Our Acupuncture Health Services

Acupuncture

From the Oriental medicine perspective, health is maintained by the smooth flow of life energy- or Qi-through pathways in our bodies called channels or meridians. These channels or meridians act as conduits, much in the same way that the water or heating pipes function in your home, to maintain balance and health throughout our body’s skin, muscles and organs. The Chinese believe that health is a manifestation of balance, both within the body itself and between the body and the external environment. When the body is internally balanced and in harmony with the external environment, Qi flows smoothly through the meridians to nourish the organs and tissues. If an obstruction occurs in one of the meridians, the Qi is disrupted and cannot flow properly. When the Qi cannot flow smoothly or is forced to flow in the opposite direction, the body's innate balance is disrupted and illness results.

In our bodies, injuries, emotions, disease, stress, or poor lifestyle choices can clog the circulation or flow of qi, blood, lymph and other fluids in your body. This disruption in flow may occur where you feel it, or may be the result of a problem “upstream” in another part of your body. The acupuncturist determines the origin of the blockage and goes about “unblocking” it. They do this by placing needles in acupuncture points they have chosen along the meridians.

If you have never experienced acupuncture you will probably have one overriding question: will the needles hurt and what will I feel when they are inserted? It is estimated that 12 million Americans made visits to acupuncturists in 1993; this number has most likely tripled by now. How could that be if it hurts so much? The truth is it doesn’t hurt at all. When you go in for your first acupuncture treatment, you’ll soon realize (as have all of our patients) that the insertion of the hairlike needle is either completely unnoticed by you, or you merely feel a slight pinch. For those who cannot tolerate needles, cold laser techniques or acupressure are used.

You should also know most American acupuncturists use sterilized, single-use disposable needles. This eliminates the possibility of transmitting communicable diseases by a contaminated needle. Acupuncture is mostly risk-free as a therapy. There are no side effects such as we find with drug therapy and the safety records in this country and internationally help to explain why these methods have become so popular.

Battlefield Acupuncture

Battlefield acupuncture is a new auricular acupuncture technique known for fast pain relief. It was developed by the US military to treat their personnel. It uses tiny needles that barely penetrate the skin of a patient’s ear. Research has shown that auricular acupuncture provides pain relief by stimulating nerves which leads to the release of pain killing endorphins and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord. Pain relief is usually almost instant and can last from a few hours to days and in some cases even longer.

Battlefield acupuncture uses five acupuncture points on the ear that can deliver a significant decrease in pain almost immediately. The ease of access to auricular acupuncture points means that treatment can be administered quickly and without the need for the patient to lie down on an acupuncture bed.

Natural Chinese Herbs

Herbal medicine is by itself a powerful method of healing. Western drugs are usually used to control symptoms but do not alter the disease process. For example: antibiotics kill bacteria but do not improve a person's resistance to infection; diuretics drain excess fluid from the body but do not improve the kidney function. Natural Chinese herbs can also rid the body of disease but they also nourish and balance the body in very specific ways, thereby improving organ function and building up a person's constitution and immune system.

Individual substances are rarely prescribed alone in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A carefully balanced recipe of several different herbs is specifically tailored for each person's entire health condition. Each herb is chosen for its own specific functions. In addition, herbs can enhance the strengths and reduce the side effects of each other. The combination of substances in a formula creates a new therapeutic agent that can treat much more effectively and completely that a single substance.

Western Herbal Medicine tends to use one or two herbs to treat just a specific symptom. A natural Chinese Herbal formula has as many as 20 different herbs. The herbs are selected to work synergistically to treat the whole person. In Chinese medicine, due to our diagnostic system, we are able to assess a persons whole constitution (the health of their whole body) and treat the root (or cause) of a health concern along with a branch (or the symptoms) of a health concern. It is in this way that we are able to treat a person's whole body and mind, rather than just a symptom.

One of the most appealing qualities of Chinese Herbal Medicine is the low risk of adverse reaction or side effects. Herbal medicine uses all the constituents of the plant, including the cellulose. The herb is completely balanced, and therefore has minimal side effects.

Gua Sha

In Chinese medicine, we believe that many times people experience pain in a particular part of the body because the energy and blood are “stuck” and not flowing through the meridian as they are supposed to. Therefore, to eliminate the pain, we need to free up the blockage and get the energy and blood flowing freely again.

One of the ways to do this is using an ancient technique called Gua Sha. Gua Sha is a “scraping” technique. Gua means to rub or friction. Sha is the term used to describe congestion of blood at the surface of the body. Oil is place on the skin, and then a tool is used to scrape the skin. When friction is applied in repeated even strokes, the sha surfaces as small red petechiae. In minutes the petechiae fade into echymotic patches. The sha disappears totally in two to four days. The color and rate of fading are both diagnostic and prognostic indicators.

The benefits of Gua Sha are numerous. It moves stuck blood, promoting normal circulation to the muscles, tissues, and organs directly beneath the surface treated. The patient experiences immediate changes in stiffness, pain and mobility. Normal metabolic processes are restored by the movement of fluids as nutrients are carried to the tissues and metabolic wastes are carried away.

Cupping

Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by using change in heat or by suctioning out air), so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. In some cases, the cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, causing a regional pulling of the skin and muscle (the technique is called gliding cupping).

Like Gua Sha, the goal behind this treatment is to free up blockages in the meridians and allow the energy and blood to flow freely, thus eliminating pain.

Jaffe Mellor Technique

Jaffe-Mellor Technique (JMT) is a powerful new form of energetic medicine to correct dysfunctions in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The human autonomic nervous system is like a computer; it is programmed to regulate the overall functioning of the entire body. Like a computer, there is potential for virus, glitches, and breakdown due to overuse, under use, abuse, environmental factors and countless other factors that can lead to faulty performance. JMT is a completely natural, non-invasive, pain-free approach to resolving complex health disorders including: Arthritis, Allergy Elimination, Crohn’s Disease, Asthma, Neurological Disorders, and many more.

Fertility Support

Acupuncture is a great modality to help couples conceive naturally or to help the success of ART (assisted reproductive therapy) such as IUI or IVF. Couples are treated with appropriate acupuncture protocols to fit the constitution of each person. Regulating a woman’s cycle, reducing stress, applying exercise, and incorporating a whole foods diet can create an environment for optimal hormone functioning.

Acupuncture has also been proven to help improve IVF success rates. Acupuncture improves the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs; it regulates the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles; it increases the blood flow to the uterus and increases the thickness of the uterine lining; it relaxes the patient and decreases stress; it helps prevent uterine contractions; it lessens the side effects of the Western drugs used in IVF; it strengthens and regulates the patient’s immune system; it improves male semen to create better quality and quantity of embryos; and it decreases the chance of miscarriage.

For best results, Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and Chinese dietary and lifestyle therapy, should be used before, during, and after IVF. Chinese medicine can help prepare both partners before IVF to strengthen the function of the ovaries, regulate the immune system, reduce stress, and improve the quantity and of sperm and the quality of the seminal fluid. This is accomplished in the female partner by treating any menstrual irregularities, such as amenorrhea, PMS, endometriosis, uterine myomas (a.k.a. fibroids), or heavy bleeding due to lack of ovulation. Such preparatory treatment usually lasts 3-6 months. After successful implantation of the embryo has taken place, Chinese medicine can also be used to help prevent miscarriage.

In brief, Chinese medicine can help to improve the success rate of IVF in a number of ways:

• Improve the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs
• Regulate the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles
• Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining
• Relax the patient and decrease their stress
• Prevent the uterus from contracting
• Lessen the side effects of drugs used in IVF
• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve semen to create better quality and quantity of embryos

Facial Rejuvenation / Cosmetic Acupuncture

Cosmetic Acupuncture is the technique of putting tiny, hair thin needles into the face at strategic points to bring qi to the face which brings energy (glow) to the face. The result is a “lifting” of the skin, and a tightening of the fibers below the surface of the skin. After the acupuncture treatment, we add an herbal facial to supply moisture and nutrients to the skin.

Facial muscles and the skin are closely related to the internal organs, meridians, and qi energy of the body. Traditional skin care alone can’t effectively address drooping facial muscles. Acupuncture stimulates the muscles and re-centers the reserves of energy in the body. The technique brings more blood supply to the face by improving circulation, providing a bright complexion, firm muscles, and strong, elastic skin. Acupuncture also regulates facial cells and sebaceous metabolism, increasing tone and elasticity of the skin and muscles. The end result is a more radiant and youthful appearance without the high cost and danger of surgery.

Cosmetic Acupuncture therapy:

• Provides a more youthful appearance without the expense or side-effects of drugs or invasive methods such as botox or surgical facelift
• Treats facial skin conditions
• Clears blemishes
• Maintains healthy skin
• Softens the appearance of deep wrinkles and eliminates small wrinkles
• Brightens and tightens facial skin

AcuGraph

What is Qi? What are channels, meridians, or energy pathways? Can you see them? Can you feel them? What do we mean when we tell you they’re blocked?

With your doctor, you are accustomed to seeing lab tests, graphs, and pictures of what is wrong with your body. AcuGraph is a computerized assessment tool for Chinese Medicine. The entire AcuGraph exam is simple and takes less than two minutes. It provides a complete graphical analysis of the energetic imbalances in your body. You can call the office at any time to set up a free “meridian energetic assessment.”