ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP YOU SOOTHE ACCIDENT-RELATED PAIN
Thank you to Teresa Greenhill for this Guest Post
Back, neck and other painful injuries are all too common after a car accident. Experiencing pain and inflammation as a result of these injuries can leave you desperate for relief. Before you turn to potentially addictive and dangerous prescription painkillers, however, you should really consider alternative treatments like acupuncture. Interested in learning more about how acupuncture can help you feel like your yourself again?
What You Should Know About Using Acupuncture for Pain
First, let’s go over all of the reasons you should think about seeking out acupuncture treatment after you have been injured in a car accident:
It Can Help Reduce Pain
Even seemingly small injuries can lead to chronic back pain. Luckily, acupuncture treatments have been shown to provide relief from this sort of back pain. Acupuncture works by stimulating your central nervous system and encouraging the production of natural opioids. Eventually, these effects can lead to less pain and more healing. If your back or neck pain is due to whiplash, you should know that acupuncture may help lessen these pain symptoms as well.
It’s Effective for Other Chronic Pain
If accident injuries have resulted in other types of chronic pain, acupuncture may still provide some relief for you. The American Academy of Family Physicians cites studies showing that completing acupuncture treatments has helped people reduce symptoms of their chronic pain conditions, including discomfort and inflammation. Relief from these treatments has even been shown to last as long as an entire year!
It’s Much Safer Than Opioids
So by now, you should know that acupuncture stimulates the production of natural opioids in your body but you may not know why this is important? Well the truth is that while prescription painkillers can provide relief from pain they also come with some pretty serious risks and side effects. This is why so many practitioners and providers recommend acupuncture over opioids.
It May Be Covered By Insurance
When you’re in pain, finding fast relief is important. Even if your accident was not your fault it can take months to receive financial compensation for your injuries. So in the meantime, you may be paying for your treatments out of pocket. Of course, some insurance companies and policies may cover alternative treatments like acupuncture. You should get in touch with your insurance provider to confirm coverage before you book your first acupuncture appointment.
Yoga & Meditation Can also Help
In addition to calming stress and anxiety, mindfulness practices have also been shown to have promising results for helping to manage chronic pain. Stress reduction is just one of the reasons why these practices, which can include yoga and meditation, can help people suffering from pain have more fulfilling lives. To set the stage in your home, consider cleansing your living space of negativity. An open, uncluttered home prepares the mind and body for de-stressing and supports positive energy throughout.
Pain as the result of an accident shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your life but neither should prescription painkillers. So look into acupuncture to help treat that pain. Doing so could improve your pain and your life.
Teresa Greenhill is the co-creator of MentalHealthforSeniors.com, which is dedicated to providing seniors with information on physical and mental fitness. Being a senior herself, Teresa, with some help from her granddaughter, manages the website as a way to keep her busy and help other seniors be active and happy in their golden years.
