Over 50 million Americans deal with chronic pain. If you’re one of them, you know how exhausting and agonizing it is to live in pain. Conventional medicine’s approach to pain management involves opioids – and if that doesn’t work, surgery. Yet more and more people aren’t comfortable with either of these options.
That’s where chiropractic and acupuncture come in. These holistic treatments offer a safe, natural way to ease pain and relieve discomfort. Both therapies correct imbalances in the body, in quite different ways.
At Anchored in Health, we’ve found that when combined these treatments can be even more powerful. In this article, we’ll cover why combining chiropractic with acupuncture can help you get more relief, faster.
Chiropractic vs. Acupuncture: What’s the Difference?
Chiropractic and acupuncture are types of alternative therapies that promote natural healing. They both help balance the nervous system in a gentle, non-invasive way. Yet, these two methods have quite a few differences.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is a holistic practice that targets your musculoskeletal system (i.e., your bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and soft tissues).
Chiropractors use techniques like spinal manipulation to correct misalignments that can disrupt nerve function. They may also use other manual techniques to improve a joint’s range of motion.
Pain relief is by far the most common reason people seek chiropractic care. It’s a natural way to relieve pain for those who’d rather avoid opioids or surgery.
The good news is, when your spine and joints are properly aligned, it can improve how other systems in the body function too.
Chiropractic care can help:
- Relieve back pain
- Ease neck pain
- Reduce headaches & migraines
- Improve posture
- Reduce scoliosis symptoms
- Boost recovery from sports and work-related injuries
- Improve range of motion
- Reduce pain from arthritis
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient practice that comes from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It involves inserting thin, hairlike needles into specific points in the body. This is said to promote the flow of life force energy, or Qi.
TCM theory says your health and well-being depend on how well Qi flows through your body’s 12 energetic meridians. If these energetic channels become blocked or imbalanced, it may show up as symptoms and lead to disease.
Like chiropractic, many people seek acupuncture for pain relief. Scientists believe acupuncture may boost endorphins. These are your body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals that act as natural painkillers. Yet, acupuncture can help with a variety of other ailments too.
Acupuncture can help:
- Relieve neck pain, back pain, and sciatica
- Ease pain from fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis
- Reduce allergies
- Improve asthma symptoms
- Ease digestive problems
- Relieve hot flashes
- Improve sleep
- Reduce depression
- And much more…
Why Chiropractic and Acupuncture Can Benefit Each Other
While chiropractic and acupuncture offer many benefits on their own – they work even better together. Using these therapies in tandem provides a more comprehensive approach to pain relief. This may speed up healing and enhance your results.
How? Acupuncture relaxes your body’s muscles. This can make your chiropractic adjustments easier and more effective. Acupuncture also calms the mind and improves blood flow.
Also, as mentioned, acupuncture boosts your body’s natural endorphin production. This may improve the pain-relieving benefits you’d get from getting an adjustment alone.
Getting an acupuncture treatment may also help your body stay in alignment longer after each adjustment. That way, you get the most benefit from each treatment.
Chiropractic care can also improve your results from acupuncture treatments. That’s because chiropractic adjustments correct structural imbalances that hinder energy flow. When your spine is in proper alignment, energy can flow more freely.
Using acupuncture and chiropractic as a dual treatment is an easy and efficient way to get relief as quickly as possible.
Can You Do Acupuncture and Chiropractic on the Same Day?
Absolutely! At Anchored in Health, we do this all the time. Many patients find combining chiropractic with acupuncture helps them get better results. This is especially true for those experiencing pain. Let me explain…
Say you’re having low back pain. An acupuncturist can target that area to reduce pain and inflammation. Getting a chiropractic adjustment can get your body in proper alignment, to further support healing.
You can also use these therapies on the same day for different conditions. Say you tweaked your neck and are suffering from insomnia. Getting a chiropractic adjustment can ease your neck pain. Plus, getting an acupuncture treatment may help you sleep better.
That said, dual chiropractic and acupuncture treatment isn’t for everyone. Some people are extremely sensitive to just about everything (food, supplements, chemicals, etc.). If this is true for you, getting both treatments on the same day may overwhelm your system. In these cases, we usually allow a few days between treatments.
Is It Better to Get Acupuncture Before or After a Chiropractic Adjustment?
There aren’t any hard and fast rules. It depends on the person. For some people, getting acupuncture first works better. This is because acupuncture helps you relax, which can make your adjustments easier.
On the other hand, getting adjusted first helps balance your nervous system. Following that up with acupuncture can help your Chi flow so you stay in a reparative state.
The only way to know which order works best for you is to test it out.
Try Dual Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care in Orland Park, IL
If you live in the Chicago area and are tired of struggling with pain, Anchored in Health has your back. We offer a variety of natural treatments to relieve pain, including chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy.
So if you’re ready to know firsthand how chiropractic and acupuncture can help ease your pain, follow these steps:
- Contact us with any questions.
- Book your first chiropractic or acupuncture treatment here.
- Experience how holistic treatments can help relieve your pain naturally.
Other Holistic Services We Offer in Orland Park, IL
Anchored in Health offers many other holistic health services to help you feel your best. This includes functional medicine, the Shape ReClaimed program, thermography, and genetic testing.
Contact us to find out how we can support you in living your healthiest, happiest life!
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7215a1.htm
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chiropractic-in-depth
- https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/sep/07/pains-and-needles-brain-scans-point-to-hidden-effects-of-acupuncture
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture-what-you-need-to-know
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156618/