Acupuncture
Acupuncture therapy is a traditional and ancient Asian practice consists of many folk medical ways which are based on spirituality. More than 12 million Americans are using acupuncture therapy for pain relief. The vital energy or chi/qi in your body flows through channels, are also known as meridians.
Meridians consist of branches which connect to bodily organs or functions. Any imbalance to these chi levels is considered as illness. The ancient practices such as acupuncture therapy, herbal therapy, and qi gong exercise are the main considerations to restore the imbalance in your body.
Conditions Treated Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. Listed below are some of the more common conditions treated with acupuncture.
Acute & Chronic Pain
Acupuncture is perhaps best known for its ability to successfully treat pain and can be extremely effective in the treatment of headaches, neck & shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, sciatica, knee pain, heel pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, sports injuries and more. If your condition is not listed below, please contact us to discuss how acupuncture may be able to help you.
Neck Pain & Shoulder Pain
Acupuncture can be a very effective solution when treating most neck and shoulder problems. Neck and shoulder muscle tension and stiffness are very common concerns, especially of people who work in an office. Sitting in front of a computer and typing for extensive periods of time causes a lack of circulation in the tissue and fatigue of the muscles involved. Neck stiffness can be also aggravated by other common reasons, many of which can be effectively treated with acupuncture.
Low Back Pain, Hip Pain & Sciatica
Outside of an actual injury, many other stresses such as standing and walking with poor posture, sitting for long periods, and heavy lifting can cause back and hip problems. Emotional stress can also be a major contributing factor. When blood flow to the lumbar muscles is decreased, the muscles become tight, lose flexibility, and are easily fatigued. Back and hip pain patients often recall highly stressful periods in their life just before the onset of their pain. Acupuncture can enhance blood circulation to the area where
there is pain or discomfort, as well as help reduce emotional stress, providing significant pain reduction in many cases.
Car Accident Injuries
Whiplash injury is the most common injury suffered from a motor vehicle accident. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissue of the neck,
also referred to as neck sprain or neck strain. It is often caused by a sudden forceful movement of the neck, but with no direct
contact to the neck. It may include injury to the joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots. Acupuncture can be a very effective adjunctive treatment for this type of injury.
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an irritation of the median nerve resulting from inflammation and swelling of soft tissue within that particular part of the wrist called "carpal tunnel". The syndrome often develops following prolonged repeated movements of the wrist in an unchanging manner. Acupuncture can be very effective in helping to reduce the swelling and inflammation in the carpal tunnel to relieve pressure on the median nerve and is certainly a treatment option to be considered for this disorder.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. There are several different types of arthritis, but each type of arthritis is characterized by joint and musculoskeletal pain, often the result of inflammation of the joint lining. Although symptoms of arthritis vary in each person, people with arthritis find that the condition will interfere with daily activities at some point. Acupuncture can be very helpful in reducing the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
Sports Injuries
Sprain and strain of the joint and surrounding tissues is one of the most common sports related injuries (sprain involves the ligament and strain involves muscle or tendon). Besides pain, the typical inflammatory response may include swelling of the injured area, redness or purple skin discoloration, and reduced range of motion of the joint. Acupuncture treatment can be very helpful in suppressing inflammation and swelling.
Allergies & Respiratory Disorders
Approximately 20% of all North Americans experience allergic reactions of some type. Allergies arise when the body is trying to rid itself of a given substance. Allergies can begin in childhood or adulthood, and either last a lifetime or decrease over time. In some cases, symptoms can be alleviated with acupuncture.
Chronic Headaches & Migraines
Headaches and migraines are often associated with chronic neck and upper back muscle tension and can be extremely disabling for affected individuals. Regular acupuncture treatments can induce potent muscle relaxation effects and help significantly reduce the frequency, severity and duration of painful migraine episodes.
Digestive Disorders
If you're experiencing digestive upset, gas, bloating after meals, food stagnation or even having problems losing weight, you may
benefit from acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has been shown to alter acid secretion, stimulate GI muscle contraction, cause GI muscle relaxation and inhibit gastric acid secretion, making it beneficial in treating GERD, functional dyspepsia, IBS and general GI symptoms. Digestive disorders respond very well to acupuncture and when combined with diet and lifestyle modifications you can experience permanent, medication-free relief of your symptoms.
Emotional Well-Being
Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety affect a significant percentage of our population today. Acupuncture can help to relax the body and mind to help combat stress, ease anxiety and help restore a sense of well-being. It can help resolve not only emotional discomfort, but the physical symptoms surrounding it, such as insomnia, digestive upset, fatigue and chronic pain.
Insomnia & Fatigue
Insomnia refers to difficulty sleeping or sleeping satisfactorily. This difficulty includes not being able to sleep at all, trouble getting to
sleep, waking up in the night with difficulty returning to sleep, un-refreshing sleep and/or waking up too early in the morning. If
insomnia persists and the loss of sleep begins to interfere with a person's ability to function during the day, the condition could require professional treatment. People with insomnia can experience fatigue, lack of energy, morning headaches, poor concentration, loss of productivity and irritability. Acupuncture can often help patients regain proper sleep patterns.
Smoking Addiction
When you decide to quit smoking, various emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms occur. These withdrawal symptoms occur as the body attempts to re-adjust itself. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help reduce the symptoms of withdrawal to toxic substances such as nicotine, minimize anxiety and discomfort and help restore harmony to the body and mind. If you are a smoker wanting to quit, or you know someone else that would like to quit, read WHO articles on Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation for more
information.
Stress Management
Almost everyone in contemporary society experiences some kind of stress. In fact, stress is so much a part of our daily lives that even western medicine today cannot ignore the fact that the body's overall physical condition is influenced by mental and emotional stress and that stress can harm the body and lead to serious illness. Acupuncture can help by proving a deep state of relaxation
and helping to restore a greater sense of well-being.
Women's Disorders
Acupuncture can be extremely effective in treating a wide array of women's disorders. Women of all ages can benefit from acupuncture care. For younger women, acupuncture can help relieve cramps and PMS. PMS symptoms usually begin to disappear quickly with treatment. Chronic menstrual problems respond well to more long term care, usually combining acupuncture with herbal medicine to address symptoms associated with fibroids and endometriosis and relieve pain. For women who are trying to become pregnant, acupuncture sometimes helps solve problems of infertility. And, for women in menopause, hot flashes (power surges), excessive mood swings and night sweats can be greatly reduced to make this time of transition much more comfortable. Treatment focuses on stopping excessive sweating and restoring restfulness.
Meridians consist of branches which connect to bodily organs or functions. Any imbalance to these chi levels is considered as illness. The ancient practices such as acupuncture therapy, herbal therapy, and qi gong exercise are the main considerations to restore the imbalance in your body.
Conditions Treated Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. Listed below are some of the more common conditions treated with acupuncture.
Acute & Chronic Pain
Acupuncture is perhaps best known for its ability to successfully treat pain and can be extremely effective in the treatment of headaches, neck & shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, sciatica, knee pain, heel pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, sports injuries and more. If your condition is not listed below, please contact us to discuss how acupuncture may be able to help you.
Neck Pain & Shoulder Pain
Acupuncture can be a very effective solution when treating most neck and shoulder problems. Neck and shoulder muscle tension and stiffness are very common concerns, especially of people who work in an office. Sitting in front of a computer and typing for extensive periods of time causes a lack of circulation in the tissue and fatigue of the muscles involved. Neck stiffness can be also aggravated by other common reasons, many of which can be effectively treated with acupuncture.
Low Back Pain, Hip Pain & Sciatica
Outside of an actual injury, many other stresses such as standing and walking with poor posture, sitting for long periods, and heavy lifting can cause back and hip problems. Emotional stress can also be a major contributing factor. When blood flow to the lumbar muscles is decreased, the muscles become tight, lose flexibility, and are easily fatigued. Back and hip pain patients often recall highly stressful periods in their life just before the onset of their pain. Acupuncture can enhance blood circulation to the area where
there is pain or discomfort, as well as help reduce emotional stress, providing significant pain reduction in many cases.
Car Accident Injuries
Whiplash injury is the most common injury suffered from a motor vehicle accident. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissue of the neck,
also referred to as neck sprain or neck strain. It is often caused by a sudden forceful movement of the neck, but with no direct
contact to the neck. It may include injury to the joints, discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots. Acupuncture can be a very effective adjunctive treatment for this type of injury.
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an irritation of the median nerve resulting from inflammation and swelling of soft tissue within that particular part of the wrist called "carpal tunnel". The syndrome often develops following prolonged repeated movements of the wrist in an unchanging manner. Acupuncture can be very effective in helping to reduce the swelling and inflammation in the carpal tunnel to relieve pressure on the median nerve and is certainly a treatment option to be considered for this disorder.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. There are several different types of arthritis, but each type of arthritis is characterized by joint and musculoskeletal pain, often the result of inflammation of the joint lining. Although symptoms of arthritis vary in each person, people with arthritis find that the condition will interfere with daily activities at some point. Acupuncture can be very helpful in reducing the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
Sports Injuries
Sprain and strain of the joint and surrounding tissues is one of the most common sports related injuries (sprain involves the ligament and strain involves muscle or tendon). Besides pain, the typical inflammatory response may include swelling of the injured area, redness or purple skin discoloration, and reduced range of motion of the joint. Acupuncture treatment can be very helpful in suppressing inflammation and swelling.
Allergies & Respiratory Disorders
Approximately 20% of all North Americans experience allergic reactions of some type. Allergies arise when the body is trying to rid itself of a given substance. Allergies can begin in childhood or adulthood, and either last a lifetime or decrease over time. In some cases, symptoms can be alleviated with acupuncture.
Chronic Headaches & Migraines
Headaches and migraines are often associated with chronic neck and upper back muscle tension and can be extremely disabling for affected individuals. Regular acupuncture treatments can induce potent muscle relaxation effects and help significantly reduce the frequency, severity and duration of painful migraine episodes.
Digestive Disorders
If you're experiencing digestive upset, gas, bloating after meals, food stagnation or even having problems losing weight, you may
benefit from acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has been shown to alter acid secretion, stimulate GI muscle contraction, cause GI muscle relaxation and inhibit gastric acid secretion, making it beneficial in treating GERD, functional dyspepsia, IBS and general GI symptoms. Digestive disorders respond very well to acupuncture and when combined with diet and lifestyle modifications you can experience permanent, medication-free relief of your symptoms.
Emotional Well-Being
Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety affect a significant percentage of our population today. Acupuncture can help to relax the body and mind to help combat stress, ease anxiety and help restore a sense of well-being. It can help resolve not only emotional discomfort, but the physical symptoms surrounding it, such as insomnia, digestive upset, fatigue and chronic pain.
Insomnia & Fatigue
Insomnia refers to difficulty sleeping or sleeping satisfactorily. This difficulty includes not being able to sleep at all, trouble getting to
sleep, waking up in the night with difficulty returning to sleep, un-refreshing sleep and/or waking up too early in the morning. If
insomnia persists and the loss of sleep begins to interfere with a person's ability to function during the day, the condition could require professional treatment. People with insomnia can experience fatigue, lack of energy, morning headaches, poor concentration, loss of productivity and irritability. Acupuncture can often help patients regain proper sleep patterns.
Smoking Addiction
When you decide to quit smoking, various emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms occur. These withdrawal symptoms occur as the body attempts to re-adjust itself. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help reduce the symptoms of withdrawal to toxic substances such as nicotine, minimize anxiety and discomfort and help restore harmony to the body and mind. If you are a smoker wanting to quit, or you know someone else that would like to quit, read WHO articles on Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation for more
information.
Stress Management
Almost everyone in contemporary society experiences some kind of stress. In fact, stress is so much a part of our daily lives that even western medicine today cannot ignore the fact that the body's overall physical condition is influenced by mental and emotional stress and that stress can harm the body and lead to serious illness. Acupuncture can help by proving a deep state of relaxation
and helping to restore a greater sense of well-being.
Women's Disorders
Acupuncture can be extremely effective in treating a wide array of women's disorders. Women of all ages can benefit from acupuncture care. For younger women, acupuncture can help relieve cramps and PMS. PMS symptoms usually begin to disappear quickly with treatment. Chronic menstrual problems respond well to more long term care, usually combining acupuncture with herbal medicine to address symptoms associated with fibroids and endometriosis and relieve pain. For women who are trying to become pregnant, acupuncture sometimes helps solve problems of infertility. And, for women in menopause, hot flashes (power surges), excessive mood swings and night sweats can be greatly reduced to make this time of transition much more comfortable. Treatment focuses on stopping excessive sweating and restoring restfulness.