Acupuncture

DESCRIPTION

Acupuncture is the use of tiny needles to move and balance qi (or energy) in the body and help alleviate pain or address the roots of disease.

HISTORY

Acupuncture is one of the five components of Oriental Medicine, a comprehensive healthcare system more than 5,000 years old.  In the United States, acupuncture has been practiced for over 150 years, but has gained popularity in the past 30 years.  Oriental Medicine is comprised of acupuncture, herbology, bodywork (therapeutic massage), dietary therapy and therapeutic exercises.  Your treatment may consist of one or more of these components, depending on your condition.

WHAT DOES IT TREAT?

The World Health Organization (WHO), the medical branch of the United Nations, issued a provisional list of diseases responsive to acupuncture treatment (WHO Viewpoint on Acupuncture 1980).  These diseases in clude, but are not limited to:

Respiratory diseases including acute sinusitis, rhinitis, common cold, bronchitis, and bronchial asthma.

Disorders of the eye, including acute conjunctivitis, myopia in children and cataracts.

Disorders of the mouth such as toothaches, gingivitis and acute and chronic pharyngitis.

Gastrointestinal disorders such as acute and chronic gastritis, chronic and acute duodenal ulcer, acute     colitis, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, dysentery, and gastric hyperacidity.

Musculoskeletal disorders including headache, migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, facial palsy, facial paralysis following a stroke, Meniere’s disease, bedwetting, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, sciatica, low back pain and osteoarthritis.

WHAT TO EXPECT

In addition to an initial intake form, your acupuncturist may ask additional questions and use palpation, or tongue and pulse diagnosis to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan for you.  The number of treatments will vary from person to person, depending on what your health issue is.