Denise Foley

Getting stuck with needles to relieve any kind of pain seems like an oxymoron. And yet, for years, acupuncture has been helping ease the ache of arthritic knees; the all-over agony of fibromyalgia; and even the deep pain of shrapnel wounds, burns and amputated limbs in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now, two new studies show that acupuncture can provide short-term relief for dental pain too.

Whether you suffer from temporomandibular disorder (pain in the jaw and chewing muscles that can even make it excruciating to chew, or open and close your mouth) or just a little dental anxiety, acupuncture can help. Here’s how it works: An acupuncturist uses hair-thin needles at points in the face, stomach, neck and back. The gentle pokes stimulate pain-sensing nerves, which produce opium-like hormones.

“Acupuncture helps by kicking in the body’s own pain-relieving resources, the endorphins,” says Deborah Lincoln, a medical acupuncturist and the immediate past president of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Because the thin needles are inserted at strategic points near the surface, they don’t hurt. In fact, many people find the treatments deeply relaxing.

Interested in trying acupuncture? You may not even have to look far for a practitioner. “More and more dentists are offering acupuncture because their patients are asking for it,” says Lincoln. The popularity of the procedure is not surprising: Another recent study, published in Acupuncture in Medicine, found that a five-minute acupuncture treatment just before an appointment either reduced or eliminated anxiety in 60 percent of the study participants.

While costs vary greatly, depending on where you live and the reputation of the practitioner, many sessions are priced around $75. Check with your insurance company -- the treatment may be covered.

Denise Foley is the former deputy editor and editor at large of Prevention. She is also the co-author of five books on health and parenting.

 

Available at Amazon.com:

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

No More Digestive Problems

Nutrition at Your Fingertips

 

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Health - Dental Pain? Try Acupuncture