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Endorphins are released while
running from monsters |
Athletes and exercise enthusiasts are
well familiar with the function of endorphins. Once an athlete reaches an exhaustion level, they experience a feeling that some
have dubbed, “runner's high.” This could apply to any physical
exercise. This euphoric, whole-body feeling comes
from endorphins, which are released in order to allow the body to
endure longer periods of strenuous activity than normal. In the
prehistoric human body, endorphins were developed for long periods of
flight from large, powerful predators, enabling humans to survive
hazardous over-exertion by stopping pain associated with
over-extended tissues and organ systems.
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Endorphins are released when
eating spicy foods |
Pain killers represent the most popular group of drugs on the
market. From headaches to knee pain, everyone is looking for a
solution to their pain. Multi-million dollar clinics are opening
under the title “Pain Management.” While these solutions (namely
drugs and surgery) help to manage pain, acupuncture stops it
completely. Long-term studies detailing the results of acupuncture
treatment for pain showed significant improvement in patients who
completed their treatment plan, even years after their last
acupuncture treatment. (
Here's an example.)
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Endorphins are released
in response to pain |
Acupuncture is able to stop pain better than most drugs because
of the
body's natural endorphins. Acupuncture
unlocks a dormant quality within the body, which, when activated, operates
at a strength ten times any drug on the market. For example,
researchers at UNC are using acupuncture instead of spinal injection to increase the effectiveness of a new drug. Unlike more
publicized options, acupuncture is safe and causes no side effects.
The effects of acupuncture on pain are immediate. A patient called
me in significant pain from a sprained wrist. I quickly applied
acupuncture and asked him to rotate his wrist at the end of the
treatment. His expression brightened and his eyes became wider as he
was able to not only move his wrist without pain, but also with a significantly larger range than when he had first strained it just a few hours earlier. I continued to apply acupuncture and added
an herbal compress to increase his circulation and heal the wrist
completely, but acupuncture brought him immediate relief from
pain that he did not hope to expect.
