NOW OPEN: Legacies Medical Clinic & Walk-in in North Vancouver – Learn More

Acupuncture for ICBC clients in Surrey, North Vancouver and Burnaby – 12 sessions


June 28th, 2022

I clearly remember the day an elegant woman walked into my treatment room with a sad face. She had been injured in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) in 2016. She was such an optimistic person, but I could see that the car crash had changed her.

She’d tried all kinds of therapies, including physical, massage, and chiropractic therapy, as well as rehabilitation. Although things improved, her pain never became tolerable. She tried upping her doses of painkillers. However, this did little to relieve her unbearable pain.

Acupuncture for pain relief

This woman had never tried acupuncture. Therefore, her chiropractor recommended she come to see me to give it a try.

When she arrived at the clinic, she told me that she suffered from headaches, neck pain and tingling in her arms that consumed her optimism and patience. The pain had made her depressed, anxious and an insomniac. 

She was in tears as she talked about her medical history. She seemed to be in despair. After the exam, I created a treatment plan for her. By combining different acupuncture methods, I was hopeful we would start to see changes after four weeks of treatment. 

Targeted acupuncture treatments

Due to her age, the muscles and soft tissues damaged in the car accident were challenging to heal. I applied different acupuncture methods and targeted my treatment according to the tissues that needed recovery.

She visited me once a week. After a month, the smile that had vanished from her face for months finally returned. This woman has been a loyal patient of mine ever since. She trusts me, and if she has any medical problems, she comes to see me first. Her family doctor also learned about the power of acupuncture from her and insists that she keeps seeing me.

Benefits of acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that uses tiny needles to accelerate the healing process, decrease inflammation and provide pain relief. Acupuncture is used to relieve back pain and provide sciatica relief. It’s also effective at reducing muscle strain and soft tissue injuries to ligaments, tendons and fascia.

Under ICBC’s rules, you’re eligible for 12 acupuncture sessions any time within the first 12 weeks from the date of the motor vehicle accident. At Legacies Health Centre, we bill ICBC directly, so you don’t have to worry about paying for your treatment out of pocket.

Acupuncture as a tension reliever

Acupuncture needling techniques effectively eliminate muscle tension, restore the elasticity of fascia and relieve poor blood flow caused by increased pressure. Some specific acupuncture methods can also be used for tendon and ligament repair, allowing for quick repair of damaged fibres.

Acupuncture complements other therapies in ICBC treatment plans

After a car accident, many patients experience weak muscles. This is because of the body’s self-protection mechanism. It tries to use less of the injured muscle to prevent further damage. It’s like a circuit breaker. Acupuncture helps quickly restore the muscles and soft tissues by resetting the circuit breaker. After this reset, patients can go to rehab or physiotherapy to strengthen their muscles.

Acupuncture and chiropractic care work well together because chiropractors have difficulty adjusting very stiff muscles. After acupuncture, the muscles relax, making adjustment easier and reducing the risk of re-injury.

Massage therapy is more acceptable to patients because it doesn’t use needles. However, acupuncture is more likely to penetrate deep into the body and release stiff and tight muscles due to injury.

Physiotherapy and kinesiology are also a good combination with acupuncture therapies.

Acupuncture therapy in Surrey, North Vancouver and Burnaby

At Legacies Health Centre, our acupuncture therapists are trained and certified by Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling Association of Canada (FSNAC). Book your appointment today and begin your journey toward a pain-free life. We’re located at Nordel Crossing, Southpoint, North Vancouver and Market Crossing.

Acupuncture FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about using acupuncture to relieve pain.

Q: Does acupuncture hurt?

A:  Fear of needling pain is the main obstacle that prevents patients from trying acupuncture. However, needling pain is short-term and usually only lasts a few hours. A skilled operator can significantly reduce the pain. Plus, compared to the chronic pain patients are already enduring, needling pain is negligible.

Most car accident patients try acupuncture only after repeatedly trying other treatments with little or no success. After undergoing treatments and experiencing its immediate curative effect, more and more patients are turning to acupuncture first, not last.

Q: When do I expect to see the results?

A: Everyone’s situation and medical history are different, making this question challenging to answer. However, I believe it doesn’t take long for patients to see results with the proper treatment method. Usually, patients notice a positive change after three sessions, indicating we’ve gone in the right direction. In many cases, after one treatment, patients feel a noticeable improvement. If there’s no effect after more than three sessions, the treatment plan needs to be re-examined and adjusted.

Q: Can acupuncture be used to maintain efficacy?A: Postural problems often occur in our daily work and life, such as prolonged sitting and standing. Postural issues can easily cause an MVA injury to recur. Acupuncture quickly corrects the structural state of muscles and soft tissues and restores blood supply, maintaining the curative effect. When you start noticing discomfort and pain, you should book an acupuncture treatment, including cupping, which can relax tight muscles and tissues to prevent further deterioration.

Di Wu is an acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner, registered in BC. He has over 20 years’ clinical experience of in China and Canada. His specialty is in the areas of pain and sports injuries. Di is one of the founders and previous Vice-President of Acupoint and Regeneration Injection Association of BC (ARIABC), and is currently the president of Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling Association of Canada (FSNAC).