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A Comparison Between Chinese and Western Medicine

One of the first things I learned as I began studying Chinese medicine was that I should not try to think of Chinese medicine in Western terms, and for good reason. Both systems of healing have their benefits and drawbacks, but they are otherwise nothing alike.

Western medicine is based on scientific study, and is a century or two old. It is generally best for the treatment of acute conditions, and uses drugs or surgery as the first line of defense against disease. Western medicine treats symptoms very well, but in many cases does not cure the illness. If the symptoms of an illness go away after a Western treatment, it is often a temporary fix, or other symptoms will arise at some future point.

For example, the use of antidepressant medications has increased dramatically over the past several decades and can be effective in reducing the symptoms of depression. However, the patients I have seen at Acupuncture in the Park who take these drugs generally don’t like the side effects and want to stop taking these medications. Unfortunately, they find that their depression returns when they decrease their dosage or stop taking the medication altogether. For them, it seems to be a tradeoff between being depressed or having unwanted drug side effects. To me, this is not a cure.

Chinese medicine is based on observation, and is three to five thousand years old. It tends to be a better choice in treating some chronic illnesses, using a variety of healing techniques. It treats the underlying cause of an illness, and in doing so also treats the symptoms. In addition, Chinese medicine treats the whole person, taking into account not only the physical aspects of a patient, but also the emotional and spiritual.

Treatments in the Western medical model usually work very quickly, but either tend to have side effects from prescription drugs or problems resulting from surgery. In contrast, Chinese medical treatments tend not to have any side effects and are generally considered to be safe. The downside of Chinese medicine is that because it balances the body to promote self-healing, it can take time to be effective.

One of the most frequent questions we get from patients is when to use acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and when to go the Western route. The bottom line is that there is a time and a place for both Chinese and Western medicine. In addition, the two systems, while completely unlike each other, are not mutually exclusive. They can work as complementary systems of healing, which means that they can work well together, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes Western medicine may be a better choice for care, and at other times Chinese medicine will be more appropriate and effective.

Cupping Therapy in Chinese Medicine

In acupuncture circles, we still talk about a picture that appeared several years ago in People Magazine of Gwenneth Paltrow in an evening gown at some awards gala. The back of her gown was cut low, and on her back were several large, perfectly circular marks that are a tell-tale sign that Gwenneth had been cupped in the previous few days, most likely by her acupuncturist.

Acupuncture is not the only healing tool that is used in Chinese medicine. In adition to acupuncture, practitioners use a variety of methods to help their patients heal. One of the most interesting modalities is the practice of cupping, which involves placing glass or plastic cups on the body in which a vacuum has been created. The vacuum acts to pull the skin, increasing the flow of blood and energy. For practical reasons, cupping is usually done on the larger areas of the body, such as the back or legs; but it can be done almost anywhere if necessary.

I have found that once I have cupped a patient for the first time, one of two things happens; either they always want to be cupped at every appointment, or they never want to be cupped again. The effects of cupping can be subtle, and those people who choose not to be cupped do so not because the cupping was painful–it’s not–they just don’t see the point.

Those people who want to be cupped at every appointment, however, understand the benefits of cupping. The purpose is to move stagnant energy, facilitate healing, and relieve pain. In addition, many patients want their back cupped because it loosens up tight muscles and it’s incredibly relaxing. Essentially, after being cupped a patient feels energized and loose.

There are a couple of ways to create a vacuum in the cups. One is by using cups with small gaskets through which air can be pulled out with a pump. The other method is called fire cupping. A cotton ball is soaked in alcohol and lit, then held in the cup for a few seconds until the flame has used up all the air. The cup is then quickly placed on the skin. It all sounds very dramatic and dangerous, but it is actually quite safe and works very well. The cups may then be left on the skin for five to ten minutes or they can be moved across the skin (while retaining the vacuum) to treat a larger area.

The downside of cupping is that while it ‘s painless, it can leave a mark on your skin that looks like a perfectly round bruise (think very large hickey). If you’re planning to go to the beach or wear strapless evening wear, you may want to postpone being cupped until your next visit. Or not. Apparently Gwenneth Paltrow believed the benefits of cupping outweighed the possibility of being photographed with marks on her back.

Your Health and the Color Purple

Throughout the world and its many cultures, different colors have meaning. In Chinese medicine, various colors offer up clues to the state of your health. For example if you have a rash that is very red, you can assume that there’s some heat to it. If you know someone who is very pale, it means that they run on the cold side or their energy is depleted.

In Chinese medicine, good health is associated with flow, and when that flow is obstructed in some way, it causes illness and pain. The color purple is frequently seen in cases where there is lack of movement or flow; something we acupuncturists call stagnation. In many cases, purple indicates a stagnation of blood.

A few weeks ago, one of my regular patients* came to me because her back was really acting up. In her early seventies, I had treated this woman for a number of aches and pains, but had not spent much time treating her lower back. This particular patient is one of strong opinions, and on this particular day she was clear; her back needed attention.

When I got her onto my treatment table, I took a look at her lower back and saw that there were quite a few purple spots near the surface of the skin. They weren’t bruises, but it looked like varicose veins in the area of her low back and sacrum. The spots were a little bit unusual, but the purple color told me what I needed to know; blood stagnation was causing her discomfort.

You know that your blood moves; it’s pumped by your heart and travels throughout your body in your veins and arteries. So how can it not move? Actually, there are a number of conditions that are directly associated with stagnant blood, including bruises, varicose veins, menstrual cramps, blood clots, and coronary artery disease (blocked arteries). In addition, masses, lumps, abscesses and ulcers are also considered to be caused by blood stagnation in Chinese medicine.

There are a couple of hallmark signs of stagnant blood. First, it’s usually painful. The pain tends to be fixed in one place and feel deep, sharp, or colicky. Secondly, in many cases, there is some presentation of the color purple. For example, varicose veins are visibly purple. More subtly, someone who is suffering from blood clots or coronary artery disease will usually have a purple looking tongue or a purple hue to their fingernails.

In Western medicine, blood stagnation is usually associated with hematology, such as clotting issues, strokes, and heart disease. As you get older, your doctor may advise you to take an aspirin a day, which helps your blood move by making your platelets (which help clotting) a little less sticky. If you’ve had a history of blood clots, you may be prescribed a stronger blood thinner, such as Coumadin.

In Chinese medicine, there are a number of herbs that are used to move blood. Frequently, they are site specific. For example, Szechuanlovage root (chuan xiong) is used for gynecological problems like menstrual cramps or amenorrhea (no periods). Salvia root, (dan shen) is used for blood stagnation in the lower abdomen or the chest. A more familiar herb, Turmeric (yu jin) is used for a variety of conditions associated with stagnant blood, and is gaining attention as a supplement in treating inflammation and in the prevention of Alzheimer’s and certain kinds of cancers.

My patient with low back pain was taking a number of prescription medications, and was not interested in an herbal formula. However, knowing that her condition was related to stagnant blood, I included a couple of acupuncture points in my treatment known to help move blood and relieve pain. I also did a little Chinese bodywork, called Tui Na to get the blood moving in her lower back. While she wasn’t ready to go out dancing, she was definitely feeling better when she left my office.

*Names and identifying details have been changed.

Teenage Mental Health

At Acupuncture in the Park, we have found that treating pre-teens, teens, and young adults to be some of the most satisfying work that we do, primarily because they respond so quickly to the acupuncture, and the results can be life-changing. Not only have we treated our share of young patients with aches, pains, and soccer injuries, but also we have worked with kids who were struggling with depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, and stress.

Not long ago, this letter to the editor about teen mental health appeared in our local newspaper:

Many parents may relate to the July 5 article “Worried about a moody teen?” An acquaintance told me recently that the severe anger of her middle son had caused problems in the family. She decided to try alternative medicine and took him to an acupuncturist. After one visit, the change in the 11-year-old was amazing. A local acupuncturist told me that acupuncture in pre-adolescents and adolescents can be extremely effective. It could be worth a try. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Monday, July 12, 2010)

As the letter states, acupuncture can be incredibly effective for adolescents. This is true for a number of reasons. First, for the most part, they are young and healthy. Acupuncture tends to be far more effective for someone who is healthy and able to heal quickly, as opposed to someone in their seventies or eighties who has been ill for a long time.

The second reason that acupuncture works so well for adolescents goes back to Chinese medical theory. The Chinese say that children are considered to be pure Yang. Compared to the nourishing, cooling, substance of Yin, Yang is warm, active, and transformative. And that’s what kids do—they transform. They are growing and changing almost daily, and it seems that as soon as you have one stage figured out, they have moved onto the next. This is a good thing on the healing front. Because kids are growing so quickly, they also heal quickly. This is both good news and bad news, especially when we’re talking about adolescents.

The pure Yang thing can also work against kids, especially during the pre-teen and teen years. Good health, or balance, in Chinese medicine is all about smooth flow, and for the most part, our kids grow and flow smoothly. Unfortunately, as kids go through adolescence, they begin changing even more quickly. On top of the physical growth, kids are faced with increasing stress of school and peer relationships. Then Mother Nature throws in a dark cocktail of hormones to make that transformation even more…uh, interesting. For some kids, this sudden growth, plus hormones, plus stress creates a perfect storm that can block the smooth flow of energy and emotions, causing a wide variety of mental health symptoms.

Finally, acupuncture works for emotional health issues because it affects brain chemistry. Researchers studying the effects of acupuncture have determined that acupuncture causes an increase in production of endorphins and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, causing a calming effect. For this reason, acupuncture can effectively treat emotional conditions including stress, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.

Many parents don’t know where to turn when their adolescent is struggling with anger or depression. Understandably, they’re hesitant to medicate their teen, but they also know that their child needs help.

The good news is that in these healthy, ever changing adolescents, acupuncture can be a life saver, which is so aptly expressed in the letter above. If your teen is struggling, consider giving acupuncture a try.

Twitches, Tremors, and Dizziness and Chinese Medicine

One of the best things about practicing Chinese medicine is explaining how it works to people who have never had acupuncture. Most people understand my explanations about Qi and Yin and Yang, stagnation and depletion. However, a couple of times in the past week I have tried to explain the pathogen called wind, only to be met with very blank stares. And to make matters worse, the more I tried to explain, the blanker the stare.

It’s hard to understand how a weather condition could be causing such misery. But it’s true, in Chinese medicine wind can be the evil force behind tremors, dizziness, numbness, and twitches. It can also cause seasonal allergies, colds or even the current flu that’s going around.

Let me explain.

First of all, wind is considered a pathogen, or something that makes you sick. Many of the concepts of Chinese medicine are based on the natural world, and what makes you sick is no exception. Pathogens are a little bit like bad weather in your body. When you have a fever or inflammation, you have heat; when your arthritis flares up during the cold weather, you have a cold pathogen; and when you retain lots of water, you have dampness. (This is a very simplified explanation.)

Wind is considered movement where there should be stillness. As a pathogen, wind is dry, light and active. It tends to be Yang in nature—like the sunny side of the hill—it’s slightly warm, and it generally moves upward and outward.

There are actually two kinds of wind—internal and external. Internal wind tends to affect your body on a deeper level. It’s frequently associated with a malfunction of the Liver system to control the smooth flow of energy in your body, and can cause symptoms associated with movement—vertigo, tremors, twitches, and seizures. Wind is usually the dark cocktail behind illnesses such as Meniere’s and Parkinson’s.

While frequently related to a Liver system malfunction, internal wind can also be caused by systemic dryness or malnourishment. Much like a dry tree, the brittle leaves at the top rattle in the wind.

Wind can also be external, affecting the outer layers of your body, which is the pathogen behind everyday colds, flu, allergies, and viral infections. In addition, the cause comes from your inability to fight off outside “influences”, such as viruses, bacteria, and pollen. True to its nature, the wind associated with a cold tends to affect the upper part of your body and move around—first you have a sore throat, then your nose is stuffed up, and then your cold sinks into your chest. External wind can also cause itching, hives, and rashes.

External wind tends to be associated with your Lungs, which encompasses your respiratory system and skin. In Chinese medicine, your Lungs are considered the most external of your organs, because with every breath, you come into contact with the outside world. So, external wind tends to affect the outermost part of your body—your Lungs and skin.

External wind usually teams up with other pathogens, such as heat, cold, or dampness. For example, if you have the flu with an extremely sore throat and a high temperature, you have external wind plus heat. If you get a cold that makes you feel achy and chilled, you likely have external wind plus cold.

Treatment for wind conditions depends entirely on the circumstances. Is it internal or external wind? Has it paired with other pathogens? What’s causing the wind in the first place? Your acupuncturist needs to take all of these factors into consideration before developing a treatment.

Because internal wind conditions tend to be caused by depletion, a treatment plan would entail building up the depleted substance(s), such as Yin, Blood, or Qi (energy), which would ideally relieve the symptoms of wind. This would likely be done using acupuncture, Chinese herbs, choosing the right foods, and getting adequate rest.

If you’re suffering from external wind, acupuncture combined with herbs would be a likely treatment protocol. For early stage external wind, when you feel like you’re coming down with something, you can sometimes head it off with herbs you have at home. Boil grated ginger and chopped scallions in a cup of water. You can add a little broth or flavoring if you like. Drink it down, wrap yourself up, and go to bed. The idea is that these warm herbs open your pores, causing you to sweat, which expels external wind.

How Many Acupuncture Treatments Will I Need?

You’re ready to give acupuncture a try and want to find out a little more about what’s involved. One of the most frequent questions first-timers ask is how many treatments it will take to get better.

This is a good question. It’s a fair question, and you deserve an answer. Unfortunately any practitioner who gives you a definitive answer in terms of an actual number of treatments is not being entirely truthful; they’re guessing. For the truth is that there is no correct answer—everyone heals at their own pace.

In addition, a good practitioner should never tell you on the phone how many treatments they even think it will take for you to feel better. We don’t have a problem with an acupuncturist estimating, or even recommending a number of sessions as a course of treatment, but they have no business doing so until they’ve at least seen you in their office.

The issue here is that there are a number of variables in the healing equation, including the following:

-How long you’ve had the condition. If your elbow has been bothering you for twenty years, you most likely will take longer than the person who tweaked their elbow last week.

-The nature of your complaint or illness. Many conditions are quickly resolved with Chinese medicine, including stress, anxiety, digestive issues, PMS, and many types of pain. On the other hand, deep-seated chronic illnesses, such as autoimmune conditions may take much longer.

-Your general health. We have seen many young and healthy patients seemingly heal right before our eyes in a single treatment. However, older patients, those in really poor health, and those on numerous medications tend to need more treatments.

-Your commitment to getting better. What you do at home in between treatments can make a huge difference in how quickly you heal. If you implement your practitioner’s suggestions regarding dietary therapy, heating/cooling an injury, herbal formulas, and lifestyle changes, you can speed up your recovery dramatically.

So what do we tell prospective patients when they ask how many treatments they will need? Our best answer is that acupuncture is a therapy and while some people may heal very quickly—in a session or two, others will take longer. We advise them to give acupuncture a fair try, say three or four treatments, to see how they’re improving. At that point, we will have a better idea of how many treatments they will ultimately need to heal completely.

More Myths About Acupuncture

Last month I wrote about some of the common myths surrounding acupuncture and Chinese medicine. In that article I threatened to take on more myths and misunderstandings about this medicine, so here goes:

Myth: Acupuncture works only because of the placebo effect. Actually, there’s a lot more going on during acupuncture than just the placebo effect. Scientific studies have documented the effects of acupuncture on brain chemistry. When an acupuncture needle is inserted, it stimulates your peripheral nerves (those far from your brain), which sends impulses to your brain to release endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that act as your body’s natural pain relievers. Those endorphins work much like the drugs morphine and codeine, but are completely natural and more effective in reducing pain. Endorphins can also have the effect of producing euphoric feelings, modulating appetite, and releasing sex hormones. In addition, at the site where the needle was inserted, researchers have found that white blood cell count increases up to 40%.

Many detractors of acupuncture say that the calm setting, empathetic practitioners, and relaxing nature of acupuncture cause patients to think they feel better after a treatment (like that’s a bad thing). I would agree that these elements absolutely help someone who is sick, worried, and in pain, especially if you compare an acupuncture treatment to some of the painful, impersonal, and invasive treatments associated with Western medicine. However, the science is there as well – acupuncture works by causing physiologic changes in your body.

Myth: Acupuncture is sketchy. Isn’t it performed by aging hippies and tie dyed new agers? Uh, you actually need to be licensed by your state’s Board of Medical Examiners to perform acupuncture. Licensed acupuncturists complete a three year accredited master’s program, take a national exam, and are licensed by their state. Chiropractors and physicians who perform acupuncture must also take some additional coursework in acupuncture in order to perform it on patients. As for the aging hippie thing, if they’ve taken the coursework (which is grueling!), put in their time in the clinic, and passed the exams, you might find one or two practicing acupuncture.

Myth: Poking needles in people is the only thing an acupuncturist does. Actually, acupuncture is only one modality under the large umbrella of Chinese medicine. Many acupuncturists are also nationally certified Chinese herbalists. Beyond herbs and acupuncture, a practitioner may use food therapy, heat, cupping (a kind of suction), different kinds of bodywork, Qi Gong (like Tai Qi), and lifestyle changes to help the healing process.

Myth: My doctor will think I’m crazy for trying acupuncture. Currently, many large hospitals offer acupuncture to their patients. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have conducted research documenting the benefits of acupuncture for arthritis. Many doctors are strong supporters of using acupuncture as a complementary therapy for their patients. On a personal level, I have a number of doctors and other western health care providers who frequently refer patients to me. I believe that many western doctors embrace acupuncture, especially when other treatments have failed. Admittedly, there are certain medical conditions that should absolutely be treated through western medicine, but for many conditions, acupuncture is an appropriate treatment. If your doctor gives you negative feedback about acupuncture, chances are that they’ve never even tried it.

Help for Hair Loss

There is nothing worse than a shower drain full of hair, especially if it’s yours and it’s falling out fast. Or perhaps you run your fingers through your hair and come up with a handful. Your hairbrush is full and you’re finding stray hairs – lots of them – on your pillowcase. What’s going on?

Your hair is constantly falling out and regrowing, and most people lose an average of 50 to 100 hairs a day. However, if you’re noticing an increase in shedding or if your hair is noticeably thinning, you’re probably losing more.

Your hair grows in cycles during which it actively grows for about two to three years and then rests for a couple of months. During the growth phase, a hair generally grows about 1/2 inch per month. At the end of the resting phase, the strand of hair falls out and a new strand begins to grow. Noticeable thinning of your hair is due to an above average number of hairs resting at the same time.

In Chinese medicine, the Kidney organ system governs the hair on your head. The Kidney system is also responsible for body functions related to growth, fertility, menopause, and aging. As we get older, your Kidneys become weaker, and one way that weakness is reflected is through the health of your hair. Hair loss, gray hair, and unhealthy hair are all signs that your Kidneys could be a little stronger.

In addition, your Kidney system is one of the Chinese organs most deeply damaged by stress. The adrenal glands sit right on top of your Kidneys, and in Western medicine, adrenal fatigue is the direct result of unrelenting stress. Extreme levels of stress can cause your hair to prematurely go into its resting phase, causing hair loss and thinning.

Beyond stress, there are other reasons that your hair may be falling out. Among them:

Poor diet. Remember the season of Survivor (Australia) when Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s hair fell out by the handful? The contestants didn’t have anything to eat, and Elizabeth’s hair began to fall out as a result of poor nutrition. Extremely low calorie diets or a diet low in protein can cause your hair to fall out.

Hormones. Many women complain that once they went through menopause their hair became much thinner. The decrease in estrogen after menopause can be another culprit in hair loss. In addition, an imbalance in your thyroid hormones can raise the levels of a chemical called DHT, which causes your hair to fall out faster than normal.

Low iron. Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss. Low levels of iron decreases the level of red blood cells necessary for healthy hair follicles. Also, it’s possible to have low iron stores (ferritin), but not be anemic.

Medications. Some antidepressants, diuretics, and certainly chemotherapy can cause hair loss.

Health conditions. Scalp infections, frequently fungal in nature, can cause your hair to drop. In addition, diseases such as diabetes and lupus can be associated with hair loss.

Hair treatments. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but how you treat your hair can have a direct impact on the health of your mane. Harsh chemicals, tight braids or pigtails, and brushing too vigorously can damage your hair and scalp and cause your hair to fall out.

So what can you do if your hair is falling out? Make sure your diet is sufficient in protein and iron, to nourish your body and hair. Don’t supplement with iron unless you’re sure your levels are low. Check with your doctor if you think low iron or hormone imbalances might be to blame. Also ask your doctor about adjusting the dosage or changing your prescription if hair loss is a side effect of any medication you’re taking. If stress is the problem, work on coping using Yoga, meditation, visualization, acupuncture, and any other relaxation techniques that work for you.

A practitioner of Chinese medicine would deal with your hair loss by strengthening your Kidney system through acupuncture and the use of herbs. A common herbal formula for hair loss and premature graying is called Seven Treasure Formula for Beautiful Whiskers, which nourishes the Kidney and benefits the hair.

What Your Thirst Means

Most people never think about being thirsty. However, your level of thirst can offer up a lot of clues to your health if you know what to look for.

If you’ve ever been to an acupuncturist, you may be surprised to have them ask you whether or not you’re thirsty, and what you like to drink. In fact, when asked, many people have to stop and think about how to answer.

I have found however, that those people who are really thirsty won’t need to think about it. In fact, they look at me like I’m brilliant for knowing how thirsty they are. I have had a few patients who are so parched that they constantly chew ice chips or eat unthawed frozen vegetables to try to quench their constant thirst.

In Chinese medicine, being thirsty all the time, especially for cold drinks, is an indication of internal heat. That heat can come from inflammation, infection, fever, a blockage, or deficient Yin (the moistening, cooling aspect of your body). Other signs that you have heat may include restlessness, irritability, constipation, insomnia, and a rapid pulse.

The temperature of what you choose to drink can also tell a little bit about your internal landscape. While craving ice cold drinks is a sign of heat, wanting to drink hot tea or soup can be a sign that you are cold internally, and crave warm drinks as a way to warm up. Someone suffering from hypothyroidism, a metabolic disorder, is an example of internal cold, in which sufferers constantly feel chilled and struggle to warm up.

People who drink coffee in the morning aren’t necessarily cold and needing to warm up. They are, however, drinking coffee as a way to get their energy moving, which coffee does well.

People who drink liquids that are room temperature tend to be a fairly even temperature. If you think of your body as being pretty comfortable at room temperature, then drinking fluids that are a similar temperature means you’re not trying to warm up or cool off.

Occasionally, I will see a patient who is thirsty, but has no desire to drink. What? While this seems like a contradiction, it makes sense in Chinese medicine. Those people have internal heat which makes them thirsty, but they also have something called dampness, which puts them off drinking. Dampness is the result of poor water metabolism in your body in which fluids tend to pool. Edema, loose stools, yeast infections, obesity and a heavy feeling are all signs of dampness.

The Economics of Acupuncture

It seems like there’s no escape. Every time you pick up a newspaper or listen to the evening news, what you hear about is the dismal economy, jobs being lost, and trillion dollar deficits. One of the most pressing problems for our nation as a whole is the high cost of medical care. The skyrocketing price tag on everything from insurance coverage, deductibles, various treatments, and doctors’ visit is not lost on any of us. More and more health consumers are looking for creative ways to be able to afford the health care they need. They are shopping for high deductible health plans, setting up Health Savings Accounts and Flex Plans, and shopping for comparative prices on doctors’ visits and procedures. Many people have found that they simply can’t afford health insurance, and as a health care provider, I pay into my state’s fund for those people who are unable to afford standard health insurance.

Many people don’t consider acupuncture part of their health care picture for a variety of reasons. In most cases, however, acupuncture is a cost effective therapy for treating many acute and chronic health conditions. For example, if you were to throw out your back tomorrow morning from shoveling snow, you might spend a few days on the couch taking over-the-counter pain relievers. After a couple of days in acute pain, you may decide you’ve had enough, and call your doctor take a look.

Assuming you didn’t have health insurance or maybe your insurance carried a high deductible, you might end up paying $150-200 for your initial doctor’s visit. According to carol.com (a website that publishes prices of medical procedures in Minnesota), a full evaluation would cost you in the neighborhood of $500. If your doctor wanted an X-ray of your back, you could tack on $75-100, but more likely, he or she would want you to have an MRI, which would run you another $1,000. Your doctor would then likely prescribe a stronger pain killer or muscle relaxant, and send you home to let your back heal. (Even with a disk problem, you will usually need to wait it out until the inflammation in your back calms down.)

On the other hand, if you were to do nothing other than acupuncture for relief from the pain, your cost for six visits (usually enough to get your aching back to calm down) would be less than $450. Unfortunately, in many cases I don’t see people in our clinic when they first injure their back—they usually wait until they’ve tried everything else and their back is still killing them. It’s important to know, however, that the earlier we see someone in the pain/injury cycle, the faster they will respond to acupuncture.

We are all looking for ways to live more economically. Acupuncture can be a cost effective way to treat a number of conditions from pain to hot flashes to anxiety and depression. Acupuncture is reimbursable under Health Savings Plans, Flexible Savings Plans, and is tax deductible. Give it a try.

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