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ADKORE News
Issue: 15   March 2010
In This Issue
Save $50 on acupuncture treatment
How acupuncture helps
Adkore acupuncture pricing
Does alternative medicine work?
Take the test. Get the discount.
 
Test your acupuncture know-how below. Then, bring your completed quiz to Adkore to learn the correct answers--and to receive $50 toward acupuncture treatment!
 
1. From where is acupuncture thought to have originated?
a. China.
b. Malaysia.
c. Japan.
 
2. Does acupuncture hurt?
a. When people try acupuncture for the first time, they're typically surprised by how much it doesn't hurt.
b. There can be a pricking sensation when the needle is inserted, but people usually feel very little.
c. If a person does feel any discomfort, it usually happens while the physician is manipulating the needles--a necessary procedure during a treatment that involves twisting or tapping the needle for a few seconds.
d. All of the above.
 
3. How many acupuncture treatments are needed?
a. Most acupuncture practitioners recommend a minium of three visits.
b. The number of treatments needed differs from person to person.
c. None of the above.
 
4. True or false?
There are usually no side effects with treatment.
 
5. True or false? You must believe in acupuncture for it to work.
 
6. What guidelines should a person follow on the day of treatment?
a. No unusually large meals immediately before and after treatment.
b. No rigorous exercise, sexual activity, or alcoholic beverages within six hours before or after  treatment.
c. Plan activities so that after your treatment, you can get some rest.
d. Continue to take any prescription medicines as directed by your doctor.
e. All of the above.
 
7. True or false? Because acupuncture practitioners carefully sterilize the needles using the same techniques as done for surgical instruments, or use disposable needles, there is no risk of infection. 
 
==Acupuncture
Could acupuncture help you?
Acupuncture is a system of medicine that encourages the body to promote natural healing and improve functioning. This is done by inserting needles at very precise points.

How does acupuncture work? The classical explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers that irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that can cause backups--and pain and disease. The acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatments can therefore help the body's internal organs correct imbalances in digestion, absorption, and energy production activities, and in the circulation of energy through the meridians.

The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal chord, and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones that influence the body's own internal regulating system.
 
While acupuncture is often associated with pain control, it has much broader applications. The World Health Organization recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide range of medical programs, including:

Digestive disorders: Gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, diarrhea.
Respiratory disorders: Sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, recurrent chest infections.
Neurological and muscular disorders: Headaches, facial tics, neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, various forms of tendinitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis.
Urinary, menstrual, and reproductive problems.

For example, acupuncture relieves arthritis pain by decreasing inflammation in the tissues and circulating blood flow throughout the body, as well as the affected area. Research has found that acupuncture moderates the peripheral sensitization stage of pain, thus decreasing the pain signals.

Additionally, acupuncture has been shown to be particularly useful in resolving physical problems related to tension and stress and emotional conditions.

Adkore's licensed acupuncture physician utilizes acupuncture, often as part of a patient's overall healing program. Call Adkore now for more information, to schedule an appointment,  or to verify your benefits for acupuncture.

Acupuncture pricing at Adkore
Initial one-hour visit: $145 (includes exam and treatment)
 
45-minute follow up: $53.00
 
30-minute follow up: $31.50
 
 
Some insurance companies currently cover acupuncture costs. Each health policy must be reviewed to determine acupuncture benefits.
 
A reminder: If you have a flexible spending credit card through your health plan, it can be used for acupuncture treatments!
How effective is alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine, like that offered at Adkore, is any healing practice that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine. It is frequently grouped with complementary medicine and includes naturopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy, acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, and others.

Complementary therapies are often used in palliative care or by practitioners attempting to manage chronic pain. Patients often express interest in mind-body complementary therapies because they offer a non-drug approach to treating some health conditions.

Whatever the motivation, one thing is clear. The market for alternative medicine is vast and growing.

Researchers found that about half the general population of developed countries use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Each year in the United States, more patient visits are made to complementary and alternative medicine providers then to mainstream physicians.

Determining the results of complimentary treatment is complicated because there are so many types and each must be researched individually and in tandem with traditional bioscience to determine its true treatment value. Yet some clear research has emerged that shows many CAM treatments are clearly safe and effective in treating a wide range of major and minor medicial conditions.
 
Many utilize mainstream medicine for diagnosis and basic information, while turning to alternatives for what they believe to be health-enhancing measures. Studies indicate that many alternative approaches are becoming incorporated into mainstream medicial practice. This is referred to as integrative or integrated medicine, because it combines treatments from conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine.
 
What's more, increasing numbers of medical colleges have started offering courses in alternative medicine. The University of Arizona College of Medicine now offers a program in Integrative Medicine under the leadership of Andrew T. Weil, M.D., a leading proponent of integrative medicine, that trains physicians in various branches of alternative medicine.
 
What we know is that many people throughout the world believe in the power of alternative medicine, and those people--including Adkore patients--are achieving relief and positive outcome. In a recent patient survey, 89% of respondents cited considerable improvement of their conditions due to Adkore treatments. To be sure, complementary medicine has the potential to relieve a particular medical problem, but also infuse new life and hope.