White Oak Family Wellness

chiropractic | acupuncture | nutrition

St Charles Chiropractic

Click on the video above to watch a segment on acupuncture in the news.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a treatment that has been around for thousands of years. It can be used to treat or as part of complimentary care in: pain management, nausea/vomiting, infertility, diabetes, smoking cessation, weight loss, allergies and much more.

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses acupuncture to treat conditions by stimulating points with needles (that are about as thin as a hair) to balance the flow of energy and blood. It is thought that when blockage occurs within the channels that carry this energy and blood, it creates disease. Therefore, removing blockages will treat the disease.

Western science views relate more to the nerves and, in fact, the whole nervous system. Pain management, for example, is achieved through "gate control" which suggests that there are small nerve fibers that transmit pain from the skin all the way up to the brain. In addition, there are large nerve fibers that send a signal that inhibits that pain message. Normally, pain signals in the smaller nerves overwhelm the larger ones and we experience the pain as it was sent. In the case of acupuncture, needles are inserted at specific points to stimulate the large nerve fibers and therefore inhibit the pain. When one is discussing the organ systems (heart, liver, etc.), the effect is due to the nerve reflex that connects the peripheral body (the skin) to the organs themselves. In this case, needles are inserted into specific points in order to elicit the reflex and therefore affect the organ and its health.

The first visit will always include a history and an exam in order to determine the appropriateness of treating with acupuncture and to personalize a treatment plan that is unique to you.