Acupuncture Testimonials

Renee worked as a bus driver for many years. As a result of her job, from opening and closing the bus door innumerable times each day, she developed Tennis elbow. She tried medication to help relieve the pain, but to no avail. In between her regular chiropractic treatments, she decided to see Dr. Craiglow for acupuncture treatments. Within six weeks her pain was gone! She has continued to be a patient of Dr. Craiglow's for the past two years and the pain has not returned.

Peggy suffered from chronic hiccups that bothered her constantly throughout the day. Tired of the distraction and annoyance that accompanied the hiccups, she sought help from Dr. Owens. Using acupressure patches (which are needleless) and pressure-point stimulation on specific points on her hand for fifteen minutes brought an end to the hiccups. (This same technique has worked on several others who have shared Peggy's troubles.)

Crystal was struggling to become pregnant. She and her husband had been trying unsuccessfully for over a year to have a baby. She began coming to Hurley Chiropractic for adjustments, and decided to add acupuncture treatments to her therapy plan. She was treated six times over a period of three weeks, and after the third week of treatment she found out that she had conceived!

Audra suffered from chronic headaches. After talking to Dr. Owens, she decided to add acupuncture treatments between her normal chiropractic adjustments and therapy. At the onset of her next headache, she came in for treatment, and at the end of the fifteen-minute therapy, Audra left Hurley Chiropractic without her headache and pain-free!

Roy was a chain smoker who decided to seek out acupuncture therapy to help him quit. Before he received his first treatment, he told Dr. Craiglow that he smoked about two packs a day. By the time he received his second treatment, he was down to ten cigarettes a day. Between his second and third visit, it took him six days to go through one pack of cigarettes. By the conclusion of his third visit, he was able to tell Dr. Craiglow that he was down to only two cigarettes a day! He is continuing his treatment in hopes that he will soon be able to tell Dr. Craiglow he has stopped smoking completely!

Dan, and several others, sought Dr. Craiglow out for acupuncture to complement their chiropractic care for sciatica. Dan reported that he felt significantly better after the first treatment; in other words. This meant for Dan that his pain level had gone down from an 8 (on a scale of 1-10) at the beginning of the treatment to a 4 at the end. What a huge improvement for only a fifteen minute treatment!

Stephanie injured her shoulder and suffered from chronic pain and an extremely limited range of motion - she could only lift her arm to about a ninety-degree angle. After three treatments her pain level had significantly decreased and she had regained some of her mobility. She continues to receive acupuncture treatments in between her chiropractic care in order to regain full mobility and end her pain completely.

Marty had been a runner for over forty years, participating in marathons, 10K runs, etc. But like all runners, his knees eventually wore out and would take no more. He tried many other treatments before coming to Dr. Craiglow for acupuncture, and found that the electric stimulation with standard acupuncture needles relieved his pain. No longer were his knees swollen, arthritic, and painful - his pain had been relieved and he had regained some of his mobility. He is doing well enough with continued treatments that he has been able to go bike-riding without pain!

Sophie injured her neck in a car accident and as a result was suffering from neck pain and spasms. She came to Hurley Chiropractic for adjustments to help relieve her of the pain and get mobility back. Because she needed to speed up the healing process in order to compete in an important tennis match, she decided to add acupuncture to her normal chiropractic treatments. Dr. Owens used stimulation in addition to traditional acupuncture. After a few visits, Sophie regained the range of motion in her neck and was able to compete in the tennis competition!

What is Acupuncture?

According to Eastern medicine theories, disease, illness and pain are caused when a body's vital energy or life force (known as Chi - pronounced "chee") becomes blocked by an imbalance of the body's opposing yet inseparable forces of yin and yang. Acupuncture uses pressure on fourteen major energy channels of the body, also called meridians, in order to restore the energy flow and reduce or eliminate disease, illness, and/or pain. Restoring the normal flow of Chi can allow the body to function in harmony as it was meant to do. Your body will be able to repair itself (such as reduce pain or decrease inflammation) and will become more efficient in maintaining good overall health.

The concept of yin and yang and Chi are often difficult to explain in Western medicine. However, Western medical researchers have found that acupuncture works because it aids or increases the body's natural pain-killing chemicals, as well as to help regulate the body's immune system, blood pressure, and blood flow.

How long has Acupuncture been practiced?

Acupuncture began in China around 5,000 years ago. It was later adapted by Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other Asian nations. Acupuncture did not begin to be widely practiced in the U.S. until the early 1970s when, during President Nixon's visit to China, a New York Times reporter, John Reston, wrote an article on its benefits. His article described how Chinese acupuncturists had blocked the pain of surgery by inserting needles at specific points of his body. The article went on to describe how versatile acupuncture was, and how it relieved a wide assortment of human ills.

What can Acupuncture be used for?

Acupuncture has three main purposes: 1) to relieve pain and other symptoms, 2) to strengthen the immune system, and 3) to balance, harmonize, and integrate functions of the organs with each other in order to restore unity and health to the body. Specifically, acupuncture can be used to treat the following, as well as many others:

• Treating nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy, chemotherapy, and post-surgery pain
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Headaches, especially migraines
• Menstrual cramps
• Addiction control (i.e., smoking)
• Tennis elbow
• Fibromyalgia
• Myofascial pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Low back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Asthma
• Dental pain
• Sinus infections
• Bronchitis
• Sciatica
• Ulcers
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Facial paralysis
• Infertility
• Meniere's syndrome
• Overall health improvement

Does Acupuncture hurt?

Like most medical treatments, different people have different experiences with acupuncture; however, most feel no or minimal pain when the needles are inserted. The insertion of the needle has been described as feeling similar to a pinprick or a mosquito bite.) This is largely due to how thin the acupuncture needles are. Generally, the only cause for soreness or pain during the treatment is due to the patient moving, sensitivity of the patient's skin, improper needle placement, or a defective needle. Seeking treatment with a qualified (or State certified) acupuncturist reduces this risk.

Is Acupuncture safe?

In general, acupuncture is safe when done by a certified or licensed acupuncturist. There are FDA standards and regulations for acupuncture needles, just as there are for surgical scalpels, hypodermic syringes and other medical equipment.

There have been rare cases when complications or negative side effects occur. The most general side effects relate to poor hygiene practices and insufficient acupuncturist training. Poor hygiene practices can lead to bacterial infections where the needle penetrated the skin. At Hurley Chiropractic all needles are new, individually-wrapped, sterile needles. All used needles are disposed of in appropriate containers. And, most importantly, there have been no reports of negative side effects made by our patients for the acupuncture treatments completed at our clinic!

How many people in the U.S. use Acupuncture?

A survey conducted in 2007 by the National Health Interview Society estimated that 3.1 million American adults and 150,000 children used acupuncture in 2006. The number of people seeking acupuncture increased by approximately 1 million people between 2002 and 2007.

Will my insurance cover Acupuncture costs?

Because of the increase in people seeking acupuncture and its growing acceptance and use among Western doctors, some insurance companies will cover the costs of your acupuncture treatments. Because not all insurance companies cover acupuncture costs, it is important that you contact your insurance provider before you begin acupuncture treatment. At Hurley Chiropractic, we are more than willing to assist you in this endeavor. Feel free to call our office at (501) 513-3322 and we will help you find out if your insurance company covers acupuncture.

Which Doctors at Hurley Chiropractic have experience with Acupuncture?

Dr. Owens is an acupuncturist licensed by the State of Arkansas. She received her licensure in April 2009, and has experience with needle acupuncture, acupressure patches, and pressure stimulation techniques.

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Sources:

Dr. John A. Amaro. Acupuncture: Meridian Therapy. International Acadmey of Clinical Acupuncture, 1988.

John Dirk Tousley. The Acupuncture Answer Book. Laguna Beach, CA: White Dove Publishing, 2005.

WebMD (2007). "Acupuncture." Available online: http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/tc/acupuncture-topic-overview.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2004). "Acupuncture." Available online: http://nccam.nih.gove/health/acupuncture/introduction.htm.

John Reston. "Now, let me tell you about my appendectomy in Peking..." New York Times. 26 July 1971: 1.

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (2006). "Conditions Recommended for Acupuncture by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.)." Available online: http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/acu_info/faqs.html.

MedicineNet (2009). "Acupuncture." Available online: http://www.medicinenet.com/acupuncture/article.htm.