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ACUPUNCTURE

The World Health Organization and the National Institute of Health both agree that acupuncture is an effective treatment for many acute and chronic health conditions and provides preventive care.

Specific acupuncture points activate and deactivate specific regions of the brain. This may explain how acupuncture works from a modern perspective. Acupuncture also stimulates improved blood flow, which in turn carries away inflammation and circulates healing nutrients through targeted areas of the body. The body also responds to acupuncture by releasing natural painkillers: endorphins and adenosine. These aspects work together to facilitate the body's own ability to heal from pain and injuries. 

Acupuncture is a safe and gentle procedure used to treat a wide range of conditions and to relieve pain. Stimulation of carefully chosen acupuncture points was traditionally thought to help re-establish the normal flow of energy. The focus of Chinese Internal Medicine, of which acupuncture plays a key role, is on improving balance within the internal organs to treat their respective symptoms and conditions.

 

Patients usually find the treatment surprisingly easy, relaxing and without side-effects. After a course of treatment, pain and symptoms are often relieved long-term or even permanently.

What can acupuncture treat?

Acupuncture is effective for a wide variety of areas. Here are some we see commonly in our office:

 

  • chronic pain

  • muscles and joints

  • digestion

  • reproductive health and fertility

  • lung problems

  • ear, nose, throat

  • emotional issues

  • nervous system

  • heart & blood

  • skin

  • addictions

  • allergies

  • low energy

CRAIG'S STORY

Coming back to acupuncture

Craig was first a patient in 2013 for chronic asthma. Acupuncture was helpful when nothing else worked. He came in again in 2015 to work on post-stroke symptoms and experienced significant improvements.

 

Recently, Craig has been dealing with low back pain. An MRI showed that his pain is related to some degenerative disks in his lower spine. He has seen a physical therapist and received dry needling with results that were not satisfactory.  

 

He returned to our office and received two acupuncture treatments. We used a number of points that the brain sees as related to the lumbar spine. There was one point on his scalp, three points on each hand, and one point on each foot. He reported 80% relief immediately during the first treatment. The pain was completely gone during the second visit.  

 

Craig plans to have further treatment with his orthopedic doctor. However, if he decides to use acupuncture as his main treatment, we would expect lasting improvement after a full series of 6-8 visits.

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