What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has its roots from China. In fact, authorities agree the science is between 5,000 and 7,000 years old. Its use spread throughout ancient Egypt, the Middle East, the Roman Empire and later into Western Europe as merchants and missionaries to China told of the amazing discoveries the people of the Orient had developed. Acupuncture did not become known widely in the U.S. until 1971 when diplomatic relations between China and America were relaxed.
Acupuncture may appear mysterious at first, because its primary notoriety is the utilization of needles placed in the skin at various locations to relieve pain or affect a body part.
How is Acupuncture Delivered?
Acupuncture is a principle, not a technique. Therefore, a practitioner may stimulate an Acupoint in a manner other than using a needle, just as there are many different strokes used in swimming.
Stimulation of one or a combination of key “Acupoints” on the body may restore harmony to the affected area. “Acupoints” can be stimulated by needles, laser, electronic probe or by pressure massage.
It is said “More people have benefited from Acupuncture over the course of fifty centuries than the combined total of all other healing sciences, both ancient and modern.”
Is Acupuncture Only Done By Needle?
The goal of Acupuncture is to restore normalcy to the body’s energy balance by using a combination of Acupoints located along the twelve meridians. This can be accomplished by a variety of means; the needle is just one possible method.
Many people assume that inserting a needle into the skin would be painful since most of us can relate to being stuck with a pin or having a medical injection by syringe. However, four Acupuncture needles can easily be inserted into the hollow tube of a common hypodermic needle. Because of the extreme thinness of the needle, most people compare the sensations to “less than a mosquito bite.”
Needles obviously have their place in clinical practice, but many modern physicians certified in Acupuncture and licensed Acupuncturists are employing electronic and laser stimulation to the Acupoint with equal effectiveness as the needle. Both of these procedures are painless and are quickly becoming standard worldwide.
Is Acupuncture Accepted by the Medical Community?
Medical research continues in the U.S. and around the world to attempt to explain in western scientific terms what the ancient Chinese seventy centuries earlier described. Today, many theories have been postulated as to why Acupuncture is so effective in pain control. However, as more discoveries are made, more research is indicated. Many medical doctors perform Acupuncture personally or refer their patients out to receive Acupuncture treatment for a wide variety of conditions.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number of treatments varies with different conditions and individuals. Chronic (long standing) problems generally require more treatment than acute (recent onset) ones. Some patients notice an immediate improvement after the first treatment, whereas others many not notice any effect until the seventh or eighth visit. It’s been shown that a certain percentage of patients receive maximum benefit up to three months following a course of therapy.
Why Should I Call For an Appointment?
Dr. Channing Bolick, D.C. received his Fellowship in Acupuncture on January 30, 1999 from the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture and has obtained hundreds of hours in post graduate training in Acupuncture in the years to follow. Dr. Bolick is Board Certified in Acupuncture and utilizes both needle and non-needle techniques such as laser, electronic and acu-pressure. Dr. Bolick commonly utilities Electro Meridian Imaging or EMI (developed in 1982 and based on the earlier Ryodoraku examination developed in 1951 by Dr. Yoshio Nakatani M.D., Ph.D.). The typical Western minded patient exhibits much more confidence in this contemporary electronic computer enhanced EMI style of examination over the ancient pulse and tongue diagnosis methods. Electro Meridian Imaging (EMI) allows the patient to take home a printed copy of their graphic interpretation as well as diagnostic criteria. In addition, it can be a more objective tool for measuring patient progress and help the physician scientifically measure the imbalances in the 12 meridians. Call Dr. Bolick for an appointment today 407-629-5333.
Conditions Treated With Acupuncture
The following is a list of conditions which the World Health Organization determined may respond to acupuncture:
Upper Respiratory Tract
• Acute sinusitis
• Acute rhinitis
• Common Cold
• Acute tonsillitis
Respiratory System
• Acute bronchitis
• Bronchial asthma (most effective in children and in patients without complicating diseases)
Disorders of the Eye
• Acute conjunctivitis
• Central retinitis
• Myopia (in children)
• Cataract (without complications)
Disorders of the Mouth
• Toothache, post-extraction pain
• Gingivitis
• Acute and chronic pharyngitis
Gastro-intestinal Disorders
• Spasms of esophagus and cardia (junction of esophagus with the stomach)
• Hiccough
• Gastroptosis (abnormal downward displacement of the stomach)
• Acute and chronic gastritis
• Gastric (stomach)hyperacidity
• Chronic duodenal ulcer (pain relief)
• Acute duodenal ulcer (without complications)
• Acute and chronic colitis
• Acute bacillary dysentery
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Paralytic ileus
Neurological and Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Headache and migraine
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Facial palsy (early stage, i.e., within three to six months)
• Pareses (slight or partial paralysis) following a stroke
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Sequelae of poliomyelitis (early stage, i.e., within six months)
• Meniere’s disease
• Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
• Nocturnal enuresis
• Intercostal neuralgia
• Cervicobrachial syndrome
• “Frozen shoulder,” “tennis elbow”
• Sciatica
• Low back pain
• Osteoarthritis
Some common conditions treated by Acupuncture include:
Chronic pain
• neck and back pain
• migraine headaches
Acute injury-related pain
• sprains
• strains
Gastrointestinal problems
• indigestion
• ulcers
• constipation
• diarrhea
Cardiovascular conditions
• high and low blood pressure
Genitourinary problems
• menstrual irregularity
• infertility
• impotence
Muscle and nerve conditions
• paralysis
• deafness
Addictive Behaviors
• substance abuse
• overeating
• drug dependence
• smoking
Surgery
• anesthesia
Call Dr. Bolick for an appointment today 407-629-5333.
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