Taylor Acupuncture

Does it work? If so, what can it treat?

Don't ask me if it'll work, I’m a little biased, I'm an acupuncturist! But instead look at the research. In 1997 the National Institute of Health issued the following statement regarding acupuncture:

"... promising results have emerged, for example, efficacy of acupuncture in adult post-operative 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 for 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."

Acupuncture. NIH Consensus Statement 1997 Nov 3-5; 15(5):1-34.

In addition to the above complaints, acupuncture is commonly used to treat HIV symptoms, sciatica, migraine headache, infertility, OB/GYN issues, insomnia, dizziness, etc. The list goes on and on (and on.) Due to the fact that Oriental medicine uses a different medical paradigm to diagnose and treat, most any disease or medical complaint can be treated with it. However, beware of practitioners (Eastern or Western) who will guarantee easy "cures" to a complicated medical complaint.

Is it safe?

Absolutely!!! At Taylor Acupuncture we use only disposable pre-sterilized needles. This means that the needles arrive in certified sterile packaging (usually packages of 1 or 5 needles) and are opened just before use. Immediately after use they are discarded into a "Sharps" receptacle suitable for disposal of sharp medical waste. A NEEDLE IS NEVER EVER USED ON MORE THAN ONE PATIENT!!!

The needles are made of stainless steel, and there is no medicine or herbal product on the needle. Therefore there is no possibility of allergic reaction, unless of course you have a very rare metal allergy.

What about puncturing something important? With untrained or under trained individuals it is possible for them to cause damage due to improper needle insertion or improper needle depth. This is a very rare case, and even more rare with practitioners that have extended formal training such as myself.

Does it hurt?

"Acupuncture is Sensational!"
It is imperative for qi to arrive at the Acupuncture point for a therapeutic response to occur.  So, how do you know if qi has arrived, you ask?  There are two ways!  1)  The patient feels a “dull ache” sensation (but NOT pain) at the location being needled.  2)  The practitioner’s skilled hands feel the arrival of qi through the needle, and the patient may or may not have any sensation at all.  Both of these systems are equally effective clinically, and most practitioners mix up these two styles depending on the point they are needling and how they wish to manipulate the qi at that point.

A survey of Acupuncturist performed in New York City came up with the conclusion that 75% of Acupuncture patients fall asleep during the treatment!  No matter what they are being treated for!  So, in reality Acupuncture is very relaxing and even sedating, but definitely NOT painful! 

How does it work?

Recently research has shown clearly that Acupuncture does indeed help with many medical conditions, however no one has been able to prove exactly how it works! Currently there are two primary schools of thought, the traditional Chinese point of view and the modern scientific theory.

The Chinese belief is that there are pathways in our bodies in which an energy called Qi (pronounced Chee) flows. This energy comes from our internal organs then flows through specific meridians on our trunks and extremities. Often disease of an organ is seen as pain and dysfunction of the area that its meridian nourishes. So, if the organ can affect the meridian it should also be true that the meridian can affect the organ, right? This is very true and is the basis for acupuncture internal medicine. For example:  By manipulating the Lung meridian (along the thumb side of the forearm) I can also manipulate the flow and function of Qi in the Lung.   Since the Qi of the Lung is closely related to the pores of the skin and the immune system, points along this meridian can indirectly treat sweating disorders, colds/flus, chronic asthma, etc.

The modern scientific theories vary from time to time. Most believe that neurotransmitters called endorphins are released during an acupuncture treatment. Endorphins are the primary chemicals in our bodies that the brain uses to control pain. This theory works when discussing acupuncture for pain control, but not when discussing acupuncture for internal medicine. Many modern researchers feel that acupuncture treatments balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These are the two systems that more or less regulate nearly all of our bodily functions. For nearly any function, one will increase the function (usually the sympathetic system) while the other will decrease it. Together they maintain balance (called homeostasis) in our bodies, if everything is working properly of course.

                For example:  The sympathetic nervous system decreases stomach acid secretion.  The parasympathetic nervous system increases stomach acid secretion.  These two “fight it out” in a balanced fashion to maintain our normal amounts of stomach acid.  Stimulation of certain acupuncture points will activate the sympathetic nervous system, thereby reducing the amount of acid in the stomach, whereas others will activate the parasympathetic system thereby increasing the amount of acid in the stomach.

Side Effects?

YES, ITS TRUE! Acupuncture does have side effects. Primarily its a feeling of deep relaxation. Not a bad side effect at all, huh? Actually, many patients fall asleep while laying on the table (about 75%) and have to be woken up when it is time to move on to the next modality. Sometimes patients will need to take a little walk, maybe around the block, if they feel a little “groggy” after the treatment.  Hopping in the car and heading straight into traffic without taking a few minutes first could be a bad idea.