Acupuncture at Martha’s Vineyard is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) as a useful adjunct treatment or alternative treatment in a comprehensive health management program. Developed in China over 2,500 years ago, the practice of acupuncture stimulates your body’s own healing abilities by balancing your energy. This energy is called “qi” (pronounced Chee). It flows along a network of pathways called meridians. There are specific points on the meridian where the qi accumulates, called acupoints. The acupoints are typically stimulated using fine acupuncture needles in specific combinations that are clinically proven effective.
According to acupuncture theory, disease and pain are the result of an imbalance of energy in one or more of the meridians. The meridians are related to specific internal functions that are identified by anatomical units such as the kidney, heart, liver, lung and spleen.
Acupuncture at Martha’s Vineyard is often used to help:
- Alcohol/Tobacco/Substance Abuse
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Asthma
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chemo-Induced Nausea
- Dental Pain
- Dysentery
- Facial Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastric Conditions
- Headache and Migraine
- High & Low Blood Pressure
- Inducing Labor
- Knee Pain
- Low Back Pain
- Menstrual Cramps
- Morning Sickness
- Myofascial Pain
- Neck Pain
- Neuralgia
- Osteoarthritis
- Peptic Ulcer
- Post-Op Convalescence
- Reducing the Risk of Stroke
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Spine Pain
- Sprains
- Stroke Rehabilitation
- Tennis Elbow
- Tourette Syndrome
- Vascular Dementia
- Whooping Cough, Pertussis
What you can expect?
You will have very thin sterile disposable needles inserted into points on the appropriate meridians. Typically, you will feel nothing, or you may feel a slight pinch, followed by a warm, heavy sensation. The needles remain in the body for ten to thirty minutes. During the treatment most patients feel very relaxed and often fall asleep. Symptomatic relief may occur immediately, or resolution of symptoms may take longer, depending on the severity and persistence of the condition. Acupuncture treatments at Martha’s Vineyard affect the body differently than conventional Western treatments. The acupuncture treatments are building blocks, building upon the previous session, so a more balanced state gradually becomes the norm.
Acupuncture – Dry Needling
Martha’s Vineyard Acupuncture – Dry Needling is often used to help:
- Arthritis (Knee and Hip)
- Bell’s Palsy
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Contracted Joints
- Disk Pathology
- Frozen Shoulder
- Headaches/Migraines
- Joint Dysfunction
- Lower Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Nocturnal Cramps
- Pelvic Pain
- Phantom Pain
- Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
- Post-Surgical Scars
- Regional Pain Syndrome
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Sciatica
- Spinal Dysfunction
- Tendonitis
- Urologic Syndromes
- Whiplash
Most likely, your first question might be – What’s the difference between dry needling and acupuncture at Martha’s Vineyard? Dry Needling is only a site-specific treatment that is typically added to a physical therapist’s tool bag after they have completed 100 hours of training. Dry needling is a musculoskeletal treatment technique utilizing needle insertions to sore, tight or dysfunctional soft tissue to reset or reestablish more normalized muscle function. This technique often includes creating a twitch response to muscles to improve circulation, release tight muscles and help stimulate pain-relieving endorphins.
Acupuncture (more information above) is a comprehensive system of medicine and healing created over 3,000 years ago, and requires state licensure, over 2,500 hours of Master level education, passing the state-mandated clean needle technique test. VCM frequently, and very effectively, uses dry needling for site-specific treatments with a comprehensive, complementary treatment plan. However, at Vineyard Complementary Medicine, only our licensed acupuncturists perform dry needling. For more information, contact Vineyard Complementary Medicine.
