MELBOURNE PAIN MANAGEMENT ACUPUNCTURE & INTEGRATED HEALTH CENTRE

Pain Management

freedom without pain

Nerve Pain • Chronic Pain

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How does acupuncture help pain management?

Regulates pain pathways

Stimulates neural activity to desensitise pain signals

Releases endorphins

Stimulates the nervous system to release the the body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals

Improves circulation

Increases blood flow to rehabilitate muscles, joints, ligaments, bones and nerves

Regulates pain pathways

Stimulates neural activity to desensitise pain signals

Releases endorphins

Stimulates the nervous system to release the the body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals

Improves circulation

Increases blood flow to rehabilitate muscles, joints, ligaments, bones and nerves

Take the pain away naturally

Once structural functionality is restored you can regain independence

Our Method

Take the pain away naturally

Once structural functionality is restored you can regain independence

Our Method

Acupuncture may help many pain conditions

Explore more of the conditions we treat

The shoulder joint has one of the most freedom of movement in the body, however that comes at the expense of stability.

And it is this intricate structural design of the shoulder that allows it a great deal of mobility that also causes it to be susceptible to dysfunction.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Reducing inflammation
Releasing the body’s natural pain killers
Improving circulation to the shoulder to promote rehabilitation

“Conventional acupuncture alone results in relative improvements in painful conditions in shoulder pain patients; combined interventions may have more global effects”
- Journal of Pain Research

1. Shi, G., Liu, B., Wang, J., Fu, Q., Sun, S., Liang, R., Li, J., Tu, J., Tan, C. and Liu, C., 2018. Motion style acupuncture therapy for shoulder pain: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pain Research, Volume 11, pp.2039-2050.

Shoulder Pain

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is characterised by painful and limited range of movement in the shoulder.

Approximately 70% of individuals that present with frozen shoulder are women between the ages of 35-65 years old.

In China and Japan, it is called the 50 year old shoulder due to its prevalence around that age.

There is an inflammatory component in the development of frozen shoulder, which leads to scarring of the structures in the joint.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Reducing joint rigidity
Reducing pain by stimulating neural pathways in the nervous system
Immediately reducing pain by stimulating neural pathways as shown by fMRI

“Acupuncture causes an improvement in movements of the shoulder in the patients suffering from frozen shoulder”
- Journal of the Academy of Medical Sciences

1. Schröder, S., Meyer-Hamme, G., Friedemann, T., Kirch, S., Hauck, M., Plaetke, R., Friedrichs, S., Gulati, A. and Briem, D., 2017. Immediate Pain Relief in Adhesive Capsulitis by Acupuncture—A Randomized Controlled Double-Blinded Study. Pain Medicine, 18(11), pp.2235-2247.

Frozen Shoulder

There are a multitude of factors that play into the development of knee pain.

The location of cartilage and ligaments between the knee joint has very limited blood supply.

The objective of treating knee pain is to be able to resume daily activities and regain mobility. If left untreated, it can get worse with the reduced mobility.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Modulating the pain response
Reducing opioid consumption
Improving mobility and decreasing stiffness

“Acupuncture provides significant pain improvement in patients undergoing total knee arthroscopy”
- JAMA Surgery Journal

1. Corbett, M., Rice, S., Madurasinghe, V., Slack, R., Fayter, D., Harden, M., Sutton, A., MacPherson, H. and Woolacott, N., 2013. Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: network meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 21(9), pp.1290-1298.

2. Li, J., Li, Y., Luo, L., Ye, J., Zhong, D., Xiao, Q., Zheng, H., Geng, C., Jin, R. and Liang, F., 2019. The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis. Medicine, 98(28), p.e16301.

3. Tedesco, D., Gori, D., Desai, K., Asch, S., Carroll, I., Curtin, C., McDonald, K., Fantini, M. and Hernandez-Boussard, T., 2017. Drug-Free Interventions to Reduce Pain or Opioid Consumption After Total Knee Arthroplasty. JAMA Surgery, 152(10), p.e172872.

4. Li, S., Xie, P., Liang, Z., Huang, W., Huang, Z., Ou, J., Lin, Z. and Chai, S., 2019. Corrigendum to “Efficacy Comparison of Five Different Acupuncture Methods on Pain, Stiffness, and Function in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Network Meta-Analysis”. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2019, pp.1-3.

Knee Pain

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition with no precise cause or medical treatment.

It involves complex non specific pain experiences with a range of other symptoms including sleep disturbances, fatigue, headache, mood disorders and joint stiffness.

One in five fibromyalgia sufferers use acupuncture treatment within two years of diagnosis.

The advantage of Chinese Medicine is that it produces few side effects compared to many drugs used to treat fibromyalgia.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Adjusting neuroendocrine functions to have a calming effect on the nervous system
Reducing stress and circulating cortisol levels to prevent symptoms being triggered
Activating a cascade of pain modulating processes

“Acupuncture significantly reduced pain when compared with medication”
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

1. Clarke, T., 2020. Treatment Of Fibromyalgia With Acupuncture And Counseling | British Columbia Medical Journal. [online] British Columbia Medical Journal. Available at: <https://www.bcmj.org/articles/treatment-fibromyalgia-acupuncture-and-counseling> [Accessed 29 September 2020].

2. Deare, J., Zheng, Z., Xue, C., Liu, J., Shang, J., Scott, S. and Littlejohn, G., 2013. Acupuncture for treating fibromyalgia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,.

Fibromyalgia

Nerve pain or neuropathy is when there is direct damage or irritation to a nerve.

It is likely to be nerve pain if it feels like burning, stabbing, tingly, shooting or numb.

There can be a range of causes for nerve pain such as chemotherapy, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, disc herniations and even as a side effect of some drugs.

And oftentimes there is no obvious cause.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Stimulating damaged nerve fibres
Regulating the central nervous system to moderate the pain centres of the brain
Enabling the body’s pain inhibitory pathways

“Which indicates reduction in neuropathic pain symptoms after acupuncture treatment”
- Integrative Cancer Therapies

1. Zhi, W., Ingram, E., Li, S., Chen, P., Piulson, L. and Bao, T., 2018. Acupuncture for Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Not Just for Pain. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 17(4), pp.1079-1086.

2. Ju, Z., Wang, K., Cui, H., Yao, Y., Liu, S., Zhou, J., Chen, T. and Xia, J., 2016. Acupuncture for neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,.

Nerve Pain

Opioid dependency and addiction has a high risk of mortality and morbidity.

In 1996, the World Health Organization accepted acupuncture as a treatment for drug abuse. There are numerous treatment protocols developed for addiction.

Chinese Medicine has a focus on managing withdrawal symptoms as well as alleviating any negative effects on the body.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Regulating neurotransmitters responsible that mediate substance abuse
Reducing stress induced relapse
Reducing severity of withdrawal symptoms

“The severity of withdrawal symptoms declined when acupuncture was used”
- Biomed Central Journal

1. Hernandez-Boussard, T., Gori, D. and Tedesco, D., 2018. Evidence of Drug-Free Interventions for Postoperative Pain Management After Total Knee Arthroplasty—Reply. JAMA Surgery, 153(4), p.392.

2. Tedesco, D., Gori, D., Desai, K., Asch, S., Carroll, I., Curtin, C., McDonald, K., Fantini, M. and Hernandez-Boussard, T., 2017. Drug-Free Interventions to Reduce Pain or Opioid Consumption After Total Knee Arthroplasty. JAMA Surgery, 152(10), p.e172872.

3. Motlagh, F., Ibrahim, F., Rashid, R., Seghatoleslam, T. and Habil, H., 2016. Acupuncture therapy for drug addiction. Chinese Medicine, 11(1).

Opioid Dependence

Postoperative pain from surgical trauma that affects about 75% of patients following surgery.

The main treatment is using opioids such as morphine and fentanyl.

However these drugs are associated with a number of side effects that can delay patient recovery, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and drowsiness.

Chinese Medicine is often used to treat pain and is safe without side effects.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Relieving post-operative pain by stimulating neural pathways
Reducing opioid use
Activating self healing mechanisms

“Electrotherapy and acupuncture are known to reduce postoperative pain”(1)
- JAMA Surgery Journal

1. Tedesco, D., Gori, D., Desai, K., Asch, S., Carroll, I., Curtin, C., McDonald, K., Fantini, M. and Hernandez-Boussard, T., 2017. Drug-Free Interventions to Reduce Pain or Opioid Consumption After Total Knee Arthroplasty. JAMA Surgery, 152(10), p.e172872.

2. Wu, M., Chen, K., Chen, I., Huang, S., Tzeng, P., Yeh, M., Lee, F., Lin, J. and Chen, C., 2016. The Efficacy of Acupuncture in Post-Operative Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE, 11(3), p.e0150367.

Post Operative Pain

Tendonitis is a common disorder, where the tendon that connects the muscle to the bone, becomes inflamed.

It includes many different conditions such as golfers elbow, tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Tendonitis results in significant pain and a decrease in range of motion.

Current treatment for tendonitis consists of rest, anti-inflammatory medication and corticosteroid injections.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Reducing inflammation
Reducing tendon thickness as measured by ultrasound
Increase blood circulation to assist in the repair

“Radiologic evaluation revealed complete resolution of the calcific deposit”(1)
- Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies

“Radiological evaluation demonstrated almost complete absorption of calcific deposits within 6 months, after treatment”(1)

Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies

1. Papadopoulos, G., Mavrodontidis, A., Liarmakopoulou, A., Tzimas, P., Angelidakis, G., Koulouvaris, P. and Petrou, A., 2018. Electroacupuncture for the Treatment of Calcific Tendonitis. A Pilot Study. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 11(2), pp.47-53.

2. Lim, H., Kim, M., Lee, C. and Namgung, U., 2016. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture Stimulation via the Vagus Nerve. PLOS One,.

3. Ural, F., Öztürk, G., Bölük, H. and Akkuş, S., 2017. Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Acupuncture Effect on Common Extensor Tendon Thickness in Patients with Lateral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Controlled Study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(10), pp.819-822.

4. Hadianfard, M., Ashraf, A., Fakheri, M. and Nasiri, A., 2014. Efficacy of Acupuncture versus Local Methylprednisolone Acetate Injection in De Quervain's Tenosynovitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 7(3), pp.115-121.

Tendonitis

Back pain is experienced by the majority of us at some point in life. Whether it be from an injury, surgery, repetitive movements, posture or pregnancy.

The trend in people with back pain involves inactivity due to the pain which leads to functional disability. Which then in turn contributes to more pain due to the lack of movements in the joints.

This cyclical pattern of back pain that progressively gets worse requires a treatment strategy that utilizes a multidisciplinary approach.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Releasing neurotransmitters that has a pain relieving effect
Improving circulation to the injured area
Activating inhibitory systems to block pain signals

“This pilot study demonstrates that acupuncture is feasible as a therapy for lower back pain in the emergency department”
- The American Journal of Emergency Medicine

1. Lim, T., Ma, Y., Berger, F. and Litscher, G., 2018. Acupuncture and Neural Mechanism in the Management of Low Back Pain—An Update. Medicines, 5(3), p.63.

Back Pain

Pain is a commonly associated symptom of cancer and for many survivors it can be long-term.

Cancer pain comes in different forms such as post surgical pain, nerve pain and pain from cancer therapy.

Chinese Medicine offers a non-invasive, opioid and anti-inflammatory drug-free approach to manage tumour-related pain and joint and muscle pain.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Stimulating damaged nerve fibres
Modulating pain via the central nervous system
Reducing nerve sensitivity

“Acupuncture plus drug therapy is more effective than conventional drug therapy alone for cancer-related pain”
- Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

1. Hu, C., Zhang, H., Wu, W., Yu, W., Li, Y., Bai, J., Luo, B. and Li, S., 2016. Acupuncture for Pain Management in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine,.

2. Deng, G., Bao, T. and Mao, J., 2018. Understanding the Benefits of Acupuncture Treatment for Cancer Pain Management. Oncology Journal,.

3. Wang, J., Lei, Y., Bao, B., Yu, X., Dai, H., Chen, F., Li, H. and Wang, B., 2019. Acupuncture for pain caused by prostate cancer. Medicine, 98(2), p.e13954.

Cancer Pain

Osteoarthritis is when the joint loses cartilage due to age, injury and repetitive use.

It is a progressive condition that diminishes the quality of life leading many to require surgical intervention.

There are no cures for osteoarthritis but there are treatment options that prevent the further progression of degeneration and pain.

Chinese Medicine assists by:

Stimulating the nervous system to release chemicals that suppress pain
Regulating inflammation
Complementing any adjunct therapies

“When compared with waiting list controls, acupuncture was associated with clinically and statistically significant improvements in osteoarthritis pain”
- American Family Physician Journal

1. Manheimer, E., Cheng, K., Wieland, L., Shen, X., Lao, L., Guo, M. and Berman, B., 2018. Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,.

2. Vickers, A., Vertosick, E., Lewith, G., MacPherson, H., Foster, N., Sherman, K., Irnich, D., Witt, C. and Linde, K., 2018. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. The Journal of Pain, 19(5), pp.455-474.

3. Manyanga, T., Froese, M., Zarychanski, R., Abou-Setta, A., Friesen, C., Tennenhouse, M. and Shay, B., 2014. Pain management with acupuncture in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 14(1).

4. Corbett, M., Rice, S., Madurasinghe, V., Slack, R., Fayter, D., Harden, M., Sutton, A., MacPherson, H. and Woolacott, N., 2013. Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: network meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 21(9), pp.1290-1298.

5. B Kelly, R. and Willis, J., 2019. Acupuncture for Pain. American Family Physician Journal,.

Osteoarthritis