Exploring the Ins & Outs of Various Needle-Free acupuncture Methods

No Needle, No Problem

For many of us, the word “acupuncture” often comes with an involuntary cringe. But wait! Don’t toss the idea aside too quickly; acupuncture does offer a variety of health benefits. Whether you have a fear of needles or are wary of trying acupuncture for other reasons, there may be a way for you to try it, after all.

While the needles used for traditional acupuncture are microscopically thin and completely painless, the idea still may just not sit right with you. Luckily, there are methods of acupuncture that don’t use needles at all! This article will explore the various forms of needle-free acupuncture and present the differences and benefits of each.

What is Needle-Free Acupuncture?

Needle-free acupuncture, also known as needleless acupuncture or no-needle acupuncture, encompasses a variety of alternative treatments that reap the same health benefits for patients who cannot undergo traditional acupuncture with needles.

Needle-free acupuncture is a holistic, drug-free treatment option that can provide fast-acting, long term relief to a variety of health problems such as arthritis or migraines. It is usually just as effective as traditional acupuncture.

No-needle acupuncture stimulates specific points of your body during treatment, balancing your energy flow and promoting healing by selectively blocking the transmission of pain through the nerve fibres and stimulating the body to produce endorphins to eliminate pain on its own.

Who is it good for?

There are a variety of reasons you may want to consider acupuncture treatment. Aside from reducing the physical symptoms of stress and muscle tension, it can also help alleviate the symptoms of a variety of unexpected conditions, including nausea, allergies, insomnia, sciatic pain, asthma, Fibromyalgia, injuries and chronic pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, digestive, neurological, respiratory and sinus conditions, Parkinson’s and even infertility.

Needle-free acupuncture is also ideal for those suffering from Trypanophobia (extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles), or even those who are simply uncomfortable with the idea of a prolonged medical treatment involving needles.

However, no-needle acupuncture may not be for everyone. Speak to your doctor first if you are pregnant, have an immune or skin disorder, an infection at the treatment site, a pacemaker or a bleeding/bruising disorder.

What are the various methods/techniques?

Cupping therapy

Cupping therapy is a form of deep tissue massage that dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures. A therapist places special cups on various acupuncture pressure points on your skin in order to create suction. This can help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and general well-being. The cups may be made of glass, bamboo, silicone or earthenware.

You can choose between wet or dry methods of cupping. In some cases, your therapist will put a flammable substance such as alcohol, herbs, or paper in a cup and set it on fire. As the fire goes out, the cup is placed upside down on your skin for around three minutes. A vacuum is created as the air inside the cup cools, causing your skin to rise and redden as your blood vessels expand. The redness usually dissipates after around 10 days.

During your first session, you may either decide to try one cup to see how it goes, or you may get three to five cups. More experienced patients will get five to seven cups. Afterward, you will be provided with an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, although the risk of this is extremely rare. In fact, cupping therapy has few to no adverse side effects.

A gentler form of cupping can also be done on your face as well as areas with unwanted cellulite, in order to firm and rejuvenate the skin. Cupping helps loosen the ‘dimpling’ effect of cellulite and drains the lymphatic system in order to remove fat, toxins and metabolic waste. The result is more even, firm skin and improved muscle tone.

Laser acupuncture

Laser acupuncture functions in much the same way as its traditional counterpart, except it uses low-intensity, non-thermal lasers instead of needles to stimulate the traditional acupuncture pressure points. This procedure is safe and has had little to no side-effects reported, and because it does not break the skin, there is also zero risk of infection.

Since its advent and rapid rise to popularity in the early 60s, experts have discovered that laser acupuncture actually shows better results than traditional needle acupuncture, and patients see results much more quickly. Laser acupuncture is also completely pain-free.

Acupressure

Acupressure is a form of deep tissue massage that operates on the same principle as acupuncture, stimulating specific pressure points to manage chronic pain, nausea and vomiting, lower back pain, tension headaches and more. Acupressure is completely safe, and can even be used during pregnancy to induce labour. The Japanese Shiatsu massage is a popular example of acupressure.

Although acupressure was originally intended to clear energy blockages and realign energy flow throughout your body to promote good health, most modern practitioners believe that acupressure works by stimulating the nerves, muscles, and connective tissue to boosts your body’s natural painkillers. As a result, this helps to treat and alleviate pain and other symptoms.

The practitioner uses their fingers, palms, feet, elbows or assistive devices to gently press on specific points on your body. One session is usually the same length as a regular massage (around one hour) and like a regular massage, patients will see the best results after several sessions.

Needleless acupuncture for chronic pain:

Doctors say that the key to treating almost all chronic pain conditions in patients is the deregulation (or calming) of the autonomic nervous system. Needleless acupuncture works directly with the nervous system to alleviate pain quickly and efficiently by stimulating and soothing the nerves in the affected area.

Tight or strained muscles can misalign the entire skeletal system by misaligning the sacrum – a bone structure that is connected to the pelvis, located at the base of the lumbar vertebrae. The sacrum has a significant impact on your body’s pain cycle, as it directly influences the parasympathetic nervous system. Acupressure loosens and relaxes the muscles in the areas affected by chronic pain, realigning your sacrum and reducing pain both immediately and preventatively.

Laser acupuncture is a great option for patients who experience severe chronic pain, as it yields the best results most quickly and is able to penetrate deep beneath the surface of the skin without the use of needles.

Many athletes who experience routine aches and pains also opt for needleless acupuncture. Adding a quick cupping therapy or acupressure appointment to your health regimen is a great way to limber up before a game, speed up the recovery of a recent injury, or keep old sports injuries from flaring up.

The Takeaway:

Although at first glance, the term acupuncture may raise some questions among the needle wary, it is, in fact, an effective treatment to achieve almost instantaneous symptom relief for a variety of medical issues. Plus, you don’t need a needle for it to be effective!

It’s also important to remember that while needle-free acupuncture can be effective for many problems, it is not a cure-all solution and may not be right for you. Discuss this with your doctor first to get their perspective; they know your medical history and can look at your overall health to help determine whether or not needle-free acupuncture can help, or whether an alternative solution would work better for your situation. Contact our team to learn more.