Acupuncture is a unique therapy, integrating an ancient technique with modern research.
Acupuncture is a unique therapy, integrating an ancient technique with modern research.
There are many different reasons why my patients, and millions of people around the world, turn to acupuncture. Perhaps they have tried everything to find relief for their symptoms, and acupuncture is a last ditch effort. Others like to try natural remedies before opting for more invasive procedures. Some have heard amazing stories from loved ones or friends on the benefits of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. And others are just plain curious and want to experience what it’s like to have a treatment.
Whatever path you are on, welcome and congratulations! Seeking out help for your issues is the first step to a healthier, more fulfilling life. Taking a natural approach to health and wellness is rewarding experience in it’s own right. You will learn to listen to your body and find a deep connection between mind and body.
Acupuncture is a natural, gentle, and effective technique within the framework of Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine dates back thousands of years and is still in wide use today. It is safe and patient-centered, making it accessible for a wide range of people.
I have found acupuncture to be an effective holistic therapy that works to heal both body and mind. My own personal experience, as well as that of my patients, proves to me daily that acupuncture can be helpful to ease the suffering of so many issues.
What makes acupuncture and Chinese medicine unique to Western or biomedicine is that it focuses on the root of the problem, rather than the surface symptoms. In Chinese medicine, these symptoms are collected and analyzed to figure out what the deeper problem is. With acupuncture and other therapies, we fix that underlying problem so that the symptoms naturally fade away. This approach also prevents bigger health issues from arising in the future.
Acupuncturists also think preventatively. Observation and diagnostic skills are very important in identifying issues that could become problems in the future. We treat those issues before they become an actual health concern and work to always keep our patients healthy, rather than waiting until something goes wrong. This is a similar idea to maintaining your car or home. We do checks and perform maintenance like oil changes or fixing small cracks in the walls before the engine runs out completely or that crack turns into a major fault in the structure.
In recent years, more and more research has been done to discover how and why acupuncture works. Up until recently, only minimal research was done and most of acupuncture’s understanding came through ancient texts and thousands of years of empirical evidence from case studies and reports. In 2003, the World Health Organization created a list of approved conditions for acupuncture treatment. While that was a great starting point, the list is now outdated and much more research has been completed since then.
In 2017, the Acupuncture Evidence Project conducted research on acupuncture and 122 conditions. Of those, acupuncture proved useful for 117 of those conditions. Many common issues like back pain, anxiety, insomnia, neck pain, smoking cessation, hypertension, hot flushes, and more came back with promising results. Furthermore, the following conditions showed a very strong evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness:
Acupuncturists and the medical community hope for ongoing research to better understand and prove the mechanisms behind acupuncture. There is a challenge, however, to create studies that test acupuncture in a way that medical professionals deem appropriate. Testing a drug is much easier to control, but acupuncture treatments present many variables. Not only do people respond differently to the therapy, but a Chinese medicine diagnosis of one disease could be different for each person in the study, thus requiring different treatments. For example, in Western medicine, a cold is considered the same illness for anyone and they receive the same medication, but Chinese medicine sees a variety of different presentations and therefore diagnoses and treatments. Nevertheless, practitioners and scientists are doing their best to find better ways to test acupuncture and shed more light on how this therapy works.
Acupuncture For Everyone
Acupuncture addresses each patient individually, making it an acceptable form of therapy for most people. People of all ages (even babies!) can receive acupuncture. The many different styles provide something for everyone, even those with fear of needles.
Acupuncture is safe and gentle and can be combined with other medical interventions, medications, and lifestyle.
To find out more about acupuncture or to schedule your appointment, please contact us here!
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