Do you know that AIM has a signature treatment we recommend for our patients who need a deeper reset? It is called ACE and stands for Acupuncture, Chiropractic Care and Energy Healing. Over the past 21 years we have noticed that bodywork such as these is very powerful on its own but together even more so. Most of us have segments of our spine that work harder or less than others due to postural stress, lifting and bending or injury. Over time the way our back feels can seem normal where it is anything but that. Perhaps you’ve heard of the frog in hot water? If you place a frog in boiling water it will hop out immediately, however if you place it in warm water and slowly turn it up to boil—-it dies in there because it doesn’t perceive the change enough to escape. Gradual and cumulative spinal issues can be like that.
Once you are adjusted and your spinal segments are working together again, acupuncture works even better. Why? Acupuncture works on energy channels called meridians that lie along fascial planes. If your bones are stuck or misaligned your soft tissue including your fascia changes to try to bring it back into alignment. Our hard tissues (bone) and soft tissue (muscle, tendons, ligaments, fascia) have a push-pull relationship. All our systems work better when they receive proper input and feedback.
Finally comes the energy treatment which is very gentle but powerful to amplify and facilitate the energy shifts in your body during the ACE treatment. Your therapist will scan you to feel where your energy is out of balance and work with the acupuncture to touch your body lightly and restore balance to your system.
Many people fall asleep while receiving this therapy as it calms your fight or flight system and increases your ability to rest and restore function. Afterward you are instructed to drink extra water, eat lightly and refrain from exertional exercise for at least 6 hours so you body can fully benefit from the treatment it has just received. Pain may be less, anxiety and depression eased and sleep improved with this treatment. Often the benefits last several weeks compared to hours or days with individual treatments enabling you to come in less often and feel better between visits.
Dusek, J., Abrams, D., Roberts, R., Griffin, K., Trebesch, D., Dolor, R., Wolever, R., McKee, M. and Kligler, B. (2015). Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Effectiveness Registry (PRIMIER) of the BraveNet practice-based research network: study protocol. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 16(1).
Some of our patients require more support and we have found therapeutic massage between monthly ACE’s to be extremely helpful for them. Perhaps you have tried one of more of these therapies in the past but never sequentially- consider giving ACE a try. Many of our longstanding patients come for ACE for wellness monthly or quarterly as they have found the tremendous benefit. It can help you Get Well and Stay Well.
It has stood the test of time for a reason: it works!
