Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment tool within the practice of Traditional Oriental Medicine. It has been used for thousands of years in Asian countries with great success and has been gaining popularity worldwide in recent years.
Through the use of acupuncture needles the practitioner of Eastern Medicine stimulates certain points along the meridians. This stimulation helps to restore the balance and flow of Qi so that the organs and other bodily systems can work together in harmony. This sets the stage for the body to repair itself and maintain balance.
The needles used in acupuncture are very thin, so thin that many patients cannot feel their insertion. There are also bigger needles available, varying in length and diameter for conditions that indicate their use.
The types of needles used vary depending on the patient and the illness, as well as the treatment style of the practitioner. All the needles that are used for treatment are sterile, disposable needles, as required by law. They are used once and then discarded to the ensure safety of the patient and the practitioner.
How does Acupuncture work?
There are currently two favored theories to explaining the effectiveness of acupuncture.
One is called the “gate control” theory and the other is called “neuro-endocrine” theory.
In the gate control theory, thin nerve fibers transmit the sensation of pain while thick nerve fibers carry the sensation of touch. It has been found through experimentation that if impulses in the thick fibers are increased, conduction in the thin fibers are selectively decreased; thus the analogy of opening and closing a gate.
By closing certain gates a method of controlling pain is introduced, which is to say that by increasing transmission in the thick fibers it reduces the impulses in the thin fibers thereby relieving pain. Acupuncture has been found to increase transmission in the thick fibers markedly.
Neuro-endocrine theory has recently been discovered in which using acupuncture to stimulate certain points along the meridians; the body itself releases its own natural painkiller called endorphins.
Endorphins are released by many parts of the nervous system and is related to the glandular or endocrine system, hence the term neuro-endocrine. Along with these two main theories, others explain the science of Acupuncture through “Augmentation of Immunity” theory, “Neurotransmitter” theory, and “Circulatory” theory.
(These are a few of the conditions that acupuncture can treat successfully)
Respiratory Diseases
Acute Sinusitis, Acute Rhinitis, Common Cold and Flu, Hay fever, Acute Tonsillitis, Acute Bronchitis, Bronchial Asthma
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Arthritis, Tennis Elbow, Sciatica, Knee, Neck and Back Pain, Frozen Shoulder, Carpal Tunnel, Herniated Disk, Achilles Tendinitis, Myofascial pain, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, TMJ.
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Gastroptosis, Acute and Chronic Gastritis, Gastric Hyperacidity, Chronic Duodenal Ulcer, Acute and Chronic Colitis, Acute Dysentery, Constipation/Diarrhea, Paralytic Ileus, Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Neurologic Disorders
Migraine Headache, Tension Headache, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Facial Paralysis (Bell’s Palsy), Peripheral Neuropathy, Meniere’s Syndrome, Tinnitus, Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction, Nocturnal Enuresis, Intercostal Neuralgia, Fibromyalgia, Insomnia.
Gynecological
Menstrual Irregularity, Premenstrual Syndrome, Menopause Syndrome, Uterine Fibroid, Ovarian Cyst, Endometriosis, Infertility.
Urological
UTI, Prostatitis, Cystitis, Urinary Incontinence, Impotence, Kidney Stones.
Circulatory
Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Arteriosclerosis, Heart Palpitation.
Other Indications
Adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, postoperative dental pain, stroke rehabilitation, smoking cessation, skin rejuvenation, weight loss or gain, immune system health.