About Acupuncture & Dry Needling
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is part of the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practitioner uses very thin needles to penetrate the skin at strategic points on the body called meridians and are left alone for a specific amount of time. The technique is used to balance the flow of energy or Qi. At Totum Health this therapy treatment is used in conjunction with your treatment plan established either as a chiropractic or naturopathic/functional med client.
What can acupuncture treat?
- Both internal and external disorders such as
- anxiety
- gastritis
- asthma
- tennis elbow
- low back pain
- headaches
- menstrual cramps
- and the list goes on.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a subset of acupuncture and is is more problem focused type of modality and used on musculoskeletal disorders. It is used as an attempt to release tension from knots or trigger points within the body. One maybe 2 needles are used to penetrate the skin multiple times and sometimes left for 10 minutes or less. This type of needling is often worked into a chiropractic treatment that day.
What if I do not like Needles?
There are other options to have the benefits of acupuncture without needles such as auricular therapy or cupping.
Auriculotherapy
Auricular therapy or auriculotherapy is a subset of acupuncture. It is based upon the idea the ear as a microsystem, which reflects the entire body. If you place needles or seeds at certain points on the ear it will effect the entire body. This type of treatment is often used for anxiety and ptsd conditions. Seeds are placed at specific points on the ears and are left in. You are able to return to daily activities and the seeds fall out when no longer needed.
At Totum Health this therapy is used in conjunction with your treatment plan and is not meant to be a stand alone treatment. A minor charge added for supply of tacks or seeds.
Cupping
Cupping is yet another subset of acupuncture. It uses glass or plastic cups to create a suction to the skin. This creates minor trauma to the area to increase blood flow and decrease muscle tension. This is the least invasive technique since it does not break the skin.