CONDITIONS TREATED
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This is a list I put together of the conditions that I see most often at the clinic, and am asked about most frequently. This is by no means meant to be a definitive list of what Acupuncture can or cannot treat. Conditions by type:
Musculoskeletal, Gastrointestinal, Neurological, Respiratory, Gynecological, Stress Disorders, Cardiovascular; Chronic Conditions, Colds & Flu
Musculoskeletal:
Back/Neck Pain - Back pain is becoming more and more common within our society and there are several reasons for this. Within Chinese Medicine, all pain is caused by stagnation of Qi. This stagnation can be due to many factors, such as trauma or weakness due to overuse or aging. Acupuncture is a great way to deal with all kinds of pain. I often use electrical Acupuncture on the affected area to move Qi and relieve pain. Chinese herbs are often used for chronic conditions.
WHIP LASH - This is caused by an impact to the head and a counteracting by the cervical vertebrae. It is not only car accidents that cause whiplash injuries, although this does account for a lot of whiplash accidents. If the whiplash is left untreated then our bodies frequently accommodate in time so that we are pain-free. There will be an compensation in the spine to accommodate for the injury. This can become problematic later on in life and may manifest in headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, or if the whole spine becomes affected then even the lower back can become involved. It is best to start treatment as soon as possible after an accident to prevent problems later on. Acupuncture is great at relieving the pain, inflammation, and trauma in the muscles and soft tissue and to increase any limited range of motion.
Sciatica - This is often caused by the piriformis muscle contracting and pinching the sciatic nerve. Acupuncture is great at releasing the muscle to stop it from pinching the nerve.
Arthritis - Acupuncture is often helpful with reducing the pain, aching and stiffness in the joints, therefore, allowing the joints to be less painful and more flexible. Chinese herbs can help to reduce swelling in the joints, and are helpful in cases of osteoarthritis.
Gastrointestinal:
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) - Acupuncture along with Chinese Herbs can have dramatic results in many cases of IBS.
Nausea and Vomiting - This is termed "Rebellious Stomach Qi" in Chinese medicine. Normally stomach energy descends and food & fluids pass through to the duodenum and small intestines. Nausea and vomiting occur when the stomach energy goes up instead of down! Chinese medicine looks for and corrects the causes for this disruption in stomach energy.
Constipation - Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, and appropriate lifestyle and dietary changes will treat most cases of constipation. Colonoscopies and other internal examinations are often needed to rule out any structural cause for constipation.
Diarrhea - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can be successful in treating diarrhea. The success rate depends a lot on what is causing the diarrhea, often many cases respond quite successfully while others do not.
Indigestion - As I stated with the above, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can be successful, but it often depends on the reason causing the indigestion. Some cases are quite successful while others are not.
Urinary Tract Infections - I know, this isn't technically a GI problem, but it fits well in this category. Chinese Herbal Medicine is surprisingly effective in the treatment of UTIs, because several of the Chinese herbs used in this treatment have anti-bacterial and/or anti-viral qualities. Also, Chinese Herbs in conjunction with Acupuncture is effective in treating women who have chronic, reoccurring UTIs.
Gynecological:
Menopause - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs are often extremely effective in the treatment of menopause. Chinese herbs, in particular, are effective in regulating hormone imbalances. Menopausal symptoms are generally due to an imbalance in hormones, specifically, elevated FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) and lowered estrogen and progesterone.
PMS - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs have a lot to offer for women suffering from PMS. Most of the symptoms of PMS are due to stagnation of energy. This results in pain, irritability, bloating, moodiness, food cravings, and breast tenderness. Over a few menstrual periods Acupuncture will regulate the flow of Qi so pain and other symptoms will disappear.
Menstrual Disorders - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs are very helpful in cases of Amenorrhea, Irregular Periods, and Dysmenorrhea. I have also had a very good success rate with cases of Spastic Dysmenorrhea, which is a specific condition where women often have debilitating spasms and pain the first day or two of their menses, which can be accompanied by loss of consciousness or vomiting.
Fertility -
STRESS DISORDERS
Insomnia - During an acupuncture consultation it is routine to ask about how the patient sleeps. Adequate rest is essential for our well being as it allows time for the body to recuperate and revitalize ready for the following day. Not enough sleep can be a cause for future illness. There are many factors that can cause sleeping problems such as drinking too much coffee late at night or too much stimulation from video games or the TV. Muscular pain can also lead to sleeping problems if the pain is worse at night. In many other cases the cause is related to stress and anxiety from a variety of sources. Acupuncture, and often Chinese Herbs, are used to focus on the root problem, as well as relaxing the mind and spirit, allowing the person to be able to fall asleep at night.
Anxiety - anxiety and panic attacks range in severity from mild to debilitating. Both Acupuncture and Chinese herbs work very well to calm the person, their mind, and their spirit. Acupuncture also helps to get at what emotions lay beneath the anxiety.
Stress often leads to other symptoms like insomnia, headaches, stiff neck/back/shoulders, and even digestive troubles. Treating stress at its root takes a multifaceted treatment plan which focuses on changing the mindset as well as energetic balancing.
Depression - In the foundations of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, we are taught that depression is caused by an imbalance in the emotional component of energy flow. This is often caused by underlying emotions such as sadness, anger, or disappointment. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs help to find and treat the emotion(s) which is out of balance.
Neurological:
Peripheral Neuropathies - Acupuncture can help stimulate the peripheral nerves and get them to start registering sensory perception again. Also a lot of neuropathies are due to the nerves being pinched either by muscles or vertebrae. Herbs can also help to bring circulation to the affected areas.
Trigeminal Neuralgia - According to Chinese medicine, trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by a disruption in the flow of energy in the channels. Acupuncture needles are inserted according to which branch of the nerve has been affected, i.e. which acupuncture channel! Acupuncture is effective for controlling pain, but it can be difficult to cure completely, it may need many several treatments.
Headaches - There are numerous distinctions among headaches, which are qualified by their exact location, intensity, and quality of the pain. There are often many contributing factors that need to be addressed as well, which contribute significantly to the success rate of the treatments, these include lifestyle, work stressors, emotional factors, and nutrition. Along with addressing these factors, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can be very effective in treating headaches.
Dizziness/Vertigo - There are numerous causes for this type of condition. Patients coming to me with these symptoms should be checked out by an MD first, if you have not been checked out, expect that I will refer you out before treatment. But once you have been cleared of any life threatening conditions, Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture can be very useful and decreasing or completely eliminating the symptoms of dizziness or vertigo.
Stroke Recovery - This is very successfully treated with Acupuncture. The sooner treatment is begun the better. In China, Acupuncture is started within days, while the patient is still in the hospital. Here, it is best to start treatment within 3 weeks of the stroke and no later than 6 months (although I've had fairly good results with patients who had strokes a couple of years ago.) Acupuncture helps to stimulate the nerves, which often go un-stimulated after a stroke causing eventual nerve death. When the nerves start to fire again, fine motor skills come back and paralysis/hemiplegia can be lessened or eliminated.
Respiratory:
Asthma - Acupuncture is very helpful at strengthening lungs' energy to help reduce asthma symptoms. If you want to lower or eliminate your medication, I can work in conjunction with your MD to slowly reduce reliance on the western medications.
Bronchitis - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs help to open the chest and facilitate breathing. Chinese herbs expel chest congestion, decrease bronchial inflammation, and support the immune system.
Seasonal Allergies - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs help to keep the immune system from overreacting to allergens. Therefore, it is necessary to start treatment before allergy season begins. I would estimate that most cases need at least one month of treatment before the start of the allergy season.
Colds & Flu:
In Chinese medicine, there are a couple of different classifications under which colds and flu conditions fall. The 2 most common are:
Wind Cold - colds under this category have body aches, chills, stuffy nose, (headache), and mucus is clear or white.
Wind Heat - colds and flu conditions under this category have a fever, sore throat, (headache), and mucus is yellow, green, red or other colors.
Chinese herbs are most effective in the initial stages of a cold or flu. If the patient begins herbal treatment within the first few hours of onset, the cold or flu can usually be avoided completely. Chinese herbs are also effective with people in the middle of a cold, people who have cold symptoms that are lingering after the cold is gone, and to help boost the immune system in people who catch colds frequently.
Cardiovascular:
Angina - Normally patients who come to the clinic with chest pain have seen their MD and had various tests done. This is obviously very important and there are times when Western medical intervention is necessary, however that is not to say that acupuncture would not be beneficial. A combination of western medicine and acupuncture may be a good approach to take in reducing or eliminating chest pain.
Pain Disorders•
All kinds of Back Pain (Low Back Pain, Upper Back Pain, Mid Back Pain), Leg Pain, Arm Pain, Headaches, Neck Pain, Arthritis, Tendinitis, Bursitis, Migraine Headaches, dizziness, sciatica, muscle spasms, numbness and tingling.
Gastrointestinal disorders (food allergies, peptic ulcer, constipation, chronic diarrheas, indigestion, anorexia, gastritis, colitis).
Urogenital disorders (stress incontinence, urinary tract infections, sexual dysfunctions, and infertility).
Gynecological disorders•
irregular, heavy, or painful menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease, and menopausal symptoms
Respiratory disorders•
emphysema, sinusitis, asthma, allergies, and bronchitis
Circulatory disorders (hypertension, angina pectoris, palpitations, atherosclerosis, and anemia).
Sleep and stress disorders (insomnia and fatigue).
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