Medical Acupuncture

What is Acupuncture?
Developed in China, acupuncture is a 3,000-year-old system of medicine that is based upon the principles of homeostasis and is commonly used for the treatment of pain and alleviation of symptoms.  It involves the placement of very small needles in the body, often in various locations on the arms, legs and back, neck and even head.

Acupuncture is used to encourage natural healing, improve mood and energy, reduce or relieve pain and improve function of affected areas of the body. It is safe and effective and is often successfully used as an alternative to medications or even surgery. Relief is often obtained with acupuncture when traditional medical therapy has failed.

How Can Medical Acupuncture Help Me?
Acupuncture has traditionally been used as a method of balancing the body’s energy by inserting needles under the skin at specific points along energy pathways (meridians), to prevent or cure diseases and/or disorders. The modern western 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.

A medical approach to acupuncture uses the therapist’s knowledge of anatomy and neuro-physiology in relation to your condition to guide the selection of points in contrast to the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach, which uses the meridian system.
A dull, heavy, or aching feeling often occurs when the needle is correctly placed. The needles are left in place for 10-20 minutes depending on the nature of the symptoms.

Some of the conditions that acupuncture can treat are:

• • headaches
  • low back and hip pain
  • tendinitis
  • jaw pain
  • shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries
  • arthritis

In most cases if the client is interested in an acupuncture treatment I will incorporate it into the Massage Therapy Session. There is no additional charge, all prices are based on time.