Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a major element of Chinese Medicine dating back over 4000 years. The healing practice of acupuncture is based on the body’s blood flow and energy through a system of energetic pathways, called Meridians, which are similar to the body’s nervous and vascular systems. Blockages in these meridians are believed to cause pain and disease. Acupuncture works to restore health and relieve pain by stimulating specific acupoints on the meridians with acupuncture needles, acupressure, heat or electricity. Among the many reasons people seek out acupuncture healthcare, current research shows evidence of acupuncture reducing inflammation, calming nerves, aiding digestion, improving sleep, preventing nausea, decreasing pain and strengthening the immune system. Acupuncture is effective as Wellness Care and Preventive Medicine, and for both acute and chronic conditions.
After a personal and confidential consultation, the doctor will create a customized plan to assist in achieving your healthcare goals. During your acupuncture visit, extremely fine, sterile, single-use disposable acupuncture needles will be inserted in specific acupoints on the body. A general feeling of warmth or a tingling sensation is common during the healing experience. The length of treatment time varies based on the patient’s health but typically lasts 15-30 minutes. Although many people experience rapid relief from acupuncture, the therapy is best used in a series of treatments to relieve acute issues, correct the imbalance, and maintain wellness. As health improves, fewer visits are needed.
According the World Health Organization (WHO), diseases, symptoms and conditions for which acupuncture has been proven through controlled clinical trials to be an effective treatment.
- Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
- Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
- Biliary colic
- Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
- Dysentery, acute bacillary
- Dysmenorrhoea, primary
- Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
- Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
- Headache
- Hypertension, essential
- Hypotension, primary
- Induction of labour
- Knee pain
- Leukopenia
- Low back pain
- Malposition of fetus, correction of
- Morning sickness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Neck pain
- Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
- Periarthritis of shoulder
- Postoperative pain
- Renal colic
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sciatica
- Sprain
- Stroke
- Tennis elbow
Other common diseases, symptoms, and conditions for which acupuncture has been shown effective can be found on WHO’s website shown here: (http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have also compiled their own data and issued a consensus statement regarding the benefits of acupuncture therapy on numerous conditions and symptoms. These include postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, nausea of pregnancy, and postoperative dental pain. addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia (general muscle pain), low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma. The complete NIH Consensus Statement can be found here: (http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov97/od-05.htm).