Prescription pain medicine is also known as synthetic opioid drugs. Morphine, codeine, and fentanyl are common examples of synthetic opioids. They relieve pain, but they also have dangerous side effects when used in long term. Drug addiction is the most common side effect and increasing opioid addiction has been our national health concern for many years. The good news is that our body has ability to produce pain relief naturally. This mechanism of natural pain relief is called endogenous opioids. Endogenous meaning "grown within the body", our nervous system produces endogenous opioids or "feel good hormones" when we experience pain or stress. Acupuncture activates the nervous system to increase endogenous opioids at painful sites helping the body to relieve pain naturally.

Our body is governed by two sets of nervous system - sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Sympathetic nervous system, often called “fight-or-flight” response, activates when we are under stress or in danger. It is our brain telling the body “I see a bear. Run!” While it is activated, our body will direct the blood flow to organs that will help us survive the danger like heart and lungs. Heart rate and blood pressure will increase, lungs will try to take more oxygen, and non-vital functions like digestion will slow down. It is what keeps us up and going. Parasympathetic nervous system is just the opposite, and it is often called “rest-and-digest” or “feed-and-breed” response. It is our brain telling the body “The bear is gone. Relax!” It focuses on life-sustaining functions that we often don’t think about. While parasympathetic nervous system is activated, heart rate and blood pressure will decrease, and our body will direct the blood flow to organs that help us relax and digest like stomach and pancreas. In healthy body, both systems will complement each other in harmony. However, in modern days many people have hard time “turning off” sympathetic nervous system because we work too much, we are under constant stress, and our senses are constantly stimulated by bright city lights, noise and smartphones. As a result, many people suffer from anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, indigestion, constipation and low libido. Acupuncture helps your body to turn off sympathetic nervous system and turn on parasympathetic nervous system, returning it to more restful and healthier state.