In China, acupuncture has been used with spinal manipulation for centuries. Spinal manipulation improves the structure of the body to improve function. Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system and meridian system directly to improve function. While often used as stand alone treatments, they are a great complement to each other. At our office, we have a great respect for chiropractic care. We use it ourselves and recommend it to our patients.
1. Tissue Healing - Acupuncture increases blood circulation to the areas treated. The body sees the treatment as a new injury and the effect lasts for days. Skin, muscle, bone, and connective tissue heals much more rapidly.
2. Pain Management - For many patients, chiropractic is all that is needed to take care of pain. When it is too severe or limits activity, adding acupuncture will be helpful to speed this process. Acupuncture stimulates the body to release natural pain killers called endorphin and adenosine. Distal points have also been shown on fMRI imaging to deactivate the pain centers in the brain!
3. Holding Adjustments - With regular chiropractic care, the body should begin to return to a lasting normal state of balance. When the same areas need to be adjusted on an ongoing basis, acupuncture can help the body hold these changes longer. This is achieved by improving muscle imbalances and ligament health.
4. Internal Medicine - Many internal medicine conditions respond to chiropractic. But, your doctor may have an entirely musculoskeletal practice. Further, not all internal problems are related to chiropractic subluxations. Acupuncture meridians have such a strong connection to the internal organs that they are actually named in this way. Most internal problems can be treated with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
5. Post Adjustment Pain - Like most types of physical medicine, chiropractic has the potential to cause post treatment pain for a few days. Using acupuncture along with spinal adjustments can reduce this and give patients with increased pain a more comfortable course of treatment.
6. Natural Treatment Option - Many patients seek out chiropractic care to avoid prescription medications or surgery. Whether it is in addition to the chiropractic plan or only used for stubborn conditions, an acupuncture referral is very appropriate for these patients.
7. Contraindications - There are times that chiropractors may not be able to adjust specific spinal regions. These include fracture, osteoporosis, tumors, post spinal surgery and a few more. In many cases, acupuncture can still be used as a local treatment. A well trained acupuncturist should also be able to choose a treatment plan that includes only distal points.
8. Hastening the Course of Treatment - Some people have a very specific time table for recovery. "I need to be able to dance at my daughter's wedding in two weeks." Even with frequent adjustments, these goals are sometimes unrealistic. Adding another treatment modality, like acupuncture, can greatly increase the chances of a successful outcome fast.
9. Mental and Emotional Triggers - For many people, emotions play a significant role in aggravating pain. Adding stress relieving techniques to your chiropractic plan may not be enough. Acupuncture is an effective treatment for stress, anxiety, and depression. We can usually treat the pain and emotional triggers at the same time.
10. Tried Everything Else - Unfortunately, a lot of people don't consider chiropractic until they don't know what else to do. Many of these people get great results and become life-long promoters of spinal manipulation. For those that don't respond, acupuncture is one more treatment option that most people in West Michigan have never considered. For these people, a good referral offers more hope. They'll thank you for it.
If you're in the Grand Rapids area and are interested in finding out more about acupuncture, please consider coming to our office for a free consultation.
Acupuncture of West Michigan
2815 Michigan St NE
Grand Rapids, Mi 49506
www.acupunctureofwestmichigan.com
616-855-7718
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