FAQs
How does acupuncture work to relieve pain?
Acupuncture works by stimulating the body’s own healing processes. Our bodies can create their own anti-inflammatory compounds and pain-relieving endorphins, but we may sometimes need a boost, especially if the painful situation has become chronic. Acupuncture helps increase circulation through the channels and calms the nervous system. It also helps with the stress and anxiety caused by chronic pain or injury.
What if I am considering surgery or have post-surgical pain?
Many of our patients have been able to avoid surgery and return to their daily activities. We are happy to work with your surgeon or other medical providers to help you pre- and post-surgery. Some things we can help with are increasing circulation to aid in healing, decreasing pain so as to reduce the need for pharmaceutical pain medications, and aiding in restful sleep for a speedier recovery.
What types of painful conditions are you are able to treat at Holistic Primary Care?
Keep in mind that most patients are coming in with a diagnosis from a western medical doctor. We may diagnose you differently from our training in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, we believe in treating you as an individual, because you are different than anyone on the planet! So we will look and listen carefully to your history and symptoms and how these express themselves uniquely in you. Painful conditions we treat include: Arthritis, sciatic pain, numbness and tingling, trouble walking, hip pain, low back pain, muscle weakness, joint pain, frozen shoulder, neck pain, reduced range of motion, wrist pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headache, migraine, TMJ, jaw pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, traumatic injury, chronic pain, other unexplained pain.
How can herbs and supplements help with pain?
Many Chinese herbs have anti-inflammatory healing effects. Our practice is unique in that we are one of the few able to make custom raw medicinal herbal formulas. We can also recommend nutritional supplements and dietary modifications to encourage your body to heal.
How does acupuncture work to relieve pain?
Acupuncture works by stimulating the body’s own healing processes. Our bodies can create their own anti-inflammatory compounds and pain-relieving endorphins, but we may sometimes need a boost, especially if the painful situation has become chronic. Acupuncture helps increase circulation through the channels and calms the nervous system. It also helps with the stress and anxiety caused by chronic pain or injury.
Can acupuncture really help with fertility issues?
Yes, acupuncture has been shown to improve the reproductive health of both men and women to increase the chance of a woman becoming pregnant and giving birth to a healthy baby. We use traditional acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine to improve blood flow to the reproductive organs, improve the body’s response to stress, and balance reproductive hormones. Benefits of acupuncture include improving the uterine lining thickness, increased blood flow benefiting the ovaries, and helping the fallopian tubes open.
What if I am trying to become pregnant with the help of IVF, IUI, or other medically assisted reproduction techniques?
Acupuncture helps improve the success rate of IVF and IUI, and it can be used along with your medical treatment as an adjunctive therapy. You will find that most medical doctors are very happy to see you getting acupuncture treatments, as it helps improve outcomes. Acupuncture also helps your body tolerate the strong medications used during IVF cycles and decreases the stress of the often long and difficult process of assisted reproduction.
What if I have had a recent miscarriage?
Miscarriage is more common than many people realize. Acupuncture treatments can help in the recovery from this sad and painful event. Then we can begin to help rebuild the health of your reproductive system and prepare for the healthy pregnancy that you desire.
Can I continue with acupuncture treatments once I am pregnant?
Yes, acupuncture greatly benefits pregnancy. We can help alleviate some of the issues that come up such as nausea, backache, and swelling and avoid the use of pharmaceutical interventions that could harm the baby.
What other women’s health concerns/disorders can be addressed with acupuncture?
We can help with infertility, recurrent miscarriage, painful or heavy periods, irregular or absent periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, frequent vaginal infections, urinary bladder disorders, menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, and overall sexual health and libido.
Weight Control. Can acupuncture help me lose weight?
The inserted needles act to stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural "feel-good" hormones. This can create a calming, relaxing effect, which counteracts the need for excessive eating brought about by increased stress, frustration or anxiety. In this respect, acupuncture can calm those so afflicted and help them lose weight without resorting to drugs.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the belief is that excessive weight gains are caused mainly by an imbalance in the body due to a malfunction of the spleen and liver organ systems. Skilled acupuncture practitioners will zero in on specific body areas to effect weight loss. Among these are the endocrine system and kidneys, which are addressed to treat water retention and to stimulate the nerve and hormonal balance. The spleen and thyroid gland are also targeted to effect sugar and hormonal rebalancing. Finally, the adrenal and ovary glands are included to treat weight gain due to menopause or Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some people notice the effects of acupuncture fairly quickly and only require treatments every other week.
Another Chinese acupuncture practice for losing weight is ear stapling. This involves manipulating points on the ear to control food cravings.
How can acupuncture help with stress, anxiety, and trouble sleeping?
Acupuncture helps regulate the nervous system, promoting a state of balance and decreasing stress, and promoting restful sleep. Acupuncture can also help regulate and harmonize other systems in the body that can be impacted by stress, such as digestion and the cardiovascular system.
Can acupuncture help with emotions such as anxiety and irritability?
Chinese medicine recognizes that the body and mind affect one another. You can test this by imagining experiencing an emotion such as fear or excitement. Did you feel a sensation somewhere in your body? Emotional stress is commonly felt in the stomach, chest, head, neck and shoulders, producing tension or upset. Acupuncture can help calm the anxiety that is felt in the body by bringing the nervous system back into balance.
Can acupuncture help me to quit cigarette smoking?
When you are ready to quit smoking, let us know and we will begin a stop-smoking protocol that can help with the process of quitting. Acupuncture helps decrease the nervousness that can come from nicotine withdrawal and helps reduce the craving to smoke cigarettes.
Can acupuncture help me control Diabetes?
Chinese medicine, relying mainly on herb formulas, but also on acupuncture, has been utilized extensively in East Asia to reduce blood sugar in persons with diabetes, especially those with the most common type (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM). Based on extensive laboratory and clinical evaluations, about 20 herbs have emerged as primary candidates for treatment. These herbs have been utilized in a small number of traditional formulations for centuries, both for treating obvious diabetes and for other disorders that produce similar symptoms. Acupuncturists have identified about 20 points on the body that appear to be effective in lowering blood sugar; typically, a dozen of these points are selected for treatment at one time.
Can Acupuncture Alleviate Arthritic Pain?
Yes, in many cases. Pain is the primary complaint of arthritis sufferers, and acupuncture is a very effective form of pain control. It relieves pain in three ways. First, it causes the body to produce chemicals called endorphins, which inhibit the perception of pain. Second, acupuncture works through the nervous system by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Third, it deactivates trigger points. Trigger points are tender and extremely reactive areas that develop in the muscles and fascial sheaths of the body. They are often responsible for chronic pain and are frequently found around arthritic joints. Acupuncture also has a very relaxing effect on the mind and body. Since much illness is the result of stress, this relaxation helps to promote the healing process.
Does acupuncture hurts? I am scared of needles!
Many first-time patients are surprised to learn how relaxing and comfortable the treatments are. It is very common for patients to fall asleep during an acupuncture treatment, and then sleep very well that night. We will work with you to make your treatment enjoyable, restorative and effective.