MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE

Promoting The Body’s Natural Ability To Heal & Restore Function

Reduce Pain, Stress and Tension with Medical Acupuncture

VCOM Sports & Osteopathic Medicine of Blacksburg, VA is pleased to offer medical acupuncture as part of an integrative medicine discipline that can be used in addition to Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) or as a stand alone treatment. Acupuncture has been used in healing for over 3,000 years and promotes the body’s natural ability to heal and restore function.

Medical acupuncture involves the therapeutic use of fine needles placed in strategic places in the skin and muscle to address myofascial trigger points, or areas of pain. It is an evidence-based therapy used after a diagnosis is made. The placement of the needles is highly individual and will be determined after an examination by your doctor.

For more information regarding acupuncture, visit the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture website.

medical acupuncture VCOM Sports and Osteopathic Medicine blog

HOW MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE WORKS

In Chinese medicine, acupuncture is used to restore the flow of qi (pronounced ‘chee’), or energy through the body which will bring about balance and stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal. In medical acupuncture, fine needles are placed in painful areas of muscle to stimulate a biochemical change that helps reduce pain. When administered by a trained doctor, medical acupuncture is highly effective.

  • Sciatica
  • Low back pain
  • Headaches, tension and migraine
  • Joint pain (elbow, shoulder, carpal tunnel)
  • Digestive disorders
  • Musculoskeletal pain and neurological disorders
  • Menstrual pain

Medical acupuncture is also particularly useful in treating conditions related to emotional stress and tension.

As the doctor inserts the needles just under the skin, the sensory nerves of the skin and muscles are stimulated to produce natural substances such as pain relieving endorphins. The insertion of needles into the acupuncture points also stimulates blood flow to the areas of the body that are causing pain which is associated with healing and restored function.

THE BENEFITS OF MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE

Most often used to relieve pain and discomfort in the musculoskeletal system, acupuncture offers other health benefits in addition to stimulating the body’s own natural healing ability.

Minimally-invasive medical acupuncture can help:

  • Promote health and well being

  • Prevent illnesses

  • Relieve pain

  • Reduce the need for prescription or over-the-counter pain relieving medications

  • Improve insomnia

  • Reduce stress and anxiety

  • Increase energy

WHAT TO EXPECT WITH MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE

The number of treatment sessions will vary based on your unique condition and if it is acute or chronic. Depending on your examination and diagnosis, the doctor will determine the approximate amount of treatment sessions you may need to experience the health benefits of acupuncture.

There are very few, if any, side effects to acupuncture treatment and most people find the sessions to be relaxing. Occasionally, patients may experience changes in appetite, sleep patterns or symptoms, but this is normal and actually indicative that the acupuncture treatment is starting to work.

You can keep your regular clothes on at the acupuncture session, but will remove your shoes and be asked to lie comfortably on a table. Your doctor will wipe each acupoint (acupuncture point) with an alcohol swab and gently tap the hair thin needle into your skin. The number of needles will depend on your specific condition. After the doctor places your needles, you will relax for approximately 30-40 minutes. Once the session is over, the doctor will remove your needles and you are free to resume your normal activities.

Each person’s response to acupuncture treatment is different. The majority of people experience no pain with acupuncture and often feel very relaxed following the treatment. Some may feel slightly tired or energized after the treatment. You may also have improvement in your symptoms immediately, or it can take several sessions to see improvement.

In general, acupuncture is very well tolerated and beneficial as a standalone treatment or when used in conjunction with other treatment modalities. Your Blacksburg, VA acupuncturist are Doctors of Osteopathy and are highly trained and skilled in providing medical acupuncture to treat a wide variety of medical conditions.

Acupuncture is often excluded from most insurance plans, or benefits may be limited to certain diagnoses. Charges for Acupuncture range from $60 to $100 per visit, and payment is expected upon service. To learn more, call (540) 232-8405.