What We Treat

Common Conditions

Pain: headaches, migraine, back pain, shoulder pain, arthritis, hernia, joint pain, post-surgical pain

Women's Cycles: PMS, menstrual disorders, fibroids, cysts, endometriosis, menopause symptoms, fibrocystic breasts, vulvodynia

Infertility and Pregnancy: fertility enhancement, complimentary care for IVF, IUI & other western infertility treatments, prevention of miscarriage, morning sickness, breech fetus, labor induction, postpartum care, nursing issues, mastitis

Digestive Complaints: irritable bowel, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gallstones, food allergies, colitis

Lung and Immune Health: Cold, Flu, Asthma, cough, sinusitis, sinus pain, frequent illness

Skin: excema, hives, acne, dry skin, scars, rashes, psoriasis

Sports Medicine: performance enhancement, sprains, strains, broken bones, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, tennis or golfer's elbow, rotator cuff injuries, back pain, shin splints

Men's Cycles: prostatitis, sexual dysfunction, BPH, men's fertility,
testicular pain

Heart & Circulatory Health: atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, palpitations, benign sinus tachycardia, angina, anemia

Emotional & Psychological Issues: depression, stress, anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, ADHD & ADD, PTSD, bi-polar

Liver Health: hepatitis, detoxification, drug dependence, cirrhosis

Pediatrics: colic, earaches, teething, rashes, frequent illness,
autism, allergies, night terrors, bedwetting, cradle cap

Sleep Disturbances: insomnia, nocturia, restless leg, sleep apnea

Eyes: irits, retinal detachment, macular degeneration, conjunctivitis, dry eyes, styes

Urinary Health: incontinence, nocturia, bladder prolapse, frequent urinary tract infections, kidney stones, interstitial cystitis

Extraordinary Conditions

Adjunctive Cancer Therapy: chemotherapy support, lymphoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, blood disorders

Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue

Autoimmune Conditions: Crohn's Disease, Sjogren's Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Raynaud's Syndrome

Children's Health: cerebral palsy, autism, Down's Syndrome, childhood infectious diseases

Neurological: vertigo, Meniere's Disease, tremors, neuropathy, shingles, post-herpetic neuralgia

Endocrine: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Grave's Disease, andropause, adrenal fatigue

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a chronic condition causing muscle and joint pain and tenderness in the head, neck, shoulders, upper back, abdomen and thighs. It is often accompanied with fatigue, poor memory and “foggy thinking”, headaches, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. From a western medicine perspective the cause is unknown, and the diagnosis usually based on symptoms. Western medicine has struggled to even admit this is a valid diagnosis, because of the lack of lab tests to confirm symptomatic findings. At this time western medicine has been unable to find effective treatments.  

A recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic found acupuncture to be significantly effective in treating Fibromyalgia's symptoms, with the biggest improvements found in pain, anxiety and fatigue. This study included 50 patients whose symptoms had not improved with other treatments. The patients were evenly divided into two groups, comparing six true acupuncture treatments to sham acupuncture treatments over two to three weeks. The true treatments were well tolerated, and had “notably bigger improvements in fibromyalgia symptoms” than the sham treatments, especially one month after the treatment ended. The findings were presented in Australia at the International 11th World Congress of Pain.  

Chinese Medicine has the ability to evaluate, diagnose and effectively treat the complicated scenario of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is approached individually with a focus on the individual and his/her presenting symptoms. It is this individualized focus on treatment that allows Chinese medicine to effectively treat fibromyalgia.

Chinese medicine also uses other treatment modalities (in addition to acupuncture) for the person who suffers from this cluster of symptoms. The treatments may include herbal formulas, a form of bodywork called “tui na”, moxibustion (warming the area), topical applications and other treatments tailored to each patient.

Many people have been successfully treated by the practitioners at the Chinese Acupuncture Clinic. After years of frustration and debilitation, many patients have been able to reclaim their energy, their joy of living and once again are participating more fully in life. We have seen their memory improve, depression and anxiety abate and pain decrease.

Please call one of our licenesed acupuncturists to discuss how we might help you on your journey of healing.

Fertility Enhancement

Infertility is defined as an inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sex or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. Many factors may contribute to this often vexing problem; stress, poor diet, environmental pollution, age, family history, hormonal or endocrine imbalances are a few. This has become a common complaint as fertility rates appear to be declining in the industrialized nations of the world.

Historically, Chinese Medicine was used to keep the emperor healthy so that he could live forever and father more children. This ancient knowledge has given us many effective treatments with both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for women and men trying to conceive. Chinese medicine can be used alone to achieve conception and a full term pregnancy and it can also be used in conjunction with conventional fertility treatments.

Acupuncture is being combined with conventional fertility therapy because it has been shown that acupuncture can improve circulation to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining. It has also shown an ability to improve ovarian and follicular function. Patients who are using in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer commonly are treated with acupuncture therapy for 3-4 months before the procedure. Acupuncture treatments have an accumulative effect, so it is beneficial to have treatments frequently during this period.

When acupuncture and herbal medicine are being used without conventional therapies to achieve conception successful results typically occur within 6 months to one year.   Our clinic has had the honor of assisting many women achieve pregnancy, some of whom had been told they would be unable to conceive.

Contact our office for more information regarding treatment options for infertility.

Pain Relief

Chinese medicine is an effective therapy for the treatment of various pain disorders. Each condition a patient presents with is treated based on a very specific diagnosis that acupuncturists make after a thorough evaluation. Western medical diagnosis can prove helpful in treating muscular-skeletal complaints, but is not necessary in order to treat from a Chinese medicine perspective. Many conditions including   sciatica, bulging discs, herniated discs, or pinched nerves can effectively be treated with Chinese medicine. Treatment is based primarily on the location and quality of the pain. Determining the pathway of pain (affected meridian), allows for specific placement of the needles in order to alleviate the pain. The goal in treating pain is to move the congestion of “Qi” in the affected meridians. By releasing the tension of congested “Qi” more blood is able to come to the compromised area. This allows the muscles to relax and regain their proper function.  

Many other modalities, in addition to acupuncture, are used to treat pain. Liniments and plasters are often used in addition to acupuncture therapy to facilitate the healing process. Tui na (Chinese massage) is another important modality used to encourage the flow of “Qi” and blood through the meridians. Cupping is an ancient practice still used in many countries to treat pain. Glass cups are placed on specific areas of the body after creating a vacuum that gently lifts the muscle off the body to bring greater blood flow to the affected area. Moxibustion (warming therapy) is another technique used to treat pain. Topical herb compresses or internal herbal medicine can also be prescribed to help speed the recovery of injuries or treat chronic pain.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recognized the ability of acupuncture to treat pain.   According to a 1997 clinical study by the NIH panel, acupuncture is helpful in treating nausea caused by surgical anesthesia and cancer chemotherapy, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, connective tissue pain, lower back pain, carpal tunnel, menstrual cramps and assists in stroke rehabilitation. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) funded the longest and largest randomized, controlled clinical study of acupuncture ever conducted. The findings were published in the December 21, 2004, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Overall, those who received acupuncture had a 40 percent decrease in pain and a nearly 40 percent improvement in function compared to baseline assessments.   The public's awareness of the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy for pain treatment has rapidly increased over the last five years.

There are little to no side effects to acupuncture treatments. This is a welcome benefit for those that are concerned about the adverse effects of pain medicine, steroids, and surgery. Practitioners at the Chinese Acupuncture Clinic have assisted hundreds of patients in regaining their quality of life by relieving pain.

Contact us on the web
contact@ashevilleacupuncture.com