There is a total of 100,000 miles worth of blood vessels in our adult bodies. Let’s just let that sink in for a moment; 100,000 is long enough to lap around the earth’s equator… 4 times. In other words: it’s a lot.
This magnificent network allows for the passage of blood to nourish every single cell in our bodies. Not only do we have a vast quantity of vessels, but we also have a vast array of sizes, from the largest abdominal aorta to the smallest microscopic capillary. These throughways are hugely important to sustain healthy organ function, muscle movement, and even bone growth.
At the most fundamental level, we must allow for the smooth passage of blood in order to sustain life. Any time that blood flow is impeded, we risk a shortage of the oxygen and glucose needed for essential cellular metabolism. This can lead to inflammation, fluid retention, and an accumulation of toxins and metabolites that are not able to be circulated out of a compromised area. This may result in dysfunction as well as pain. In fact, extreme cases of this could even result in necrosis or tissue death.
As surgical procedures evolve, more and more of them can be done by laparoscopy, also known as “keyhole surgery.” These minimally invasive surgeries often spare the network of microcirculation that is otherwise disturbed during a more traditional incision. That being said, there are still many surgeries that can’t be performed laparoscopically, so we must do our necessary damage control to ensure the capillary beds reconnect in a meaningful way in order to nourish and heal.
This is why acupuncture and Chinese medicine is often the perfect supplemental treatment to assist in surgical healing where even the tiniest of vasculature is often compromised at the incision site. Here are a few ways that acupuncture can help you recover from your surgery:
- Acupuncture is well known for inhibiting the inflammatory process. Inflammation, while sometimes necessary, can be quite painful and stagnating. If fresh blood isn’t permitted to move into an inflamed area, pain is often the result.
- Acupuncture promotes microcirculation in tiny vasculature that makes up the capillary bed. Acupuncture can stimulate your own body’s ability to reconnect the tiny blood vessels that have been compromised with your procedure.
- Acupuncture can alter the perception of pain. Because of its ability to encourage endorphin release and disarm the nervous system, acupuncture can inhibit pain signals.
We are here to support you in every step of recovery.
