10/03/2024
"There are acupuncture points for that!"
That's what I usually say when a patient asks me if I think acupuncture might help with this, that, or the other.
Here's a cool example out of my office:
Recently a patient came in complaining of abdominal pain with reflux and regurgitation that had been going on for quite some time. They had been to their primary care doctor, had both ends of the GI tract scoped to rule out anything serious, and was given an “all clear” with the recommendation to start omeprazole, which is a common medication designed to reduce the amount of acid the stomach produces. Instead of opting for the medication, the patient wanted to try a course of acupuncture.
Treatment consisted of 10 minutes of cupping over specific Back Shu points followed by 13 needles placed on the front side of the body. Some key points for the treatment of this type of epigastric pain include conception vessel 12, pericardium 6, stomach 36, liver 3, and stomach 44. Additional points were chosen specific to the patient.
In 8 days, the patient was treated 4 times: no change after the first visit, noticeable change after the 2nd, and NO symptoms after the third visit. We are now 3 weeks since the first visit (5 total visits) and still going symptom-free! 😎
