Top 10 Things Treated with Acupuncture
At Oasis of Harmony Wellness, I strive to create a healing partnership where patients of all ages are treated as unique individuals for all kinds of acute or chronic conditions. Here is a list of the most common ailments that I have seen show up in my treatment space:
1. Stress:
Chronic stress has been called the “silent killer.” It compromises our immune system and is one of the most common symptoms that I see in my treatment room. Stress has been recognized by Western medicine as a major contributor to the most prevalent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s, depression and more. In our culture, it has become increasingly harder to avoid consistent and excess stress - all of which results in built up toxins and blocked energy (or what Chinese Medicine refers to as qi). Stress begins to stagnate and our system begins to slow down. Most of us tend to hold our stress in our neck, shoulders or low back. For some, this can be an annoyance whereas for others the tightness and pain can be severe and lead to tension headaches or numbness and tingling in the extremities. Acupuncture is a great treatment method for stress and we tend to see really fast and excellent results that last!
2. Low Back Pain & Sciatica:
Low back paint is an extremely common symptom that I see in the treatment room. It is actually the number 1 reported reason for seeking acupuncture treatment overall. When the muscles of the back and hips seize up in order to protect the spine, they are compressing the sciatic nerve which can cause a deep ache down the low back, buttocks and can sometimes even travel down your leg all the all to your toes. Acupuncture is proven through research to be an incredibly effective tool for treating this pain and can help to resolve the pain altogether. Not only can acupuncture help with the pain immediately, there are also methods that I can teach you on how to avoid having the pain return in the future.
3. Headaches & Migraines:
There are many different types of headaches and migraines and they can be caused by a variety of different factors. Examining health history, exploring lifestyle and dietary choices as well as looking at sleep, stress and environmental factors all play a part in analyzing and diagnosing properly. Acupuncture can stop the pain in the short term, in addition to discovering the underlying reasons for the headaches and migraines to prevent them from coming back altogether. At Oasis of Harmony Wellness, I take the time to sit with you and discuss all these factors as well as take a complete and full medical history and intake in order to get to the underlying causes and reduce the number of episodes.
4. Anxiety & Depression:
Anxiety and depression as well as other emotional disorders can be debilitating. Many of the medications that are commonly prescribed for these conditions have side effects that are unbearable and can be worse than the original symptoms themselves. Acupuncture can be a safe, natural and effective treatment used in conjunction with Western medicine treatments. Research has shown acupuncture to be as effective as the best medications yet without the harmful side effects. Acupuncture can work in conjunction with therapy in order to achieve faster results. Treatments have also been shown to help calm the nervous system and stimulate the brain to encourage the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Most people see results after one session and find their results significantly improve with continued treatment.
5. Digestive Disorders:
Acupuncture is helpful for digestive disorders of all kinds, especially when combined with other natural healing strategies such as lifestyle and dietary changes as well as Chinese herbs. Symptoms of all areas of the digestive tract are responsive to acupuncture treatment including acid reflux, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, indigestion, IBS and GERD. I have found that many patients experience side effects from medications or are on heavy medications that are not getting to the root of the problem but are just masking the symptoms. Patients tend to end up still be uncomfortable or consistently having to rely on these medications. Acupuncture is a wonderful and effective complement and in some cases alternative to these medications that examines the symptoms and gets to the root of the problem. Pilot studies have shown that acupuncture is effective in a variety of disorders including the ones listed above as well as peptic ulcer, Crohn’s disease, and colitis.
6. Allergies & Autoimmune Disorders:
Allergies and autoimmune diseases affect over 24 million people and are often addressed by powerful immune suppressing medications. Acupuncture is great for boosting immunity throughout the entire body. It enhances the immune system and can help to resolve symptoms. Sometimes we find that our immune system is confused and believes that certain foods, pollens, dander and dust or even something within our own system is causing our bodies harm. Acupuncture can help to reset the body and restore the immune system’s natural response to its environment. Whether it is allergies, asthma, leaky gut syndrome, systemic lupus, multiple sclerosis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, acupuncture can help! By looking at the underlying causes of the inflammation and immune response we can design a treatment specific to you that treats the underlying causes of the disease.
7. Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain:
Chronic pain and fibromyalgia affects about 1 in 50 Americans. There is no cure for either and sometimes the cause is not clearly understood. Chronic pain is debilitating and the side effects from many of the medications that are commonly prescribed for pain are often intolerable and at times potentially addictive. Because of this, about 90% of those with fibromyalgia or chronic pain have tried some form of natural, alternative or complementary treatments. We know that acupuncture works for chronic pain. In fact, I personally have suffered with chronic pain for over 15 years and acupuncture was an essential tool for me in overcoming my pain and getting off all of my pain medications. Needless to say, I am a huge proponent of using acupuncture for my patients that come with chronic pain.
8. Fertility & Gynecological Conditions:
For years, acupuncture has been well known for its effectiveness in improving fertility outcomes. Acupuncture can help women to increase fertility and conceive naturally or in conjunction with fertility treatments by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system overall. It is becoming standard practice for fertility specialists to recommend acupuncture in conjunction with IVF, IUI and other procedures. Acupuncture is also helpful in improving or even corrective hormonal issues of all kinds. This can include poor adrenal functioning, hypo or hyperthyroidism, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, PMDD and other menstrual conditions or symptoms. In addition, acupuncture can help with the hormonal imbalances and symptoms that come with menopause as well.
9. Insomnia:
Sufficient and restful sleep is vital to our health. The average adult needs slightly more than 8 hours of sleep a day, but only 35% of American adults consistently get this amount of rest. Insomnia could stem from a disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm or internal clock. Prolonged insomnia can interfere with concentration and memory and can increase the risk for headaches and depression. Research has shown that acupuncture can increase nighttime melatonin production and increase total sleep time. The patients who receive acupuncture also tend to fall asleep faster, have less disruptive sleep throughout the night and are less stressed overall. Acupuncture offers a safe, natural and highly effective way to resolve many of the factors that can contribute to insomnia and decrease exhaustion, sluggishness and irritability.
10. Cancer:
Acupuncture can be used to treat many symptoms and side effects in cancer patients. Patients use it for a variety of reasons including controlling pain levels, relieving nausea and vomiting, fatigue, hot flashes, neuropathy, xerotomia, anxiety, depression and sleeping problems. Acupuncture has been researched and shown to also improve immune response as well as helping patients to be able to stop taking drugs for pain relief or to be able to take smaller doses. The side effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery can be as bad as the disease itself and lower a patient’s overall quality of life. Acupuncture is safe for all age groups and is a safe, complementary way to manage the worse of the symptoms and side effects effectively.
There are so many other conditions for which acupuncture can be helpful for. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that the World Health Organization lists and recognizes acupuncture alone as being effective medicine for over 100 different health conditions. If you are curious about what acupuncture can do for you and your symptoms, don’t hesitate to ask! Call 443-286-0138 or email jess@oasisofharmonywellness.com and I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have!