About our services
Acupuncture
How does acupuncture work?
Science is still searching for a definitive how and why acupuncture works. Some say the needles interact with the nervous system. Others say the needles cause a minor injury and the healing response to that injury also heals other problems in the area. It is known that our bodies are a complicated collection of systems. The glue that holds these systems together is fascia. Fascia wraps around everything in the body, it serves to both hold everything together and keep everything separate. Fascia tends to form lines or channels in the body as it wraps around bone, muscle and other organs. The nervous system as well as arteries and veins tend to follow these lines of fascia. It is notable that acupuncture points fall along these lines of fascia as well. It is thought that stimulating these areas of fascia have a cascade of healing and body regulating effects. Important note, acupuncture needles are not supposed to hit nerves or blood vessels.
What can acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture excels in treating issues that arise from the body not functioning properly. Pain can be sign that something is blocked or not working correctly. Constipation can be a sign the bowels are not moving correctly. Sinus pressure can be a sign that the sinuses are congested. During and after the first treatment some positive change in your symptoms should be noticed. Acupuncture can treat a wide variety of symptoms that are associated with various modern diseases.
Pain is a well known symptom that acupuncture is known to help with. From back pain to headaches, abdominal cramps to sciatica, acupuncture can likely help to mitigate your painful symptoms. Acupuncture can also help alleviate other symptoms associated with a variety of diseases. The following is a brief list of what acupuncture can help treat. Acute symptoms such as cough, runny nose, congestion, dry or red eyes. Breathing issues like the symptoms of asthma. Digestive symptoms like indigestion, bloating, gas, heart burn, abdominal discomfort. Menstrual issues such as cramping and PMS. Bowel problems like diarrhea or constipation. Urinary issues like incontinence or urinary frequency. Emotional issues, stress and many more.
What are the side effects?
There might be soreness, minor bleeding or bruising where the needles were inserted. Single use needles are always used. These needles are disposed of immediately after use. The needle site is swabbed with alcohol to minimize the risk of infection. It is important to understand that there are points, especially on the torso, that are near internal organs or other important structures. While there is a risk when using these points, acupuncturists are trained in how to safely approach these points to minimize the risk of injury
How many treatments?
Generally, we can expect symptoms that have been occurring for a shorter amount of time to be resolved quicker than chronic symptoms that have been occurring for a longer period of time. With both cases, a series of six treatments, twice a week for the first two weeks then once a week for the next two weeks, will give us a good idea how your body responds to acupuncture. Some people will find their symptoms resolve within the first six treatments. Others may find that their symptoms are getting much better but are not fully resolved and should consider further treatment.
But will it hurt?
Acupuncture needles can be as thin as a human hair. One could fit about 10 acupuncture needles in a single hypodermic needle. Sometimes the initial needle insertion might feel like a quick pinch, other times you may feel nothing at all. After the needle passes the skin the pinching sensation should stop. The hands and feet have some of the most powerful points they also tend to be the most sensitive. Exhaling or coughing while the needle is being inserted can decrease any painful sensations. Brief pressure or massage of the point before inserting the needle can also reduce pain. After the needle is in there should be no pain. There are good sensations that you may feel such as a sensation of warmth, tingling, pressure or pulsation. These are signs the needles are interacting with the body in a positive way. If you feel any sharp, stabbing or burning sensations notify your practitioner immediately so the needle can be removed. Trigger point dry needling does tend to have a more intense sensation. When done properly the needle will make the muscle contract involuntarily. This involuntary contraction often feels uncomfortable, like how a deep tissue massage can feel uncomfortable.
How does Pine Grove Acupuncture practice?
Rob began studying Master Tung and Dr. Tan systems of acupuncture while at PIHMA. These systems can provide dramatic relief of symptoms with in the first session. They look at the interaction and connections between the various channels associated with acupuncture. In general points along the arms and legs are very powerful in addressing many of the symptoms one might be experiencing. More often than not these points are not near the symptomatic area. For example there are two points by the knee that are very good at treating shoulder pain. Another example is a point on the hand that opens up the sinuses. Often people experiencing a variety of symptoms can be treated with less needles because of the relationships between channels and the overlap of how the points function.
Sometimes musculoskeletal issues can linger, even after great improvement. Trigger point dry needling helps to address stubborn areas of pain in the muscles. In these cases points in the area of pain or in related muscles are used, it is important to know that there is often a more intense sensation when these areas are needled. Electric stimulation (E-stim) is often used in these cases. E-stim is similar to a tens unit. Wires are clipped to the needles and a very mild current is introduced that feels like a light pulsation.
Massage Therapy
Acupuncture and massage therapy are complementary modalities. Massage therapy involves manipulating the muscles and soft tissue to bring about positive change. Massage therapy can help alleviate symptoms of back, shoulder, neck, arm, hip and leg pain. Pine Grove Acupuncture offers deep tissue and trigger point massage. Muscles may also be stretched to achieve better range of motion. People who like to hike, bike, ride horses, have a physically demanding job or even a desk job,and experience muscle pain in the neck/shoulders, low back/hips can likely benefit from a massage from Pine Grove Acupuncture.