Pain

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Acute Athletic Injuries- While acupuncture cannot replace the need for surgery, it can often relieve pain and quicken healing and reduce down-time. In the case of an acute (recent) injury, the sooner the treatment, the better. Treatments while an injury is new may be more frequent and then subsequently lessened as symptoms decrease and healing takes place. 

Arthritis – pain, aching and/or stiffness of a joint or joints. Acupuncture often helps to reduce the symptoms of arthritis, allowing the joints to be less painful and more flexible. Chinese herbs can help to drain dampness from the joints, which is the Chinese diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a deficiency pattern and tonic building herbs are needed.

Back pain can be due to many factors, such as trauma or overuse. Acupuncture is a great way to relieve back pain. In addition, chinese herbal lineaments are used topically on the affected area to move qi and relieve pain. Chinese herbs are often used for chronic pain, which is often due to a deficiency pattern.

Knee pain is often treated effectively by acupuncture. And like back pain, chinese herbal lineaments are also used to move qi and relieve pain. Torn or very damaged ligaments often require surgery, though acupuncture can be used as an adjunct to hasten recovery.

Sciatica is lower back buttock pain that travels down the back of the leg usually to the knee and possibly the sole of the foot. Acupuncture can effectively resolve the pain associated with sciatic nerve impingement.

Headaches can occur in many areas of the head, with varying intensity and quality of pain. In Chinese medicine, a headache is diagnosed according to these criteria: location, intensity and quality. Lifestyle, emotional makeup and nutrition are also possible contributing factors. A Chinese medical diagnosis takes all of this information into consideration to derive the best way to treat this particular person’s headache. Because of this individualized approach, Chinese medicine is often very effective in reducing the symptoms of headaches.

Migraines- are more severe and intense then stress headaches. They are often repetitive, may interfere with normal activities of daily living and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and noise and may be preceded by visual auras or auditory sounds. Chinese medicine can help reduce the severity of migraines already in process and reduce the frequency and duration of migraines. 

Mind / Body Therapy

Many people have found relief in dealing with chronic pain by learning self-hypnosis. Clients can learn to use the power of the mind to heal their body. Underlying or subconscious beliefs are explored to see how they relate to the chronic pain. Many people have been symptom-free from debilitating illnesses such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, and MS, after learning relaxation techniques and doing emotional release work.