Acupuncture
Most acupuncture patients (7 in 10) seek relief for pain or musculoskeletal complaints
Acupuncture practitioners stimulate specific points on the body by inserting thin needles through the skin, triggering the body's natural healing response.
Acupuncture is well recognized as a treatment for pain relief. However, medical acupuncture can also be used to relieve many physical and psychological symptoms.
Acupuncture points are conductors of electromagnetic signals throughout the body. Stimulating points along these pathways influences neurotransmitter rates. This increases the body's release of natural painkillers (such as endorphin and serotonin), modifying the way the brain receives pain signals.
In the United States, most acupuncture patients (7 in 10) seek relief for pain or musculoskeletal complaints. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common disorders treated with acupuncture are back pain, joint pain, neck pain, migraines, and recurring pain.
Medical acupuncture has been found to provide pain relief for the following conditions:
- Acute and chronic pain
- Back pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Osteoarthritis pain
- Phantom pain
- Post-surgical pain
Acupuncture for Other Conditions
Pain control is not the only medical application for acupuncture. Acupuncture is also effective in treating over 40 different diseases and conditions. Acupuncture can:
- Alleviate asthma and allergic sinusitis
- Alleviate nausea due to pregnancy or cancer treatments
- Help normalize functional disorders
- Boost the immune system
- Relieve paralytic ileus
- Reduce inflammation
- Aid in smoking cessation and drug detoxification
- Aid in weight loss
What to Expect
As part of the Aurora BayCare partnership, acupuncture treatments are provided by BayCare physician Dr. Danqing Guo. Dr. Guo is a board certified family medicine physician who treats a full range of musculoskeletal disorders and pain issues. Dr. Guo was acupuncture trained in China and has been using acupuncture as part of his practice for more than 20 years.
During your first visit, Dr. Guo's team will begin by taking a detailed health history. After review, he will begin diagnosing your ailment.
If indicated, most patients will receive a treatment during their first visit. Needles will be inserted into specific acupuncture points on the body. Acupuncture needles are metal and hair-thin. Most patients feel little to no pain as the needs are inserted. Typically, treatment may last several weeks or more.
Your first visit may take 90 minutes, with subsequent visits lasting about 60 minutes.