Medical Acupuncture
The Kaplan Medical Center offers patients acupuncture within the context of their entire treatment plan. Research on acupuncture has demonstrated that it can have direct and lasting positive effects on the body's neurological (nervous), endocrine (hormonal), and immunological (disease-fighting) systems. In 1998, a Consensus-Conference Panel of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that acupuncture is an effective non-invasive modality in treating a variety of medical and pain problems, including migraines, osteoarthritis, and infertility.
Most of the Kaplan Medical Center's physicians practice medical acupuncture, and all who do are members of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, the organization that has established the training requirements for physician-acupuncturists in the United States. The Kaplan Medical Center’s stature as a leader in the field of medical acupuncture is enhanced by Dr. Gary Kaplan’s leading role as a founding-board member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, as president of the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation and as an advisor to NIH on research and clinical practice issues concerning acupuncture.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a practice of Chinese medicine that relies upon the therapeutic insertion of slender needles into the body to improve a person's health. According to Chinese medicine, health is dependant on the balanced flow of "Qi" which is pronounced "chee" and refers to the vital life force within each person. Blockages or imbalances in Qi result in pain and illness. A thorough medical history and examination reveals the nature of these disturbances, so that acupuncture needles can be inserted in the proper points in the body to restore the balance and flow of Qi. An understanding of the anatomy and principles of acupuncture allow your practitioner to design a treatment program that meets your needs. In this way, acupuncture can help reestablish your good health and sense of well-being.
What Conditions Can Be Treated with Acupuncture?
Acupuncture can be useful for treating a large range of illnesses and pain syndromes, including arthritis, headaches, neck and backaches, coccydynia (tail-bone pain), fibromyalgia, and other joint or muscle pain. The therapy strengthens the body's immune system; therefore, it also can alleviate immunological disorders such as asthma, allergies, Graves's Disease, Sjogren's Syndrome, and ulcerative colitis.
Supporting the body's immunological functions through acupuncture also can help restore a person to good health after surgery or shorten the duration of an infectious illness, such as a cold, sinusitis, or pneumonia. Cancer patients often find that acupuncture helps relieve the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and fatigue caused by chemotherapy. Acupuncture also can be effective in relieving problems such as chronic fatigue syndrome, dysthymia (general lack of well-being), sleep disorders, infertility, and menstrual irregularities, including menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
How Qualified Are The Kaplan Center Practitioners?
All of the Kaplan Center's acupuncturists are physicians and all are members of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, the organization that has established the training requirements for physician-acupuncturists in the United States. The Center's physicians are not just experts in the clinical practice of acupuncture, they also are leaders in the field of medical acupuncture. Dr. Gary Kaplan was a founding board member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture and also served as president of the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation. Dr. Kaplan also has served as an advisor to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on research and practice issues concerning acupuncture.
There are a variety of acupuncture disciplines or methodologies, and each has its strengths in terms of treating particular medical problems. The Kaplan Clinic's physicians are proficient in many acupuncture disciplines, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, French Energetics, Auricular, Five-Elements, Scalp, and Neuroanatomic (Craig Percutaneous Nerve Stimulation or CPNS) Acupuncture.
Is Acupuncture Accepted by Western Medical Professionals?
Initially viewed with skepticism in the West, research on acupuncture has indicated that its analgesic effects are linked to stimulation of various neuropathways and neurochemicals associated with pain control. Western medicine has come a long way in appreciating that acupuncture can have direct and lasting positive effects on the body's neurologic (nervous), endocrine (hormonal), and immunologic (disease-fighting) systems. In 1998, a Consensus- Conference Panel of the National Institutes of Health found that acupuncture is effective in treating a variety of medical and pain problems.
Additional Resources:
Article: Using Acupuncture to Boost Fertility by Lisa Lilienfield, MD
Article: 3 Ways to Prevent a Migraine (& a Word about Treatment) by Dr. Gary Kaplan
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