found acupuncture in addition to conventional therapy provides clinically relevant improvements in pain and functional measures [12].
In the treatment of acute back pain, a systematic review of 11 randomised controlled trials found acupuncture as superior to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in improving symptoms and more effective than sham acupuncture for the relief of pain. Research is continuing in this field to verify these findings [9].
Neck Pain
When it comes to the treatment of neck pain and its associated disorders, acupuncture plus medical care is a cost-effective option [16]. A review of 75 randomised control trials of people experiencing chronic neck pain or chronic lower back pain (n = 11077) found acupuncture, acupressure and cupping may be effective in treating the pain and disability associated with chronic neck pain. Moderate evidence revealed that acupuncture was more effective than sham-acupuncture in reducing chronic neck pain immediately after treatment and cupping could be more effective than waitlist. Furthermore, Gua sha, tai chi, qigong, and Chinese manipulation showed fair effects, however further research is needed into these therapies to verify the results [20].
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is characterised by a gradual loss of joint cartilage. This results in stiffness, pain and swelling; negatively affecting physical function and mobility. With no known cure, treatment currently centres on symptom management.
A review of 12 trials with 1763 participants comparing acupuncture to standard care, no treatment, and sham acupuncture, found acupuncture provided significant reductions in pain intensity and improvement of functional mobility and quality of life. Subgroup analysis showed greater reduction in pain intensity when treatment lasted more than four weeks. The reviewers concluded that the evidence supports the use of acupuncture as an alternative to traditional analgesics in patients with osteoarthritis [14].
Knee osteoarthritis is a common degenerative, “wear-and-tear" type of arthritis where the knee joint gradually wears away, becoming frayed and rough and reducing the protective space between bones. This can make it hard to do many everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs, affecting work and quality of life.
A meta-analysis comparing 22 physical interventions for knee osteoarthritic pain across 114 trials found acupuncture to be one of the more effective physical treatments for the short term relief of osteoarthritic knee pain, with acupuncture significantly statistically superior to both standard care and muscle-strengthening exercises [3]. In another systematic review of 31 randomised control trials (3,187) and meta-analysis of 8 studies (n=1,220 electroacupuncture showed significant improvements in pain when compared with control and sham acupuncture. In addition, electroacupuncture treatment was found to significantly improve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, knee joint function and quality of life when compared with control interventions [15].
To find out more on how Your Acupuncture Clinic can assist , speak with one of our team members now on 0403 503 010 .
1. Chou R, Deyo R, Friedly J, Skelly A, Hashimoto R, Weimer M, et al. AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Noninvasive Treatments for Low Back Pain. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2016.
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3. Corbett MS, Rice SJ, Madurasinghe V, Slack R, Fayter DA, Harden M, et al. Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: network meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Sep;21(9):1290-8.
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14. Manyanga T, Froese M, Zarychanski R, Abou-Setta A, Friesen C, Tennenhouse M, et al. Pain management with acupuncture in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:312.
15. Shim, J, Jung, J & Kim, S 2016, ‘Effects of electroacupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016.
16. van der Velde G, Yu H, Paulden M, Cote P, Varatharajan S, Shearer HM, et al. Which interventions are cost effective for the management of whiplash-associated and neck pain-associated disorders? A systematic review of the health economic literature by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Spine J. 2015 Nov 26.
17. Vicers A, Verstosick E, Lewith G, Mac Pherson, Foster N, Sherman K et al, Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. The Journal of Pain. 2018 19 (5): 455-474
18. Wellington J. Noninvasive and alternative management of chronic low back pain (efficacy and outcomes). Neuromodulation. 2014 Oct;17 Suppl 2:24-30.
19. Yang Y, Que Q, Ye X, Zheng G. Verum versus sham manual acupuncture for migraine: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Acupunct Med. 2016 Apr;34(2):76-83.
20. Yuan, Q, Guo, T, Liu, L, Sun, F & Zhang, Y 2015, ‘Traditional Chinese medicine for neck pain and low back pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’, PLoS ONE, vol. 10, no. 2.