Electro-Acupuncture: Find Relief for Chronic Pain

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Electro-Acupuncture is formed from Acupuncture, a 3,000 old Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s a therapy method that uses needles to address minor or severe health problems. These problems appear as a result of the blockage of energy or Qi, in different areas of your body. Electro-Acupuncture is not an invasive or painful procedure.

What is Electro-Acupuncture?

Electro-Acupuncture is Acupuncture with a shallow pulsating electrical current. This current connects to needle points on the body. It’s a rather gentle pulsating sensation that can soothe the body.

Depending on the health problem you want to treat and the degree of aggravation, a therapist will determine the length of each session. Typically a session lasts between 30-60 minutes.

It’s good to know that, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health have recognized Acupuncture as an effective method of treatment for many diseases. Also, there are thousands of scientific review of Acupuncture and Electro-Acupuncture’s effectiveness.

Among the diseases and health conditions treated with Acupuncture and Electro-Acupuncture, there are many related to chronic pain.

  • Chronic back pain
  • Chronic inflammatory pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Musculoskeletal problems
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Endometriosis
  • Sciatica

Electro-Acupuncture uses acupuncture meridians and energy points. Acupuncture is a thousand years old practice based on the fact that our body is not only physical, but it also has an energy field around it. The life force, or Qi in Chinese, runs through our body along indirect channels, called meridians. Yes, just like the Earth has meridians, we, humans, have meridians too.

12 Main Meridians

  • Heart Meridian
  • Pericardium Meridian
  • Lung Meridian
  • Large Intestine Meridian
  • Small Intestine Meridian
  • Stomach Meridian
  • Gall bladder Meridian
  • Liver Meridian
  • Spleen Meridian
  • Kidney Meridian
  • Urinary Bladder Meridian
  • Triple Energizer Meridian

Also, there are thousands of force points along these meridians, where the energy is more concentrated. When energy is blocked on certain meridians or energy channels, or not circulating and stagnates, causing diseases in the physical body, the acupuncture remedy is to stimulate points along meridians. The stimulation will allow the energy to flow freely again within its body.

We Are Electric Beings

I can hear you thinking. “How come we are electric? What are you talking about?”

The truth is that living beings have an electromagnetic field around them. Science has proven it, and ancient traditional medicines have known this for millennia. Remember the flow of the energy of life, Qi, and the energy channels? When the energy flows freely through these channels, we thrive and have fantastic health. When, due to our negative emotions, thoughts, stress, unhealthy lifestyles, injuries, etc., the energy is stuck in various points along the energy channels, where the energy becomes stagnant, and then the problem translates into your body through a health condition or disease. That’s how we become sick.

Electro-Acupuncture goes directly to those points where the energy is stagnant and produces chronic pain. As a result, it stimulates them with a slight electric impulse that will dissipate the dense energy and restore the electrical functions in the body. The results are reduced inflammation, decreased pain, improved mobility.

How Electro-Acupuncture Works for Chronic Pain

What happens when you perceive pain? The nerve pain you feel is an electric signal. This signal is then sent from the injured nerve to your brain. The nerve is signaling that there is a problem there.

Electro-Acupuncture works by sending a weak electrical charge to the needles placed on the specific acupuncture points. It works best for acute and chronic pain, muscle, ligament and joint injuries, and central nerve disorders.

Wave Types

There are five different waves of electricity that can be used for different intensities, depending on the condition undergoing treatment.

1. Dense Waves

50-100 pulsations per second that produce a high/frequency pulsating current. Therefore, it’s beneficial for muscle spasms, circulatory problems, and nervous tensions.

2. Sparse Waves

A continuous low-frequency pulsating current that has a more intense stimulation. It creates a vibrating sensation or even slight muscle contraction, which can last longer. As a result, it stimulates muscle activity and connective tissues.

3. Dense-Sparse Wave

The alternation between the first two waves every 1.5 seconds. This alteration generates a stronger reaction that stimulates the nervous system, and as a result, increases metabolism, improves circulation, and triggers the absorption of edema. The effects of this wave last the longest. It generally treats acute nerve and muscle pain and inflammation.

4. Intermittent Wave

A pulsating current that goes on and off, sending a dense wave and then nothing every 1.5 seconds. It is too strong for any healthy body, so it’s used only in the cases of paralysis and muscle weakness.

5. Serrated Wave

A stable pattern of 20-25 pulsations per minute. As well as it mimics the respiratory rate. That is why it is used to stimulate diaphragm nerves. It increases nervous and muscular activity, regulates circulation, and also, helps with fluid absorption.

To sum up, the best wave patterns to treat pain is the Dense and Dense-Sparse Waves.

With or Without Needles

Electro-Acupuncture can be done with needles or on the other hand, without needles.

With Needles

When needles are in play, electric wires get clipped to the needles already inserted in the skin. These clips are on specific acupuncture points to target certain areas. The wires go to a small generator. The slight electric current sent through the needle deep into the tissue. This current affects the muscle in a more substantial area around the needle. It is much more precise than Electro-Acupuncture without needles because the electric impulse goes with a pinpoint precision directly into the specific acupuncture points.

Without Needles

When the client prefers no needles, they can use electrodes. Electrodes look much like a pen. They are placed directly on the acupuncture points. People who are fearful of needles might prefer this method. Electro-Acupuncture without needles can be as effective as Acupuncture with needles.

The Biochemical Science Behind the Electro-Acupuncture

All these different electrical frequency waves stimulate the nervous system to release opioid peptides. With Electro-Acupuncture, the pain pathways are blocked by the activation of various bioactive chemicals through peripheral and spinal mechanisms. As a result, the activation stimulates the nervous system in such a way that it produces more endogenous opioids peptides that have a profound effect on the neuroendocrine function.

Endogenous opioid peptides that serve as hormones develop in the particular glands (pituitary gland and adrenal glands). Those that serve as neuromodulators develop by nerve cells (neurons). These neurons target the brain and the spinal cord to modulate the actions of other neurotransmitters. They modify the electrical properties of the targeted neurons and, as a result, induce pain relief and “feel good” sensation. They have the same effects as drug opioids, such as morphine and heroin.

Studies show that Acupuncture and Electro-Acupuncture induce analgesia (blocks the pain) in some regions of the body, by stimulating the production of endogenous opioid peptides and releasing them into the body. Quite simple and effective. Miraculous bodies we have. When a little bit of science and technique hop into the self-healing processes of our bodies, supporting them, relief of chronic pain, and other health problems happen.

Precautions with Electro-Acupuncture

Electro-Acupuncture is a very safe therapy. However, there are always warnings for people with certain conditions.

  • If you have a cardiac pacemaker
  • Suffer from seizures, epilepsy, or had a stroke
  • If you are pregnant

There are also areas of the body in which you should never have Electro-Acupuncture.

  • Near the heart
  • Near a scar
  • On an open injury or cut
  • Near or on burnt skin
  • On a fractured bone area