Medical Acupuncture
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a 3,000-year-old healing technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) documented and publicized acupuncture’s safety and efficacy for treating a wide range of conditions.
Provider will insert needles into a person’s body with the aim of balancing their energy. This, it is claimed, can help boost well-being and may cure some illnesses.
How does acupuncture work?
Qi is said to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridians and energy flows are accessible through acupuncture points in the body.
Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations is said to bring the energy flow back into proper balance.
The numerous studies suggest that acupuncture works for some conditions.
Some experts have used neuroscience to explain acupuncture. Acupuncture points are seen as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases blood flow, while at the same time triggering the activity of the body’s natural painkillers.
What conditions are commonly treated by acupuncture?
Hundreds of clinical studies on the benefits of acupuncture show that it successfully treats conditions ranging from musculoskeletal problems (back pain, neck pain, and others) to nausea, migraine headache, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infertility.
- Allergic rhinitis
- Arthritis pain
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Dysmenorrhea, primary
- Facial pain
- Frozen shoulder
- Headache
- Hypertension, essential
- Induction of labor
- Knee pain
- Low back pain
- Malposition of fetus, correction
- Morning sickness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Neck pain
- Obesity
- Pain from temporal mandibular dysfunction
- Post-operative pain
- Post-stroke care
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sciatica
- Sprain
- Stomach pain (including acid reflux, gastritis)
- Tennis elbow
Benefits
- Performed correctly, it is safe.
- There are very few side effects.
- It can be effectively combined with other treatments.
- It can control some types of pain.
- It may help patients for whom pain medications are not suitable.
Risks
- Bleeding, bruising, and soreness may occur at the insertion sites.
- Some types of acupuncture are thought to stimulate labor, which could result in a premature delivery.
- Single-use, disposable needles are now the practice standard, so the risk of infection is very rare.
FDA regulate acupuncture needles as medical devices. Their manufacture and labeling needs to meet certain standards. The needles must be sterile, nontoxic, and labelled for one use only, by a licensed practitioner.
As with any complementary therapy, it is advisable to use it alongside conventional treatments in cases of chronic or severe illness.
Does insurance cover acupuncture?
Acupuncture is covered by many health insurance plans, but not all.
If your plan covers acupuncture, our staff will bill your insurance company for the service and you will be responsible for any co-payments required.
If your plan does not cover acupuncture, you may still receive the service for a cash fee. Cash, checks and all major credit cards are accepted.
The popularity of Acupuncture
Almost all major clinic in US are doing acupuncture for pain treatment and many other conditions.
See other clinics for more information.
