Our Richmond Heights chiropractor at McIntyre Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centre makes a point of providing multiple healing modalities to resolve a wide range of ailments without surgery or drugs. Some of our techniques are highly modern, while others date back to ancient times. One such ancient healing method, acupuncture, works just as well today as it has for thousands of years — which is why we combine it with other therapies in our treatment plans for patients in Richmond Heights, Webster Groves and the surrounding area.
A Natural Way to Ease Back Pain, Neck Pain and Other Conditions
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture corrects imbalances of life energy, or qi, which are responsible for pain and illness throughout the body. By inserting acupuncture needles at specific points along qi pathways called meridians, errant qi can be redirected to restore health. Western doctors have discovered that the needles have an effect on nerve clusters that help regulate nervous system activity. They also appear to cause oscillations in the muscles that produce calcium,which then interacts with white blood cells to increase levels of endorphins — your body’s natural painkillers.
We can use acupuncture in Richmond Heights to successfully treat many of the problems people typically visit us about. Back pain pain, neck pain, soft tissue pain/inflammation, and many other forms of chronic or acute pain can be relieved or controlled via acupuncture. But its effects on the nervous system also make it an effective treatment for such diverse conditions as:
- Respiratory diseases and disorders
- Urinary, digestive and women’s health issues
- Blood pressure management
- Smoking cessation and other addiction-related concerns
- Anxiety, depression and other emotional/psychological disorders
- Sleep problems
- Eye, ear, nose and throat complaints
- Post-operative nausea
You’ll be happy to know that acupuncture is not painful. The needles are so thin, and are inserted to such a shallow depth, that you’ll hardly know they’re there for the 20 to 30 minutes that they remain in place. (The first session may take longer than subsequent sessions.) From time to time we may move the needles very slightly just to increase the healing and pain relief benefits you receive.
FAQs
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting extremely thin needles just under the skin (“needling”) to address a wide range of health problems, from acute or chronic pain to systemic illnesses. This technique, which is associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been relieving symptoms for thousands of years — and is still as popular as ever with modern practitioners of natural treatments.
How does Traditional Chinese Medicine approach acupuncture?
Traditional Chinese medicine states the body’s Qi, or life energy flows along several major channels known as meridians. When the flow is disrupted, pain and sickness result. Needling at specific acupuncture points along the meridians can normalize the Qi flow, relieving pain and restoring health.
What are the modern Western medical explanations for acupuncture’s effectiveness?
Modern medicine equates Qi flow with nerve signals, which run through the nervous system just as Qi flows along meridians. Studies indicate that needling changes the behavior of neural clusters and “pain gateways” at specific points in the body, at the same time stimulating the production of natural painkillers called endorphins.
What conditions do you treat with acupuncture?
Acupuncture’s analgesic qualities make it a great way to enjoy safe, drug-free relief from acute injury pain or chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, sciatica or TMJ. Since the acupuncture needles can improve nerve signaling throughout the body, acupuncture also works well as a treatment for systemic afflictions ranging from digestive and reproductive disorders to immune system impairment.
Is acupuncture painful?
If you’re worried about the use of needles in acupuncture, rest assured that acupuncture is not painful. You might briefly feel the needles entering the skin, but these hair-fine devices cause no sensation at all once they’re inserted — except, of course, relief from your symptoms.
What can I expect from my Richmond Heights acupuncture sessions?
While an acupuncture session usually takes less than half an hour, your initial sessions may take longer, which includes all the essential evaluations necessary to administer the proper treatment, may take longer. Multiple sessions may be necessary to obtain best results. You also get more out of your acupuncture sessions if you rest up and avoid caffeine or alcohol beforehand.
Ask Our Richmond Heights Chiropractor About Acupuncture
Our Richmond Heights chiropractor, Dr.McIntyre, may prescribe acupuncture prior to chiropractic adjustment as a means of priming the muscles for this treatment, or you may pursue acupuncture sessions alongside other natural techniques such as massage therapy and/or physical therapy. Acupuncture also works well in conjunction its ear-based cousin, auriculotherapy. You may find that acupuncture plays a vital role in your personalized healing, pain relief or wellness plan here at McIntyre Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centre.
Call 314-644-7776, or contact us for an appointment to find out whether acupuncture makes sense for your particular condition and needs. If you’re in Richmond Heights, Webster Groves or surrounding cities but you’ve never visited us before, take advantage of our free consultation for new patients and give this ancient healing technique a try!