 | Dr. John Wheeler is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic and Fellow of the Acupuncture Society of America. He is the owner of the Chiropractic Health and Wellness Center at 1125 S. Rock Road, #7, where he practices traditional Chiropractic methods as well as Acupuncture and Meridian therapy. Dr. Wheeler was born and raised in Arkansas City, Kansas. He recently moved to Wichita from Manhattan, Kansas where he was in Chiro-practic private practice for six years. He enjoys numerous outdoor and physical activities, most of which involve his six-year-old yellow Lab named Brittany. Dr. Wheeler may be reached for question or comment at (316)618-5550. |
Health & Medicine
2003-08-01 11:02:00
What is acupuncture?
: I’ve heard about Acupuncture in the news lately, and that it may help my arthritis. I’d like to know more about Acupuncture and if it really works.
ANSWER: Acupunc-ture first made American headlines in 1971 during President Nixon’s visit to China. While there, visiting columnist James Reston received an emergency appendectomy performed successfully under Acupuncture anesthesia. Since that time, Acupuncture has remained in the headlines because of the numerous studies and reports that have been published documenting the success of Acupuncture with a variety of conditions.Simply stated, Acupuncture is a health science, which is used to successfully treat both pain and dysfunction in the body. Authorities agree the science is between 5,000 and 7,000 years old with deep roots in China.Early Chinese physicians discovered there is an energy network traversing just below the surface of the skin that communicates from the exterior to the internal organs and structures at over 1,000 “Acupoints” on the body. This energy flow courses over twelve main meridians or channels in the body that are normally well balanced. If a disruption of energy flow exists, it can alter the entire system, producing pain or symptoms in the body. Much like a seesaw that is out of balance with a heavy and light person at opposite ends, Acupuncture helps bring the body’s energy back to a balanced point.This is the goal of Acupuncture, to restore normalcy to the body’s energy balance by utilizing a combination of Acupoints located on the twelve main meridians. This is accomplished by a variety of means, the needle is just one. In fact, many physicians certified in Acupuncture and licensed Acupuncturists are employing electronic and laser stimulation to the Acupoint with equal effectiveness as the needle. Both of these procedures are painless and are quickly becoming standard worldwide.The World Health Organization has indicated Acupuncture is effective for acute and chronic pain relief, migraine, tension cluster and sinus headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, bladder dysfunction, bed wetting, neck and back pain, shoulder and tennis elbow, post-operative pain relief, gastric problems, asthma, allergies, skin conditions, hemorrhoids, abnormal blood pressure, fatigue, anxiety, various eye problems, etc., etc.There are other situations in which Acupuncture may be useful according to the National Institutes of Health, such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, asthma, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and osteoarthritis.In summary, Acupuncture is effective for a variety of health related conditions, including arthritis. The number of treatments required will vary depending upon your unique condition. Some patients notice immediate improvement after their first visit, while others may not notice any effect until the seventh or eighth visit. Ask your practitioner to develop a treatment plan and explain it thoroughly during your initial visit. If the treatments are recommended and the result occurs in just a few visits, the doctor may elect to discontinue further treatment.
