Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a safe, reliable way to help the body heal naturally. Treatment is body-intuitive and nurtures self-healing. Our team will determine which muscles are affecting your body’s balance and function and treat the nerves that meet those muscles with thin, painless acupuncture needles.
When the needles are applied, the body responds by allowing the tightly contracted muscle to release and loosen. This often provides immediate relief. We have seen this powerful technique aggressively combat muscles that are sore, tense, or in need of active support.
Acupuncture is a smart way to find healing and promote health and wellness in all aspects. Helping your body find its proper function contributes to ease in mind and spirit. Our team is devoted to getting your body in its best state, free from harm and running at its peak. Combining acupuncture with chiropractic care makes for a faster, easier recovery.
What is Acupuncture, and Does it Hurt?
Acupuncture is a Chinese medicine that dates back thousands of years. It has been refined over centuries of practice that’s spread all over the globe. We embrace the solution at our St. Louis chiropractic clinic, and our doctors are certified in the art.
In acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted into selected points on the body in order to decrease pain and amplify soft tissue recovery. We offer our patients a few acupuncture techniques.
Orthopedic acupuncture
This solution uses traditional Chinese medicine with soft tissue manipulation in unison to maximize results.
Some disorders it helps include:
- Pain
- Soft tissue injuries (injury to the muscles, nerves, and tendons)
- Spinal imbalance
- Loss of range of motion
Electroacupuncture
This technique provides electro currents between a pair of acupuncture needles that are connected to a machine. This slight current delivers a powerful boost to the muscle or nerve in question and promotes healing.
Some disorders it helps include:
- Chronic pain
- Spasms
- Discomfort
- Stress
Dry needling
This technique uses a thin needle in the skin to repair proper body movement and function as it de-escalates pain and promotes muscle strength.
Some disorders it helps include:
- Pain
- Loss of range of motion
- Impaired mobility
- Stress
Our Richmond Heights doctors have worked with various patients who have benefited greatly from acupuncture, and we’ve seen it work especially well when combined with chiropractic care, physical therapy, and exercises designed around the individual patient.
When new to acupuncture, the big question is always the same: does it hurt? The needles are incredibly thin (hair-like thinness), and generally, no pain or irritation is felt when inserted. A mild pressure may be felt in some cases, but often, there will be no notice whatsoever. Surprisingly, the treatment is often relaxing and gives a sense of calm to the patient.
Some patients may be sore or tender after the treatment, but that discomfort is very minimal and substantially less dominating than the pain that necessitated the treatment to begin with.
We always want our patients to feel comfortable with the wellness plan we put in place for them, and we will ensure that you understand the process and are completely on board with the practice. Feeling nervous? Let us talk with you about it, and you make the decision for yourself.
When Should I See an Acupuncturist?
When you work with our doctors, you get holistic support and services that work together to decrease your pain and decrease the amount of time you experience that pain. We work with patients of every age and who are suffering from a variety of pain points ranging in severity.
While some feel generally unwell or use acupuncture for preventative maintenance or to heighten overall well-being, others have debilitating pain or severe injuries.
Some Richmond Heights patients who seek our acupuncture care include:
- Those wishing to increase mobility and flexibility
- Those with muscle tightness, tension, or pain
- Those looking to improve athletic performance
- Those looking to enhance their daily life and quality of life
- Those experiencing pain or motion-loss in the neck, shoulder, back, hip, knee, calf, or ankle
- Athletes: high school, university, professional, weekend warriors, gym-goers, weightlifters
- Those suffering from headaches
- Pregnant women
- Those involved in an accident or recovering from a significant injury
- And more
Like chiropractic care, acupuncture treats the person as a whole rather than the isolated symptoms the patient is experiencing. We always find the cause of the issues, understanding that pain relief should not be fleeting or masking but severed at its source, so it stays at bay.
Acupuncture Appointments
Upon your initial consultation with us, we can determine if acupuncture is a resource we’d like to initiate. We will provide a complete body assessment after we’ve heard about your past health and medical background, as well as your current condition and symptoms. We’ll devise a wellness program that considers your abilities, comfort level, body needs, and overall health goals.
Expect to spend at least an hour with our team on your first visit. The acupuncture portion will be part of that time. Acupuncture treatments generally last under 30 minutes, with the needles inserted for about 20 minutes total.
The amount of sessions necessary depend on the injury and the goals of the patient. Improvement is often achieved after the first visit.
Generally, expect the following:
- Minor injuries, non-chronic pain, slight movement inabilities: 4-6 sessions
- Serious injuries, pain, and movement problems: 10-12 sessions
- Serious, long-term issues: 20+ sessions
- Preventative care, proactive care, athletic performance enhancement, stress reduction: ongoing sessions
We tailor-make your unique plan with your individual goals in mind. Ready to come see us? Start the process, then give us a call.
Acupuncture aftercare
Your aftercare is essential to keep your body healing after your acupuncture treatment. We suggest you make time to rest, relax, and recover. Drinking water to keep you hydrated and rid your body of unnecessary fluid will contribute to the service. You can expect to feel a bit sore like you would after a workout, but it shouldn’t last more than a day.
Take a warm bath and get that blood flowing as you allow your muscles to relax and recuperate.