Complex and Chronic Conditions

 

Whether you are seeking natural alternatives or have exhausted conventional medical options, acupuncture can be an effective way to address complex and chronic conditions. This system has a unique way of looking at how the body works, why conditions develop, and what symptoms mean, so it can often be successful when other treatments have failed. One of the main ways it works is by framing chronic conditions in the context of your overall health, as systemic issues, with outward symptoms being interpreted as indicators of broader, deeper imbalances. This approach can often explain the why and how of symptoms and, by treating many layers at the same time, can help both resolve and prevent them from re-occurring. The focus is not only on symptom management but on also correcting the underlying patterns of imbalance that are giving rise to your symptoms.

 

Acupuncture is unique so it can have effects that are different from other types of treatments. First and foremost, acupuncture can induce what is called the parasympathetic state, which has a general effect that is beneficial for all types of conditions. In this state, the parasympathetic nervous system is predominant over the sympathetic, fight-or-flight, nervous system. It is a state of deep relaxation, where breathing and heart rate slow, the mind empties, and your body focuses on healing, repair, and recharging energy reserves. Another unique effect of acupuncture is what we call tonfication, boosting and normalizing the functioning of the vital internal organs. Because every organ has an acupuncture channel that passes through it, points can be strategically selected to affect specific organs and systems. Tonification is one of the most important concepts in Chinese medicine for which there is no equivalent in conventional medicine. Acupuncture can also be used to tap directly into the deeper inner workings of the body, with points for correcting imbalances in every organ system.

 

In Chinese medicine, there is no such thing as a symptom without a cause or a diagnosis for which the treatment is not known. The basic idea with chronic and complex conditions is that symptoms are usually due to a common underlying imbalance and can show up in multiple systems at the same time. It is recognized that symptoms come in sets, or what we call patterns, where certain symptoms are more likely to occur together. By looking at the bigger pattern instead of just isolated symptoms, larger underlying imbalances can be identified and addressed. Or, conversely, by addressing the common denominator, multiple symptoms in multiple systems can be treated at the same time. I work with a wide variety of complex and chronic conditions of all types, many where there is more than one organ system involved, or where there is also chronic pain or concurrent emotional imbalances. Acupuncture is very good at treating these so-called knotty diseases, untangling them in a systematic way, layer by layer.

 

Chinese medicine is so much more than just acupuncture. I am also trained in herbal medicine, 5 element nutrition, and different types of traditional hands-on techniques. I find that these complementary therapies can help enhance the effects of acupuncture. If they would be beneficial for your condition I will include them with your session at no extra charge. For example, there are thousands of Chinese herbal formulas for every version of every common human condition. My toolbox includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, tui na (Chinese medical massage), zhi ya (acupressure), chi nei tsang (abdominal massage) ba guan (cupping), gua sha (massage with jade and horn tools), topical herbal formulas for pain, and 5 element nutrition.