Why choose acupuncture?
In the past 2000 years, more people have been successfully treated with acupuncture than with all other health modalities combined. It is now being used more and more in America by patients and physicians and it can be performed in conjunction with other techniques being used, such as conventional Western medicine, homeopathic or naturopathic prescriptions, and
chiropractic adjustments.
What Can Acupuncture Help With?
While acupuncture in our office is often associated with pain control, the
World Health Organization recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including:
- Digestive disorders: gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, diarrhea
- Respiratory disorders: sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, recurrent chest infections.
- Neurological and muscular disorders: headaches, facial tics, neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, various forms of tendonitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis.
- Urinary, menstrual, and reproductive problems.
How does acupuncture work?
The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body and restricts it in others.
The meridians can be influenced by needling the acupuncture points; the acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatments can therefore help the body's internal organs to correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption, and energy production activities, and in the circulation of their energy through the meridians.
The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system.
The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body's natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.