Don't Live With Chronic Pain, Find Relief With Acupuncture

Chronic pain changes your life: Simple tasks become challenging, and you plan your days around avoiding pain triggers. Eventually, chronic pain evolves into a vicious cycle by disrupting your sleep patterns, which then makes pain even worse. Before long, you avoid activities you enjoy because your body never has a chance to recover from the pain. 

Acupuncture interrupts this cycle at multiple points in your body’s systems. At JH Wellness in West Springfield and Sterling, Virginia, Jianqin (Janice) He, LAc, Dipl. OM, CMD, helps patients break free from chronic pain cycles using precise acupuncture techniques. 

Here’s what you need to know about this effective form of treatment.

Acupuncture helps your brain process pain differently

When pain becomes chronic, your brain rewires itself. Pain signals travel through specific neural pathways, and over time, these pathways become overactive. 

Research suggests acupuncture alters activity in your brain’s pain-processing areas in ways that predict pain relief. 

Needle stimulation activates your body’s natural painkillers

When acupuncture needles stimulate specific points, your body produces powerful pain-fighting chemicals. These include endorphins and enkephalins, your body’s own morphine-like substances. Unlike pharmaceutical opioids, your body produces exactly what it needs without risk of dependency.

Acupuncture also triggers the release of adenosine, a natural anti-inflammatory that reduces swelling and dampens pain signals at the site of injury or inflammation. This dual action provides both immediate relief and long-term healing.

Pain patterns reveal what needs treatment

Back pain rarely comes from just your back. Hip dysfunction often creates spinal stress. Shoulder pain can stem from neck tension. Acupuncture addresses these interconnected patterns that conventional treatments often miss.

Jianqin carefully maps your unique pain patterns during evaluation. She identifies trigger points, joint restrictions, and muscle imbalances that contribute to your pain. Treatment targets these underlying causes, not just the area that hurts.

Remote points provide surprising relief for stubborn pain

Some of acupuncture’s most effective points are nowhere near where you feel pain. Specific hand points can relieve back pain. Certain foot points help with migraines. These “distal” points work through complex nerve pathways that connect distant body regions.

This explains why acupuncture succeeds where focused treatments fail. By accessing your body’s nerve networks, treatment reaches pain sources that local therapies can’t address.

Different conditions need different approaches:

Neuropathic pain (nerve pain)

Treatment stimulates nerve regeneration while reducing nerve hypersensitivity. Many patients see improvement in numbness and tingling within weeks.

Myofascial pain (muscle knots)

Acupuncture releases trigger points more effectively than massage alone. The needles access deep muscle layers that hands can’t reach.

Arthritic pain

Treatment increases synovial fluid production and improves joint mobility. It helps manage both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Headaches

Regular treatment reduces frequency and intensity. Different point combinations address tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches.

Sports injuries

Acupuncture speeds healing by improving circulation and reducing scar tissue formation. Athletes often return to activity faster with acupuncture care.

Treatment begins with a personalized evaluation

You’ll spend your first visit discussing your pain history with Jianqin. She’ll ask about what makes your pain better or worse, any injuries you’ve had, and how pain affects your sleep and activities. This information guides point selection.

During treatment, you’ll relax comfortably while Jianqin places thin needles in strategic locations. Most people feel no pain or just a brief sensation as she inserts the needles. The needles remain in place for 20-30 minutes while you rest. You may feel sensations of warmth, tingling, or heaviness at needle sites.

Relief builds over time with regular care

You may start to feel relief within a few sessions, but chronic conditions often require a longer treatment protocol.

Frequency matters most in the beginning. Weekly sessions for 4-6 weeks help break established pain patterns. Once you’re improving, we may spread out your visits more to maintain progress.

Your body can heal chronic pain

Long-term pain doesn’t mean permanent limitations. With the right approach, you can experience lasting relief from conditions you’ve lived with for years.

Contact JH Wellness in West Springfield and Sterling, Virginia, to find out how acupuncture can help you reclaim an active, comfortable life. Call our office or request an appointment online.