Information About Acupuncture

• What is Acupuncture?
• How does Acupuncture work?
• Acupuncture and Modern Science
• Treatment Method
• Summary
• Article on Frank - Naperville Sun

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of very fine needles at specific points on the body. This process stimulates movement of energy within the body, allowing natural healing to take place. Acupuncture practitioners are trained to select these points, based on over 3,000 years of experience in China. Acupuncture helps to prevent illness by improving the overall functioning of the body's immune and organ systems. Acupuncture is helpful for:

• Treating existing illnesses and injuries.
• Preventing both recurrence of illnesses and new illness.
• Improving overall health.

How does Acupuncture work?

Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory

Acupuncture originated in China over 3,000 years ago. It is part of the holistic system of healing known as Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Classical Chinese explanation is that energy (Qi) flows in channels (or meridians) throughout the body and over its surfaces. These meridians are rivers of energy flowing through the body. The Chinese have identified 71 meridians in the human body, as a basic energy map for all people. The meridians are often compared to a series of interconnected highways. Each major organ is associated with its own meridian. Through the network of meridians the internal organs are connected to certain areas and parts of the body including the muscles, bones, joints, and other organs.

The Chinese believe that health is a manifestation of balance, both within the body itself and between the body and the external environment. When the body is internally balanced and in harmony with the external environment, Qi flows smoothly through the meridians to nourish the organs and tissues. If an obstruction occurs in one of the meridians, the Qi is disrupted and cannot flow properly. When the Qi cannot flow smoothly or is forced to flow in the opposite direction, the body's innate balance is disrupted and illness results.

Acupuncture points are the specific points on the meridians where the Qi is both concentrated and accessible. Acupuncture engages the Qi by inserting needles at these specific points, the goal being to restore the proper flow of Qi. As the body regains its natural balance, well-being returns.

Acupuncture and Modern Science

To the human body, acupuncture needles are a physical stimulus. In Western science, a stimulus is defined as a detectable change in either the external environment or within the body itself. When the body detects change, it produces a response. Although acupuncture is not yet fully understood by Western science, with modern technology scientists can now actually begin to "see" the body's response to acupuncture. For example, using an MRI (a very sophisticated x-ray), researchers have shown that when a needle is inserted at specific acupuncture points on the body, corresponding changes occur in the brain.

In the West, acupuncture is most well-known for its ability to relieve pain so the majority of research thus far has been done in this area. Acupuncture points are now believed to stimulate the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to release pain-relieving chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain. Acupuncture may also stimulate other chemicals to be released by the brain, including hormones that influence the self-regulating system of the body.

Treatment Method

The treatment of acupuncture points is usually done with a needle. All needles are stainless steel, STERILE, and disposed of after a single use. In addition to needles, other therapies that can be used in treatment include :

• Acupressure
• Gua Sha
• Cupping
• Infrared heat

Most conditions can be treated with points located on the arms, legs, ears, and scalp. Results are often extremely fast.

Summary

We use a fusion of different styles to create a powerful healing combination. Taking traditional theory and combining it with modern research, we have developed an effective and unique style of acupuncture.

We practice a unique style of acupuncture here. Most acupuncturists in the United States use a method where needles are inserted directly into the painful area. While this may seem logical, the problem with this approach is that one may run the risk of aggravating the pain! At Naperville Acupuncture Center, our expertise is a different style of acupuncture. This method is ancient and is derived from the I Ching, one of the oldest books in the world. This style is taught in the US by Dr. Richard Tan as "The Balance Method." Regardless of the name, the effects are nothing less than miraculous.

The acupuncture points used are on the scalp and ears, from the elbows to the fingers, and from the knees to the toes. The treatments are efficient, comfortable and extremely effective. Pain relief usually occurs in seconds and long lasting relief over a series of treatments is usually at least 80%.

Article on Frank Grill

It turned out to be a life-changing decision in more ways than one. " I got the first treatment and the next day, I felt great," "(the pain) just vanished. It was such a huge difference. At that moment, I decided I wanted to do it, too."

Grill, who already had a degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University, enrolled in the Northwestern Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seattle. He did internships at hospitals, clinics, retirement facilities and independent living communities in the area, Graduating with a master's degree in acupuncture in 2001."

Today he is a board-certified, licensed acupuncturist who practices at the Dupage Area Wellness Network in Naperville. He uses a special method of acupuncture taught by Dr. Richard Tan, an acupuncturist from Taiwan. The results, Grill said are rapid and effective. Acupuncture, Grill said is one of the most sophisticated clinical systems in the world for analyzing and successfully treating patterns of ill health. The practitioner inserts thin, sterile needles into specific points on the body. The stimulation of these points affects the central and peripheral nervous systems, triggering the release of the body's internal pain-relieving chemicals, including endorphins and enkephalins. Once used, the needles are discarded. "

There is little discomfort in acupuncture treatments, Grill said. Many report feeling warmth, pressure or a dull aching which though unfamiliar, is still relaxing. Some patients, he said, fall asleep during treatments, which can last from 25 to 40 minutes. The number of treatments necessary is determined by the duration severity and nature of the complaint. Some conditions may need several treatments, others may require only a single treatment."

Most health care plans do not cover the cost of treatments, but Grill thinks that is gradually changing as insurance companies see the mounting demand for these services. "

"Out-of-pocket expenditures on alternative healthcare is higher than traditional Western health care," he said. "it's exploding. The amount of money people are spending on this and the desire and demand for it is increasing."

Acupuncture has been effective in treating a rang of disorders, including acute and chronic pain' allergies and sinusitis, arthritis and joint pain; anxiety; insomnia, pain in the back, neck and shoulder, carpal tunnel; syndrome; chronic fatigue syndrome; fibromyalgia; migraines and other headaches; hip ], leg, and sciatic pain; infertility, hepatitis and liver problems; menopausal symptoms and premenstrual syndrome; and smoking addictions."

And while acupuncture cannot change the course of some diseases, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, it can help temporarily relive symptoms and improve the patina's quality of life, Grill said."

Pat Cherny, a teacher for Universal Spirit Yoga, which is housed in the same building as Grill's practice, turned to acupuncture for relief from nagging hip and back pain, sinus problems, and insomnia. Please with the results, she is now looking to try and" acupuncture facelift," a rejuvenation treatments using acupuncture needles to firm the facial muscles."

"I'm not really sure how with works and why it works," she said. "I worked on all my health issues, now I'm going to work on my vanity issues."

Maggie Brown has been periodically receiving acupuncture treatments for a variety of ailments, including arthritis, tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. She said she has experienced relief with in a few visits. "

"I came here because I was desperate," Brown said. "I did not want needles stuck in me, but I was at the end of my rope. I came out of there in pretty good shape. That made me a total believer. I was on al to of pain medications, but not anymore."

Conventional health care providers are still debating the value of acupuncture. Some believe the therapy has no more than a placebo effect."

There is mounting proof of acupuncture's value, according to Yahoo Health. An expert consensus panel convened by the National Institutes of Health seven years ago, said studies have shown acupuncture was effective in relieving pain after dental surgery and in reducing nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness, chemotherapy and anesthesia."

Other research suggests acupuncture may be useful, along with convetnional therapies, for treating asthma, osteoarthritis, lower-back pain, headache, menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other conditions that cause chronic pain. Studies are under way to determine whether acupuncture helps ease withdrawal from addiction to hard drugs and alcohol and speed rehabilitation and limit damage after a paralyzing stroke."

Although acupuncture still is not a commonly accessed treatment, it is gaining popularity in the West, Grill said. More people are becoming practitioners. Two schools in Chicago-Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, provide training in the ancient Chinese procedure."

"We want to serve as many people as possible," he said. "Our goal isn't to replace doctors, but to keep people healthy so they don't get to that point where they are chronically ill."