Common Conditions
Common Conditions Treated with Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine
Most historical research shows that acupuncture and herbal medicine have been around for about 2,000 to 3,000 years (some say possibly even as far back as 5,000 years.) Personally, I think anything over 2000 years old has a pretty good track record!
Most people are familiar with acupuncture for the treatment of pain, but as you can see from the list below, there is so much more that can be supported. The following is a partial list of the various concerns that acupuncture can treat according to research assembled by the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as what we commonly see in the clinic.
Pain
Acute or chronic – joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments – knee pain, back pain, sciatica, arthritis (osteo- and rheumatoid), plantar fasciitis, TMJ, rotator cuff
Women's Health
Menstrual issues (amenorrhea, irregularity, painful periods, PMS, PCOS), menopausal symptoms
Men's Health
Low energy, erectile dysfunction, prostate issues
Fertility
Both female and male factor, unexplained infertility, IUI/IVF support
Digestive Complaints
Acid reflux, bloating, gas, cramping, colitis, IBS, Crohns, diarrhea, constipation
Headaches
Tension, migraines, menstrual, cervicogenic, sinus
Sleep
Insomnia, frequent waking, daytime sleepiness
Emotional Health
Stress, anxiety, depression
Respiratory Issues
Allergies, asthma, sinusitis
Recovery Support
Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine. Body acceptance.
Skin
Acne, eczema, psoriasis
Cancer Treatment Support
Fatigue, pain, nausea
Whole Body
Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune
My Specialties
Anxiety
Anxiety ranges from "just a little stress" to a debilitating full-on panic. It can affect someone for a short time or for many years to even decades. Anxiety often hides under different names like stress, worry, fear, and nervousness. I find it is very important to treat because anxiety can often be part of a vicious circle with pain and other health conditions. Pain feeds stress, which leads to more pain, which triggers more stress, and so on. Acupuncture can help break this frustrating cycle.
Digestion
Good health and poor health very often start in the gut. Patients are often surprised that a symptom elsewhere in the body can be created by an imbalance in the digestive system. When it comes to digestion, it's important to separate "normal" from "healthy." It is normal, meaning common, to be constipated, but it's not healthy. It's normal (common) to have acid reflux, but it's not healthy. When you start improving your digestion, you will often find other symptoms start to improve as well.
Acute & Chronic Pain
Pain is one of your body's ways of communicating with you. If you ignore the pain message at first, sooner or later your body will find a way to make the signal louder. Think of the alarm clock that starts off quietly, but if you don't wake up, pretty soon it will be blaring at you in a way that you can't ignore. Ideally, patients will come in at the first sign of pain because it can be more quickly treated at that stage. But acupuncture can help chronic pain conditions as well. If you feel like you've tried "everything else," be sure to test out how acupuncture can reduce pain.