Acupuncture NYC | Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates
Today, even pain management specialists including Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates can confidently recommend acupuncture as a non-invasive pain relief treatment for their patients. Not only have clinical tests proven its effectiveness, but acupuncture as practiced by an experienced professional produces very few side effects, none of which are serious.
Acupuncture For Treating Pain
A traditional Chinese medicine practice for centuries, acupuncture has made remarkable inroads into Western medicine over the past few decades. Part of the reason for its popularity has been the success of medical studies that prove its efficacy for treating pain — in particular, back pain. Respected, conservative authorities such as the Mayo Clinic, the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University recognize the value of acupuncture for pain relief.
You may not understand how letting someone stick needles into you can reduce your symptoms of pain, but evidence proves it does. The science of acupuncture is based on the pathways of energy, called meridians, that flow throughout your body. Acupuncture practitioners study those meridians and can insert their tiny needles into specific points along the meridian, causing your body to dampen your pain without pharmaceuticals.
Treating Pain
Acupuncture can treat a wide variety of symptoms and conditions, but an NYC pain management doctor primarily recommends it for treating:
- Neck pain
- Lower back pain
- Nausea and vomiting from cancer treatments
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibrositis (muscle pain)
What Acupuncture Feels Like
An acupuncture treatment takes about an hour. For best results, get one or two treatments a week. A course of about eight treatments over a month often is enough to relieve your pain. Acupuncture practitioners often prescribe Chinese herbs for their patients because they see ailing bodies as out of balance. The herbs help rebalance the body’s energy.
During your treatment, you lay on a treatment table while the practitioner places the disposable needles. Each needle is only used once. You lie still for about 15 minutes before the needles are removed. The needles don’t cause any pain, but you may feel tingling sensations. The practitioner may rotate the needles while they’re stuck in you.
Benefits That Stick with You
Many people in NYC, including pain management doctors, swear by the pain-relieving results from acupuncture. While it takes longer to work than swallowing a pill, it’s a natural remedy that uses the body’s own healing power. But it’s not for everyone. If you don’t feel any improvement in your pain levels after four treatments, you may not be suited to this kind of treatment or your condition may require a more traditional treatment methodology.
Because the practice has virtually no side effects, you may decide it’s worth a try if you’ve never done it before. Some studies suggest that acupuncture works better in those who are optimistic about its effectiveness, so if you opt for acupuncture, go in with an open mind. If pain management specialists in Manhattan are recommending it, you should realize it’s a valid pain relief technique.
Manhattan Pain and Sports Associates
51 East 25th St, 4th Floor, Ste B
New York, NY 10010
(212) 533-3954