Celebrities Turning to Acupuncture to Help Relieve Chronic Pain

 In Lady Gaga’s recently released Netflix documentary “Gaga: Five Foot Two” the star is seen at her most raw and vulnerable, navigating her stardom, personal life, and inner battles. At the forefront of her struggles appears to be her chronic pain stemming from fibromyalgia and a past traumatic injury.

Typically a bubbly, high energy star with dynamic dance moves on stage, Gaga is shown in the documentary writhing in pain, sobbing through spasms and visiting with doctors and other therapeutic professionals. To help combat the pain, she is also seen receiving acupuncture treatment in a teaser for the documentary.

Acupuncture for chronic pain isn’t a new phenomenon, but thanks to celebrities like Lady Gaga and others who are opening up about their own personal and physical struggles, it’s becoming more and more popular, which can only be a good thing.

In fact, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker shared a photo on Instagram just this week of himself receiving facial acupuncture for his painful Trigeminal Neuralgia, a condition that affects the nerve responsible for carrying sensation from your face to the brain.

Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver is also quoted as telling the Daily Mail in 2012, “The body is an amazing instrument with great self-healing properties, and things like acupuncture and massage help the body regain strength and health. I’d much rather that than pump my body full of chemicals.”

So, how exactly does acupuncture help provide relief from chronic pain?  In the simplest terms, the insertion of acuneedles in specific meridians and points can help to stimulate secretion of endorphins (natural pain killing hormones) as well as the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter said to help enhance an overall sense of well-being.

Acupuncture also helps to release any blocked qi, which can help to stimulate a natural, internal healing response of inflammation and other pain-inducing physical conditions.

Whether you suffer from headaches or general discomfort from tension, musculoskeletal pain or pain stemming from illness or disease, acupuncture is a holistic and natural method of pain management and relief.

An Argument for Acupuncture use in the Emergency Room

It’s hard to watch the news these days without hearing of the crippling opioid epidemic that is sweeping our nation. With stronger prescription pain medication regulations and the high risk of addiction and/or overdoes, people are swiftly turning to other resources and options when it comes to pain management. While many may already know the benefits of acupuncture for chronic pain, it is now considered an option for acute moderate to severe pain, as well.

In emergency rooms (where people typically go for sudden or concerning pain) doctors are becoming increasingly cautious about the use of prescription pain medication administered orally or intravenously. Instead, according to a recent article in Forbes, a recently published study out of Australia has found that acupuncture is a safe and alternative option to opiates; depending on the patient, of course.

Dr. Marc Cohen, the lead investigator behind the study, said to Forbes, "Our study has shown acupuncture is a viable alternative, and would be especially beneficial for patients who are unable to take standard pain-relieving drugs because of other medical conditions. But it's clear we need more research overall to develop better medical approaches to pain management, as the study also showed patients initially remained in some pain, no matter what treatment they received.”

Dr. Sergey Motov, M.D, a specialist in pain management, and an attending ER physician at Maimonides in Brooklyn was also quoted in the article as saying, “I am very supportive for use of acupuncture in the ED as an adjunct to opioid analgesics with a hope of opioid reduction and to non-opioid analgesics as a part of multimodal approach.”

We find these results and support incredibly valuable, as holistic methods are often effective yet overlooked.

If you find yourself suffering from chronic pain, acupuncture is sure worth giving a chance. And while acupuncture can provide relief- as always-  any concerning pain or symptoms should be addressed with your physical as soon as possible.