Acupuncture has been employed as a health care modality for over 3,000 years.
Practitioners of this ancient medical practice have experienced
clinical success with a variety of health issues. Today, acupuncture is receiving wide acceptance as a respected, valid and effective form of health care.
When most people think about acupuncture, they are familiar with its use for pain control. But acupuncture has a proven track record of treating and addressing a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions.
Acupuncture and modem medicine, when used together, have the potential to support, strengthen and nurture the body towards health and well-being.
Our Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine utilizes these current theories on the mechanism of acupuncture
Neurotransmitter Theory–Acupuncture affects higher brain areas, stimulating the secretion of beta-endorphins and enkephalins in the brain and spinal cord. The release of neurotransmitters influences the immune system and the antinociceptive system.
Autonomic Nervous System Theory–Acupuncture stimulates the release of norepinephrine, acetylcholine and several types of opioids, affecting changes in their turnover rate, normalizing the autonomic nervous system, and reducing pain.
Gate Control Theory–Acupuncture activates nonnociceptive receptors that inhibit the transmission of nociceptive signals in the dorsal horn, "gating out" painful stimuli.
Vascular-interstitial Theory–Acupuncture manipulates the electrical system of the body by creating or enhancing closed-circuit transport in tissues. This facilitates healing by allowing the transfer of material and electrical energy between normal and injured tissues.
Blood Chemistry Theory–Acupuncture affects the blood concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids, suggesting that acupuncture can both raise and diminish peripheral blood components, thereby regulating the body toward homeostasis.
According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 51% of medical doctors understand the efficacy and value of acupuncture, and medical doctors refer patients to acupuncturists more than any other alternative care provider."
The NIH Consensus on Acupuncture further states that clinical experience, supported by research data, suggests "acupuncture may be a reasonable option for a number of clinical conditions."
This ancient health care system is proving itself as an effective modality for a wide variety of problems.
So much so that the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) awarded 8 grants that directly relate to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and Traditional Chinese medical research, totaling more than $9.5 million dollars.
"One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions. As an example, musculoskeletal conditions, such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and tennis elbow, or epicondylitis, are conditions for which acupuncture may be beneficial. These painful conditions are often treated with, among other things, anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) or with steroid injections. Both medical interventions have a potential for deleterious side effects, but are still widely used and are considered acceptable treatments. The evidence supporting these therapies is no better than that for acupuncture."
