Pain Conditions

Pain is the number one reason people come see me for Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. The beauty of Chinese medicine is that it is often able to correct the underlying causes of pain while also relieving the pain itself. Whether you are suffering from acute or chronic pain, Chinese medicine is a safe and effective approach to help you lead a pain-free life of health and vigour.

There are many types of pain which I routinely treat. These include:

·      Low back pain

·      Headaches and migraines

·      Tennis and golf elbow

·      Pain associated with menstruation

·      Shoulder, knee and other joint pain

·      Abdominal pain

·      Pain associated with internal organ function, such as stomach or kidney pain

·      Mental-emotional pain such as anxiety or depression. (Please see the page on mental-emotional conditions for more details on these types of conditions)

How do I use Chinese medicine to treat pain? As with any condition, my approach is to look at many aspects of your life, including internal organ functioning, sleep and exercise patterns, diet, stress levels, health history as well as any symptoms you are experiencing. I almost never only look at the pain itself, as there is much better chance of lasting resolution and deep healing if I take everything into account. Unless something is acute and straightforward such as a sprained ankle, the best approach is to look at your condition holistically, as very often there are factors such as diet and stress levels that are contributing to your symptoms and presentation.

The basis of Chinese medicine is pattern recognition, which is the foundation for your treatment no matter what you are dealing with. Whether you are coming to me for help with migraines or lower back pain, the first question I ask myself is always, what patterns are presenting themselves and where. From here, treatment flows, as I simply need to choose the herbs, acupuncture and lifestyle interventions that treat your specific patterns.

To give you some examples, if your knee pain is the result of a car accident, then I know that I need to improve the circulation that was damaged due to the impact. If your lower pain occurs during menstruation, then I will regulate your menses. If you eat certain foods and then your joints get red, swollen and painful, then we know that we need to deal with a dietary cause of inflammation. If your migraines are triggered by stress and fatigue, then in addition to using specific herbs and acupuncture points to treat headache, I will address your body’s ability to deal with stress and fatigue.

My experience treating pain over the past 15 years is that many people are suffering when they don’t need to, as their symptoms can be relieved with intelligent application of effective treatment. By treating the underlying causes, ideally paired with simple, actionable changes in lifestyle and diet, chronic pain is very often a treatable condition. So if you are dealing with chronic pain, please consider coming in for an assessment to see if Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are right for you.

Please use the buttons below to book a time at either my Collingwood or Meaford clinics. I look forward to hearing from you.