Ways to Relieve Body Aches

Do you often experience body aches? In modern times, it is common to hear people complaining about body aches or muscle aches. It may be back aches due to bad posture, long hours of sitting at a desk looking at the computer screen, or it may be neck aches due to the constant bending down of our necks to use our mobile phones or other similar gadgets. Yet, have you ever thought of the causes of body aches?

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, aches are usually caused by obstruction or blockage of the flow of qi and blood in your body. This obstruction may be due to internal factors such as anxiety from stress, or external factors such as cold or trauma. To relieve body aches, one of the most effective and healthy ways is to improve the flow of qi and blood within our bodies body. In TCM, oral herbal medication, and treatments like acupuncture, cupping and guasha are generally used to treat body aches or chronic pain. People who dislike the often-bitter taste of TCM herbal medication can opt for the treatments instead.

Over-the-counter medications or painkillers such as paracetamol may be effective in providing almost-immediate relief for body aches. However, side effects may result in people who constantly rely on painkillers. A healthier alternative method is the usage of medical herbs that promotes smooth circulation of qi and blood within the body, reduce swelling and inflammation while supporting tissue recovery, or to nourish the body for people who are deficient in qi and blood.

Acupuncture is a commonly used treatment for body aches including knee pain, back pain, and sciatica (a type of pain along the path of the sciatic nerve). This treatment utilises the insertion of fine needles at certain acupoints on your body, thereby unblocking the meridian points and manipulating the flow of qi to achieve the desired healing response. Acupuncture is effective in relieving muscle tension, muscle knots and to reclaim full blood circulation throughout the affected area.

Based on the concepts of TCM, cupping is an ancient healing therapy exceptionally great in relieving chronic muscle aches such as back pain. In this treatment, glass cups are used to create a suction effect on the skin at specific meridian body points. It promotes circulation of blood and improves the flow of qi, resulting in the expulsion of pathogenic evils. There are various types of cupping treatments. Stationary cupping treatment involves placing the cup at specific points for 10-15 minutes, while moving cupping treatment involves moving the cups along the meridian points for 5-10 minutes. There is also the fire cupping treatment where a lighted cotton ball is placed inside the cup to create a suction effect holding the cup in place on the body, and the acupuncture cupping treatment combines acupuncture needles and cupping to produce a strong healing response in the body.

Another treatment for relieving body aches is TCM Guasha – also an ancient healing method based on the meridian energy concepts. Guasha treatment makes use of a scraping tool to lightly scrape across the skin to unblock the obstructed qi and blood flow within our body, hence relieving chronic pain and regulating health. Heat from the repetitive scraping motion dilates the pores on the skin thereby releasing waste, fluids, and toxic substances from the body. This helps to ease muscle tightness, reduce swelling, improve blood circulation, and relieve chronic pain.

All in all, there are various ways of relieving body aches. In a TCM perspective, treating the pain at its core is the most healthy and effective way. If you are constantly suffering from body aches and are looking for an alternative method from over-the-counter medications or painkillers, feel free to try out our TCM Acupuncture, Cupping, or Guasha treatments. We also have a TCM Pain Management Treatment that treats the root cause of pain instead of simply alleviating the pain symptoms. This pain management treatment is natural, non-invasive and with minimal side effects. It is suitable for people who are interested in a holistic approach to managing pain without the risk of addiction to pain medications.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to make an appointment with our registered TCM physician. Call or WhatsApp +65 9833 8171.