Acupuncture has been used in to treat many conditions and relieve pain. Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into the skin at specific “acupoints”; this relieves pain by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals. This practice is generally quite safe. The advent of single-use, sealed needle packages has all but eliminated the risk of blood-borne infections (e.g. hepatitis B or HIV).
What acupuncture can treat:
- Chronic pain
- Low back pain
- Migraines
- Depression
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Insomnia
- Constipation
- Osteoarthritis
- Carpal Tunnel
If you are hesitant about needles, you can try “no needle” acupuncture, also called acupressure, in which the points on the meridians are stimulated with manual pressure, and low-level cold laser therapy that you cannot feel at all.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/relieving-pain-with-acupuncture