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What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a powerful form
of healing and part of a system
of healthcare practices used
through out Asia for thousands
of years. The earliest records
date back to over 4,700 years
written on tortoise shell. The
dialog between the Yellow
Emperor and his physician are
chronicled in the "Yellow
Emperor’s Classic of Internal
Medicine" also known as "Huang
Di Nei Jing"(403- 221B.C.)
Acupuncture is based on
energetic laws and the Taoist
principle theory of Yin and
Yang, which represents dynamic
balance of opposing and
interrelated forces. Within
those forces is the movement of
energy or life force called "Qi"
(chee). Qi is what flows between
energy and matter, it is both
energy and matter. It is
invisible like the air, and
powerful as wind, yet you can
breath it and feel it surround
you and course through your
body.
How does Acupuncture work?
Acupuncture uses the
application of needles to
stimulate various points on
meridians on the body that
facilitate the movement of Qi.
Qi moves throughout the body,
meridians are channels where the
Qi can be accessed. Stimulating
these points help bring the body
back into balance (the Yin and
Yang within the body).
Acupuncture works on
strengthening the body’s own
natural healing abilities, it
increases circulation and
stimulates the immune system to
facilitate healing.
What
can be treated with Acupuncture?
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Pain |
Gynecological |
Headaches
and migraines
Facial pain(TMJ)
Tooth pain
Neck pain
Upper back pain
Low back pain
Shoulder pain
Lower extremity
Repetitive Strain Injury
(tennis elbow, carpal
tunnel)
Osteoarthritis |
Amenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea
Infertility
Post partum
Irregular Menses |
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Respiratory System
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Miscellaneous |
Allergies
Sinusitis
Rhinitis
Asthma
Bronchitis
Common Cold |
Anxiety/Stress
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue
General Well being
Weight loss
Insomnia
Hight/Low blood pressure
Post stroke
Substance abuse
Cessation of smoking
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Sciatica/Piriformis
syndrome
Urinary dysfunction |
Who
can perform Acupuncture?
In Pennsylvania, only a
Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac.)
can administer acupuncture. The
educational requirements are a
minimum of 3,000 plus hours of
training in an accredited 3 year
Masters level acupuncture
program. After passing the
National Board Certification
Exam, a license can be obtained.
Medical doctors and Dentists who
have undergone an accredited
certificate program of 200 hours
may also perform acupuncture.
Education requirements and
standards vary from state to
state. It is important to ask
the practitioner what kind of
training they have undergone to
help you decide on the
practitioner you will use.
What
about Western Medicine?
Western medicine has become
more interested in Acupuncture
and other Eastern medical
treatments, especially where
Western medicine is less
effective.
Most Western medical doctors
have little experience or
knowledge about Acupuncture or
Chinese medicine and its
efficacy.
They probably have noticed the
impact and success of
acupuncture used in pain
management, post chemo therapy,
drug addiction and AIDS. Many
hospitals are starting to
incorporate acupuncture into
some of their treatment
programs.
We respect Western medicine and
will work with western medical
practitioners to offer our
patients a broader perspective
of treatment possibilities and
for making their own informed
healthcare decisions.
Does
Acupuncture work?
According to: NIH Consensus
Statement, November 1997
Conclusions
"... promising results have
emerged, for example, showing
the efficacy of acupuncture in
adult postoperative and
chemotherapy nausea and vomiting
and in postoperative dental
pain. There are other situations
such as addiction, stroke
rehabilitation, headache,
menstrual cramps, tennis elbow,
fibromyalgia, myofascial pain,
osteoarthritis, low back pain,
carpal tunnel syndrome, and
asthma, in which acupuncture may
be useful as an adjunct
treatment or an acceptable
alternative or be included in a
comprehensive management
program. Further research is
likely to uncover additional
areas where acupuncture
interventions will be useful."
What is the Place of Acupuncture
in the Treatment of Various
Conditions for Which Sufficient
Data are Available, in
Comparison or in Combination
With Other Interventions?
"Assessing the usefulness of a
medical intervention in practice
differs from assessing formal
efficacy. In conventional
practice, clinicians make
decisions based on the
characteristics of the patient,
clinical experience, potential
for harm, and information from
colleagues and the medical
literature.
In addition, when more than one
treatment is possible, the
clinician may make the choice of
taking into account the
patient's preferences. While it
is often thought that there is
substantial research evidence to
support conventional medical
practices, this is frequently
not the case. This does not mean
that these treatments are
ineffective. The data in support
of acupuncture are as strong as
those for many accepted Western
medical therapies."
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