Health Intuitive

Anyone can be scared at the thought of undergoing surgery.  The recovery phase of surgery and the rehabilitation course can also be as stressful and arduous.  It is thus good news to know that many surgeries are becoming rather less invasive than before and the procedures of physical therapy gentler.  To make these procedures even more tolerable acupuncture can be an excellent tool to utilize to greatly lessen a patient’s recovery time along with other benefits. Acupuncture has been around for 5,000 years and is applied today for a slew of conditions, including addiction, fertilization and post-surgical recovery among others. Besides being a great facilitator for healing, acupuncture is also a wonderful modality to strengthen the immune system especially in preparation for surgery.  And on even deeper reflection acupuncture can be a great way to avoid surgery for chronic back and joint issues all together.

As surgical complications can happen during surgery, post-surgical problems can likewise occur.  Some of these complications can include bruising, swelling, scarring, decreased range of motion, injury to surrounding tissue, paralysis, tingling, numbness, delayed healing time and infections.  With acupuncture many of these complications can be prevented; a shorter recovery time can be managed, lower pain levels are experienced, the risk of infection is minimized and the normal range of motion restored even with less time spent on physical therapy.

With the insertion of filiform needles acupuncture energizes the body’s immune response and transports more blood to the target area.  The addition of more blood in the area brings more nutrients and oxygen there, washes out the cellular debris from the effects of surgery and causes the movement of stagnant lymphatic fluid, which is the reason for swelling and infection in the affected area.  Because the immune function is boosted, more white blood cells and endorphins are produced to quickly heal the injured area and relieve pain from the wounds respectively.  The increased blood flow also helps to achieve relative mental and physical balance of the patient.

There is no doubt that acupuncture truly works. Proper documentation of its works for over 2500 years up to today has validated its effects and potency as a health booster.  Pain management clinics utilize acupuncture as much as possible to curtail the use of Cox-2 inhibitors and NSAID’s because the latter two have severe side effects on the body.  NSAIDS have been known to cause gastrointestinal bleeding while Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx have been directly linked to heart attacks.  In contrast, acupuncture has been shown to improve cardiovascular function and boost the strength of the digestive system organs.  Surely with these kinds of benefits, anyone should consider undergoing acupuncture treatment for one’s after surgery recovery.  Acupuncture for this type of treatment can be augmented with Chinese herbal medicine to make the benefits even stronger and more effective.