Integrative Health Blog

Nicholas Buscemi MSOM, LAc

Chronic Pain May Be Alleviated by Chinese Medicine

Physical pain is common for many Americans.  A recent national study found that more than a quarter of respondents lived with some pain for extended periods of time. 

Those that suffer from the debilitating effects of chronic pain have a NEW OLD ally in the fight for symptom relief.  Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have been used for 3000 years to relieve pain.  Chinese medicine is used to counter the effects of inflammation, arthritis, fibromyalgia and other sources of chronic pain and is endorsed by the NIH as a valid treatment modality AND is covered by many insurers.

So How does Chine se Medicine Treat Pain?

“Where there is blockage there is pain, where there is no blockage there is no pain.”

Imagine rivers and tributaries running through the body.  These rivers are filled with a substance called Qi or vital energy which has qualities much like water.  As in any river there are spots that are more and less dense and can be blocked if too much debris accumulates.  This scenario can be the same in the body, our rivers (meridians) get blocked by the debris of daily living.   The meridians that hold and course the vital energy can be blocked by trauma, emotion, environmental factors, hereditary illness, diet and lifestyle and just the process of living each day.  The goal of acupuncture and  Chinese Medicine is to find these blockages and use the correct modality (cupping, acupuncture, herbal formula, gentle physical manipulation, Qi Gong, visualization, diet, talk therapy) to unblock the meridians. 

Is Acupuncture supported by science?

Acupuncture is used in hospitals throughout the country as a complementary treatment in pain relief and in some scenarios, acupuncture is used in the place of biochemical anesthetics.   

The NIH supports the validity in acupuncture for the following conditions:  Carpal tunnel syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Headache and Migraine, Lower back pain,  Menstrual cramps, Myofascial pain, Neck pain, Osteoarthritis/ knee pain, Postoperative dental pain, Tennis elbow, Pregnancy related pain, TMJ,  Arm and Shoulder pain.

Live free of chronic pain with the minimally invasive therapy of Chinese Medicine. 

Nicholas Buscemi MSOM, LAc is a practitioner at National Integrative Health Associates, NIHA, an integrative medicine and dental center serving the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia metro area.