Acupuncture
What is it?
Acupuncture is a system of integrative medicine that stimulates certain points on the body, most often with a thin, pine-like needle penetrating the skin, to alleviate pain or to help treat various health conditions.
It goes all the way back to the Stone Age and was first written about over 2,200 years ago in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, the earliest written work on Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is explained as keeping the flow of life force (qi) in balance by keeping meridians (pathways) in the body free of blockages.
In Western medicine, acupuncture is explained by stimulating the central nervous system, which is divided into your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relax). Acupuncture triggers the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, so it can respond to the world in a more relaxed state. It works in a similar way to meditation, yoga and some prescription drugs.
Which conditions can it treat?
Acupuncture is used to treat a range of health conditions, from pain management to prenatal care to mental and emotional health.
Pain Management: sports injuries, back pain, acute pain, musculoskeletal inflammation, arthritis, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome
Prenatal Care: nausea and vomiting, back pain, labor induction, pubic pain, fetal malposition (Breech), fatigue, headaches, prenatal wellness plans
Digestive Health: IBS, Crohn's Disease, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, appetite control, weight loss
Mental & Emotional Health: stress, anxiety, postpartum anxiety, depression, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, insomnia, interrupted sleep, addiction
Gynecological Health: PMS, irregular menstruation, endometriosis, infertility, IVF/IUI support, deficient lactation (post-childbirth), menopause
Preventative Care and General Wellness: immune support, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, allergies, smoking, high blood pressure, stroke, angina, Bell’s Palsy, obesity & weight loss, wellness and maintenance
Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other therapies, including prescription drugs, or can be used as a stand-alone treatment.
How often do I need to go?
It all depends on the severity of symptoms. In the beginning of your acupuncture treatment, you’ll typically go twice a week for the first two weeks. Then it tapers off into once a week sessions for the next month or so and then patients come as needed. Each session builds upon the last and treating one condition often has ancillary health benefits as your body recalibrates.