Acupuncture is an old healing practice of traditional Chinese medicine dating back over 4,000 years. It still remains effective today as a way to strengthen the body rather than merely treating symptoms. It is primarily used to relieve pain as well as treat other conditions. More than 3 million Americans and 200,000 children in the U.S. have had acupuncture to help relieve a symptom or condition. Because of its low side effects, it has been the treatment of choice for many doctors across the country. It is even more popular in other countries.
Acupuncture Methods
Cupping, a method of stimulating acupuncture points by applying suction through a glass cup, is a complementary treatment to traditional Chinese acupuncture. By applying suction to specific areas, the body redirects the blood to the surface of the skin stimulating that area. The most common uses for cupping are: back ache, sprains, relieving fluid from the lungs caused by bronchitis, and soft tissue ailments. Side effects include “hickey-type” marks on the skin for 2-4 days.
Electrotherapy uses the process of sending electrical impulses through the needles, and is used in addition to the aforementioned methods. It is performed by clamping electrodes to the ends of the needles which in turn aides pain relief and prevention.
In the beginning, most patients tend to be rather skeptical. Often, these same patients find the results very encouraging when their chronic pain cannot be assisted through any other method. Most patients believe that acupuncture results last longer and provide better results than massage. Yet they incur the same relaxed sensations as a massage, while being both more effective and deeper. The most common sensation from acupuncture is feeling sedated. Dr. Kim Kesner has her diplomate in acupuncture through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and has had a state license since 1999. For more information, please go to www.nccaom.org.