Medical Acupuncture

What is Medical Acupuncture?

Medical acupuncture means that our physicians will assess and treat your health issues from a medical standpoint as well as from the perspective of traditional acupuncture diagnoses. AIM for Wellbeing has deep experience in this area. We’ve provided more than 100,000 of these treatments to our patients. Our team has pioneered combining medical acupuncture with other treatments, such as our ACE Healing Treatment, which combines acupuncture with chiropractic care and energy healing. We often combine acupuncture with frequency-specific microcurrent (FSM) as well to treat sports injuries and joint and soft-tissue injuries.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

During an acupuncture treatment, the practitioner inserts very fine, single-use, disposable needles into various parts of the body. Patients typically feel nothing or only a very slight pinch from the needle insertions. Sometimes the practitioner will apply heat or mild electrical stimulation to the needle insertion site.

The classical Chinese explanation for the effectiveness of acupuncture is that channels of energy run through the body and over its surface in regular patterns. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction to movement in the meridians creates a closed-off excess of energy on one side while cutting off the downstream supply of energy. By applying the needles at the right points along the meridians, the obstructions are unblocked, and the proper flow of energy is restored.

The scientific explanation of acupuncture is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the body to release natural chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These substances either change the experience of pain or trigger the release of other chemicals or hormones that influence the body’s own internal regulating system. The needles also reduce muscle spasm and cause a healing response at the site of insertion. We know from studies using fMRI (functional MRI) scans that acupuncture can positively change the blood flow in the brain. Numerous other well-designed studies show that acupuncture is effective for treating chronic pain and other conditions. Most importantly, acupuncture stimulates the body’s natural healing and promotes improved energy and better physical and emotional wellbeing.

What Can You Expect from Acupuncture?

Most people hardly feel them being inserted, but some may experience a mild pinch. Once the needles are in place, you won’t be aware of them. The needles are left in place for anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes, depending on your condition. During that time, you’ll listen to calming music and rest. A treatment takes about 30 to 60 minutes total.

To maximize its benefits, we recommend taking it easy for 6 to 24 hours after the treatment. Avoid heavy exercise or exertion, alcohol, sexual activity, large or heavy meals, and foods that are very hot, cold, or spicy. Continue to take any prescription medicine.

Medical acupuncture does not usually cause side effects. Patients often feel rested and replenished, sometimes even euphoric, after a treatment. Although bruises can develop at needle insertion sites, they are usually small and heal quickly. The risk of puncturing an organ is remote.

What Conditions Can Medical Acupuncture Treat?

Back and neck pain. Acupuncture is effective for upper and lower back pain, including sciatica, radiculopathy, sacroiliitis (including ankylosing spondylitis), and disc problems such as bulges and herniations.

Cancer treatment. Acupuncture can be a valuable adjunctive treatment to help relieve the side effects of conventional cancer care. It is helpful for chemotherapy side effects such as nausea, mucositis, fatigue, and peripheral neuropathy. Acupuncture can also help with the side effects of radiation therapy, including dry mouth, colitis, cystitis, and pain.

Chronic pain. Pain issues, including spinal, pelvic, and abdominal pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia, are all responsive to acupuncture treatment.

Digestive problems. Acupuncture can help with nausea, morning sickness, diarrhea, constipation, reflux (GERD), and vomiting. It can even help with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Men’s health issues. Acupuncture can help with men’s health issues like benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), prostadynia, low libido, and general sexual health.

Neurological problems. Acupuncture can help with the symptoms of nuerological problems. Headaches, including chronic daily headaches, tension headaches, and migraines, are often responsive to acupuncture. It can also help with carpal tunnel syndrome, Bell’s palsy, neuralgia, post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles), and peripheral neuropathy. Acupuncture can even help with stroke rehabilitation.

Psychological problems. Acupuncture is often effective at reducing the symptoms of psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, stress, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Respiratory problems. Acupuncture can help with breathing problems, including asthma, seasonal environmental allergy symptoms, sinusitis, sore throat, and recurrent chest infections.

Sports injuries and joint problems. Acupuncture can help with pain and mobility problems from sports injuries and joint problems. It can help with acute sports pain and injury, bursitis, tendonitis, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, plantar fasciitis (heel pain), and rotator cuff impingement.

Urinary tract problems. Acupuncture can relieve symptoms of interstitial cystitis and kidney stones.

Women’s health issues. Acupuncture can help with women’s health issues. Our physicians often recommend acupuncture as a main or additional treatment for infertility, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), menstrual problems, menopause symptoms, low libido, and general sexual health.

Other health issues. Acupuncture can help with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), hives, insomnia, Meniere’s disease (vertigo), and smoking cessation.

Wellbeing. One of the most profound benefits of acupuncture is its ability to produce a state of wellbeing. People often feel like they “float” out of a treatment. Our acupuncture patients report getting sick less often and enjoying relief from minor aches and pains.

How Many Acupuncture Treatments Will You Need?

The number of treatments varies from person to person. We often divide treatments into a replenishing phase and then a maintenance phase. In general, complex or long-standing conditions will require more intensive treatment — initially, one treatment a week may be necessary. Then, as the condition improves, less frequent treatments may suffice. Patients usually require fewer visits for acute problems. Our physicians will only recommend medical acupuncture if they believe it will be beneficial for you. They will also monitor you closely to assess treatment effectiveness.

AIM for Wellbeing's Medical Acupuncture Providers

AIM for Wellbeing has the largest staff of medical acupuncturists in Cincinnati. All are medical doctors trained in acupuncture by the renowned Helms Medical Institute through UCLA and Stanford University. They include Dr. Sandi Amoils, MD, Dr. Steve Amoils, MD, Dr. Katie Peeden, MD, Dr. Valerie Bullock, MD, Dr. Teresa Esterle, MD, Dr. Melissa Van Tassel, MD, and Dr. Elizabeth Woolford, MD.

Some of our physicians have also studied acupuncture in Japan, and all participate in continuing medical acupuncture training with leading experts. AIM for Wellbeing founder Dr. Sandi Amoils serves as vice president of the national board of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA). AIM for Wellbeing founder Dr. Steve Amoils is the current president of the Ohio Chapter of the AAMA. AIM for Wellbeing physician Dr. Elizabeth Woolford is a former president.

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