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What does acupuncture treat?

How can acupuncture therapy help you? Acupuncture treats a broad range of issues by increasing blood circulation, reducing inflammation, accelerating healing and reducing pain. Because acupuncture treatments can do this and more, a wide variety of ailments can be addressed.

Does acupuncture work? How does acupuncture work for so many different problems? Acupuncture works on the underlying issues that are the cause of your symptoms. At the heart of many of our problems are inflammation and reduced blood circulation. All of our internal processes are affected by these. We may not realize that the migraines, insomnia or anxiety we experience are actually a result of these fundamental functions not working properly.

How specifically does this work? Acupuncture increases blood circulation and reduces inflammation which is not limited to the muscles and tendons. Decreased circulation could cause a buildup of heat, or it could starve an area producing cold. An area could pool and result in the accumulation of fluids, mucus or phlegm. If it were to result in a phlegm and heat buildup, a sinus infection might occur.

Each person is individual in the way their body reacts to stressors. Two people may be exposed to the same irritant that reduces the function of our internal or external processes yet it manifests in different ways. If you are prone to digestive issues, you may experience bloating or gas. Someone prone to emotional turbulence may experience anxiety or depression. For someone with decreased lung function that might trigger asthmatic symptoms.

You can probably name at least one person you know who has had or is considering knee surgery. Acupuncture for knee pain can often be a solution. Our approach would be to use acupuncture and massage (tuina) to open up the tightly constricted muscles of the leg and hips and also reduce the inflammation in the knee itself. These steps will relieve the pain and minimize the compaction of the joint space. Often, this is enough to prevent surgery.