Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Silver Spring, Maryland

Chronic pain can be terribly isolating, and it’s often invisible to the people around you. The loneliness chronic pain sufferers experience is heightened by missing out on events and activities, by being told there’s nothing more that can be done, and all of this only adds to how draining living with pain can be.

If you've been living with pain that's been present for months or years, and you're looking for something beyond symptom management, acupuncture offers a genuinely different approach: working to resolve the underlying pattern that's generating the pain, rather than simply blocking the signal.

Soapstone Acupuncture sees chronic pain patients in Silver Spring at Crossings Healing and Wellness, 8720 Georgia Ave, Suite 300.

How Acupuncture Approaches Pain

The biomedical explanation is that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release endogenous opioids. These are your body's own pain-relieving compounds. Acupuncture also reduces local inflammation, increases circulation to areas of restricted blood flow, releases hypertonic (contracted) muscle tissue, and modulates pain processing in the brain and spinal cord.

The East Asian Medicine explanation is that pain is stagnation in the body. Things get stuck and this disrupts the smooth flow of Qi and blood through the affected area. Acupuncture needling, often combined with cupping, gua sha, or electrostimulation, moves what is stuck and restores circulation.

Both frameworks point to the same critical insight - pain relief comes from addressing the source, not suppressing the symptom.

Pain Conditions We Treat in Silver Spring

•       Back pain — acute and chronic, lumbar, mid-back, and sacral

•       Neck and shoulder pain

•       Hip, knee, and ankle pain

•       Fibromyalgia

•       Sciatic and radiating nerve pain

•       Arthritis — osteo and rheumatoid

•       Pelvic pain — including endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome

•       Menstrual pain and dysmenorrhea

•       Post-surgical pain and recovery support

•       Perimenopausal joint pain driven by estrogen changes

Additional Therapies Available

Depending on your presentation, we may incorporate:

•       Cupping — myofascial decompression for large muscle groups

•       Gua Sha — breaks up fascial adhesions and improves circulation in areas of chronic tension

•       Electro-stimulation (E-stim) — enhanced needling stimulation for deep or nerve-related pain

•       Moxibustion — warming therapy for cold, deficient, or slow-healing pain patterns

Pain and Hormones in Midlife

Many women are surprised to discover how much their pain has a hormonal component. Estrogen is a natural anti-inflammatory, which is why conditions like fibromyalgia, joint pain, and pelvic pain so often intensify during perimenopause. If your pain has shifted or worsened in your 40s or 50s, there may be a hormonal angle worth exploring. Dr. Erin Langley's background in women's health means she's looking for those connections from the first appointment.

Our Silver Spring location is easily accessible from Takoma Park, Wheaton, Kensington, Chevy Chase, and Washington, DC.

Pain doesn't have to be permanent. Book a free 15-minute video consultation to talk about your pain history and what we can offer.