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Preventative Medicine is the Best Medicine Acupuncture is a safe and effective modality for
the treatment of many health conditions as well as being an excellent system for maintaining an already healthy body. Many
individuals have weekly or monthly acupuncture treatments to ensure a healthy immune system, boost their metabolism, and for
overall well-being of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual balance.
Acupuncture Acupuncture is an effective and empirical medicine. Acupuncture points were discovered over 4,000 years ago
by ancient healers/doctors. They discovered stimulating specific points on the body would alleviate certain ailments
a patient was suffering from. Acupuncture's main clinical use in recent times is to relieve pain. It can be used
as a modality in and of itself or combined with Western medicine, and/or other modalities such as herbal medicine, cupping,
moxibustion, supplements, or food therapy as part of a total treatment program. Studies have found favorable results
for the use of acupuncture in treating nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy, chemotherapy, and post-surgical pain. Acupuncture
also may be useful for stroke rehabilitation, which involves relearning skills that a person has lost because of damage to
the brain. A recent study shows that acupuncture leads to significant, long-lasting relief from chronic headaches, especially
migraines. it has also been shown that acupuncture is extremely effective at reducing knee pain and increasing movement
of joints in people with osteoarthritis. The list of efficacy of acupuncture is extensive and includes but is not limited
to carpal tunnel syndrome, numbness in the extremities, all types of muscle pain, the common cold, asthma, digestive disorders,
menstrual problems, infertility, impotence, and even emotional disturbances.
Non-Needle Modalities If you are uncomfortable with having acupuncture needles inserted, other traditional therapies are
available to treat your health condition. These therapies can be used alone or in combination with acupuncture. The
following therapies are non-needle adjunctive therapies.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is the application of heat to the body to relieve arthritic pain, soft tissue trauma, numbness, stiffness,
and digestive complaints. Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris)
is the substance that is burned during treatment. A "moxa stick" is a stick of mugwort that has been tightly
rolled, then lit at one end until it has become hot. It is the held above the surface of the skin to heat the affected
areas. Moxa can also be placed on the acupuncture needles to warm the needle and acupuncture point. The medicinal
properties of Artemisia Vulgaris in combination with heat produced from the fire heal damaged tissue and relieve pain.
Auricular Therapy
Auriculotherapy
is one form of acupuncture. Some say the earliest use of auricular acupuncture dates back to ancient Egypt, or China,
but it was Dr. Paul Nogier of France who developed a more comprehensive model of ear acupuncture. Auricular acupuncture uses
the ear to treat emotional disorders, tension, stress, as well as physical pain not fully relieved by other medical procedures.
Auricular therapy can also effectively relieve stress and pain when used by itself. Auricular therapy is based on the therapeutic
principle which states that the entire body is represented as a micro-system on the ear. Areas on the body are represented
at specific sites on the ear and needles, electric-stimulation, or small pellets can be used to stimulate the site to restore
balance in the body.
Cupping
Therapy Cupping is an effective therapeutic technique used alone or in combination
with acupuncture. It is used to relieve muscle spasms, muscle knots, soreness, the common cold, asthma, and painful
conditions. The function of the cups are to warm and stretch the muscles to increase blood flow and circulation to the
affected areas. This therapy will help the body's lymphatic system to remove toxins and metabolic wastes, as well as to bring
in fresh oxygenated blood and nutrients to the muscles and tissues. From a TCM perspective, the cups are moving the qi and blood and stimulating the
acupuncture points. This procedure has a regulating systemic effect on the nervous system to balance body and mind.
Microcurrent Therapy Microcurrents are gentle pulsating electrical currents
that are used for therapeutic treatments. Microcurrents are successfully used for pain control, wound healing, facial
rejuvination, and energy balance. Research shows that microcurrent stimulation results in an 500% increase in adenosine
triphoshate (ATP) production at the sites of application. ATP is the energy source for cellular and metabolic processes.
It has been discovered that
microcurrent electrical therapy has an additional benefit of reducing wrinkles, stimulating collagen production, and regenerating
healthy skin tissue. Many pain conditions can be attributed to disrupted polarity patterns of the human body.
By correcting the body's polarity,
microcurrent therapy can help
these painful conditions.
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