How I Treat Pain

by Cailin O'Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM

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Copyright 2018 Sun Tree Healing Arts

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When you’re in pain, you want to the know the way out of it… as quickly as possible. But how do you know what will work? What’s the right thing to do?

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The Flow
How I Treat Pain

If you’re seeking “alternative” treatments for pain, you likely have many questions. I will explain how I treat pain in my practice and what you can expect if you come to see me for help.

1) We start with an in-depth consultation and evaluation.

This means I ask you questions about your pain, how it started, what you’ve tried. But I also ask you about all other systems as well- digestion, moods, lifestyle, sleep, energy, etc. This way we can capture the whole picture of your current health and well-being.

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2) I utilize tongue and pulse diagnosis.

Feeling the pulses and evaluating the tongue are diagnostic methods in Chinese medicine to further explore physiology, imbalance and emotional states. I also dial in with my intuition while feeling pulses (which seems to be one of my superpowers) and can detect pain pathways, emotions and other important aspects of your health.

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3) I evaluate your posture and musculature.

Your structural alignment, or lack there of, reveals where imbalances lie that can contribute to, or even be the root of, physical pain. I observe your posture, alignment and tension patterns in your muscles to better understand what is implicated in your pain. I also help you to become aware of these imbalances so you can begin gently correcting postural problems on your own.

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4) I devise your treatment.

After the consultation and evaluation, we have a clear idea of how to get started with your treatment and care. I consider your overall health, based on our findings, and diagnose your pain patterns using Chinese medical theory. In your diagnosis, I will also include any other symptoms or complaints you may have. This means that treatments will not only alleviate pain but also help heal other underlying imbalances. ​(Bonus! Who doesn’t like more energy and better sleep, anyway?)

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5) Treatment.

Your treatment is tailored very specifically to you. With this medicine, there is no one size fits all treatment for pain. I’m also a less is more kind of provider. So, this means that I choose the most effective treatments while remaining minimal in intensity (aka gentle, soothing, relaxing treatments are my style; painful and intense are not). During treatments, I will use some combination of my treatment offerings including acupuncture, Acutonics tuning forks, cupping, gua sha and sound healing. 

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5)  Home recommendations and treatment plans.

I often recommend simple things you can do at home or throughout the day to help ease your pain (Epsom salt foot soaks are a favorite). I also explain my recommended number of treatments, expectations for our progress, and anticipated results.
In general in my practice:

• Severe pain, acute: 1 treatment every 3-5 days for 3-5 treatments and then reassess.
• Long-term pain, chronic: 1 treatment weekly for 6-8 total treatments and then reassess.

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6) What you can expect.

​Most pain significantly reduces after a couple of treatments. Sometimes it’s 1-2 treatments and we’re done! For others, it can be weekly sessions for 4-8 weeks. Often, patients will come in monthly after that or as needed if pain flares. If we don’t make the progress I expect with our treatments, I reconsider your diagnosis and may need to refer out for imagining or a second opinion.

I’m always amazed how well this medicine works to treat pain. I also love how the treatments themselves don’t hurt and are, in fact, very relaxing. It’s a win-win scenario! If you're in pain, give Chinese medicine a try.

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