Acupuncture is an ancient East Asian healing modality that has been known to treat a range of health conditions by rebalancing the body back to its original state. The practice and acceptance of acupuncture since its debut in North America more than 30 years ago has lead to its growing popularity with contemporary health-care professionals.
Medical acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment modality generally used to re-establish neuromuscular patterns in injured tissue, integrating traditional Chinese medicine with current concepts of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. It involves the insertion of fine needles through the skin and tissues at specific points. Electrical and manual stimulation of these needles at specific points amplifies the therapeutic effect by encouraging natural healing through improving tissue function and reducing/relieving pain levels in injured tissues.
At Beyond Chiropractic Health Centre in downtown Toronto, we incorporate medical acupuncture into a treatment plan customized to your specific injuries. Depending on the severity of the presenting injuries, our chiropractor will generally complement acupuncture treatments with soft tissue and spinal manipulation to maximize recovery of tissues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of Medical Acupuncture?
Unpleasant reactions from acupuncture treatment are rare. Acupuncture treatment is widely recognized as generally safe with non-specific effects. This means that in addition to addressing acute injuries and symptoms, it can benefit the whole body as well. The benefits of medical acupuncture include:
- Pain relief
- Reduced swelling
- Muscle relaxation
- Scar tissue breakdown
- Improved sleep habits
- Endorphin release and pain modulation
- Changes to autonomic nervous system activity (vasomotor tone, cardiac rhythm, peristalsis)
- Neuroendocrine and immune response augmentation
- A feeling of psychophysical well being
- General relaxation
- Nausea relief during chemotherapy
What can Acupuncture treat?
Based on current evidence from controlled trials, the World Health Organization established that the following conditions could be effectively treated using acupuncture:
- Headaches
- Acute sprains/strains
- Pain from nerve entrapments (e.g. sciatica)
- Repetitive strains (e.g. carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis)
- Degenerative disc/joint disease
- Postoperative pain
- Essential hypertension
- Depression
- Allergic rhinitis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chronic pain
Who is a good candidate for medical acupuncture?
The risks associated with acupuncture are minimal. Normally, our Toronto acupuncture practitioners will utilize acupuncture into the treatment plans if patient is suffering from a nagging or prolonged injury, or has any nerve entrapments and in need of reducing overall physical stressors in their life. Not everyone is a good candidate for the procedure and people who are pregnant, have pacemakers, or suffer from excessive bleeding may want to try an alternative therapy.
Questions about Acupuncture?
If you have any questions, fill out the form below. For immediate assistance, call our acupuncture Toronto clinic and let us help you find the right treatment program for you and get you on your way to recovery.
Medical Acupuncture Articles
- Understanding The Basics About Acupuncture And Pain
- Employing Medical Acupuncture In The Treatment Of Chronic Pain
- Using Medical Acupuncture To Treat Depression
- Can Acupuncture Be Used To Treatment Neuralgia?
- Understanding The Concept Of Medical Acupuncture
- What Ailments Can Acupuncture Treat?
- Using acupuncture to treat sports injuries and enhance performance
- New study suggests acupuncture provides real pain relief