Although my main focus is on helping you attain better health naturally – I know that surgery is often an important and necessary part of life. Apart from being stressful, surgery can also be a major event for the body.
The procedure itself can leave tissues, nerves, and energy pathways disrupted, triggering inflammation, physical stress, and even emotional strain. It may include extended time in the hospital. It often means taking rounds of pain management medications as part of your recovery phase. Even if this is just for a short time, these strong medications may cause your body’s organs to work that much harder to stay in balance.
Healing after surgery requires your body to work hard to repair this disruption, and sometimes the recovery process can feel longer and more challenging than expected. Supporting your body in this stage can make a meaningful difference in how quickly you “get back to normal”.
Acupuncture for Surgery Recovery
Acupuncture offers a gentle, holistic approach to post-operative recovery. Holistic means it can help with physical symptoms but also calm the mind and help you deal better with stress. By improving circulation, calming the nervous system, and reducing swelling, acupuncture helps create the conditions your body needs to repair efficiently.
A recent study on patients recovering from intestinal surgery found that acupuncture not only relieved pain but also improved recovery outcomes. This is a big deal, as better pain control has also been shown to reduce the need for opioid medications, which can have serious side effects and a risk of dependency.
Adding acupuncture to your healing plan after surgery can also help prevent complications like lingering pain, or reduced mobility. Beyond just pain relief, a series of targeted acupuncture treatments can support nerve repair, restore energy, and reduce the emotional strain that can sometimes follow a medical procedure.
Acupuncture to Prepare for Surgery
Many of my patients also choose acupuncture in the weeks leading up to surgery, as it can strengthen the body, reduce effects of stress, regulate the immune system, and set the stage for smoother healing once the operation is complete.
Together with self care programs such as Peggy Huddleston’s “Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster”, this can help you feel more in control of your surgical experience. (Note: I’ve personally used her program and it really did help me recover faster – I recommend everyone who is nervous about an upcoming procedure to check it out).
Your Acupuncture Recovery Plan
If you’re preparing for an upcoming surgery, consider making acupuncture part of your care. Regardless of whether the procedure is in a few days or a few months, acupuncture can always be a genuinely useful part of your plan. The combination of modern surgical advances with this time-tested, evidence-supported therapy offers a truly integrative approach to recovery.
At AcuNiagara, I am committed to helping you heal faster, more comfortably, and with the least disruption to your life. Your body has remarkable healing potential on its own, but acupuncture simply helps it get there faster.
