| The art & Science of Skin Care |
| Medical Acupuncture |
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| Medical Acupuncture Nihal Herath MD, FAASM Dr. Herath is a board certified Neurologist and a Sleep specialist with over 20 years of medical experience. He has completed fellowships in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy. He also had training in medical acupuncture and complimentary medicine, accredited by Stanford University school of medicine/Helms medical institute, Berkley,CA Fellowships: *Clinical neurophysiology/Epilepsy/Sleep Medicine at UW Madison. *Neurological/Neurosurgical & Spinal injury Rehabilitation at University of Wales College of medicine, Cardiff, Wales. U.K. Residencies: *Neurology/Internal medicine at UW Madison *Internal medicine/Dermatology/Geriatric medicine, Royal college of physicians, U.K. *Psychiatry, University of Cardiff, Wales,U.K. *Autonomic Neurophysiology at Mayo clinic. *Neurology, and Internal medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Active Member -American Academy of Neurology Fellow Member- American Academy of Sleep Medicine Associate member - American Academy of Medical Acupuncture Member - American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine |
| Medical acupuncture is the clinical discipline of acupuncture as practiced by a physician who is also trained and licensed in western medicine. The medical biomedicine. " Medical acupuncture, then, is a modern hybrid of medical science and traditional acupuncture. How acupuncture feels like? Acupuncture needles are made from stainless steel and are very fine. The sensation of needling varies depending on the individuals and the acu- points. While most patients feel some minimal sensation as the needles are inserted, some feel none at all. People may experience sore, numbness, heaviness, and tightness locally or spreading along the meridian, when the needle is manipulating. Is acupuncture safe? In general, acupuncture is very safe when practiced by a full-trained acupuncturist. However, there are certain conditions that you should notify your acupuncturist about before receiving the treatment. For instance, electroacupuncture should be avoided if you are carrying a pacemaker. In case you are a hemophiliac or have a tendency to bleed or bruise easily, you may want to consider a different type of care, including the needle-less acupuncture. The needles we use are sterile, individually packed and disposable; therefore there is no risk of disease transmission caused by the treatments What is moxibustion? Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medical technique that involves the application of heat to the acupoints to promote Qi flow and restore the Yang deficiency, or remove the “Cold Pathogens". The heat is typically produced by burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing. Moxibustion is as old as acupuncture. It can be used independently or as adjunction to acupuncture by placing the heat to the distant handle of an inserted acupuncture needle. What is electroacupuncture? Electroacupuncture has been widely used for treating varies of clinic conditions, including pain relief, by the practitioners in TCM in China since 1958. The only difference of electroacupuncture from traditional acupuncture is that, in electracupuncture, the electric pulses rather than a manual stimulation, are applied to the inserted acupuncture needles. A special device is used to generates the adjustable electric pulses with desired amplification and frequency patterns depended on the disease features and the patient’s conditions. The pulses were delivered by a fine wire connected to the needle with a small clip. Alternatively, electroacupuncture can be employed by using electrodes that are taped to the acupoints on the skin instead of being inserted with acupuncture needles. The procedure is especially appreciated by people who have a fear of needles or a condition that the needling is a contraindication (e.g., hemophilic or other bleeding tendency conditions). Cupping Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine and practitioners of Japanese shiatsu therapy, place the cups at various positions along the meridian lines. These are the same lines used in acupuncture. There are five meridians on the back and these are usually targeted, particularly the bladder meridian. Today, cupping is used for respiratory disease, as well as digestive and gynaecological disorders, headaches and dizziness, and lymphatic blockages. The common cold can be tackled with cupping, as can insomnia and, of course, soft tissue injuries. Gua Sha Gua Sha is a healing technique used by practitioners. It involves palpation and cutaneous stimulation where the skin is pressured, in strokes, by a round-edged instrument; that results in the appearance of small red petechiae called 'sha', that will fade in a couple of days. Raising Sha removes blood stagnation considered pathogenic, promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes. The patient experiences immediate relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chill, cough, nausea etc. What is ear acupuncture? The auricle of the ear is considered a complete microsystem of the human body. Ear or auricle acupuncture is stimulation of the special points, by needles or non- needle devices, on the external ears to alleviate pain, dysfunction and disease as represented and manifest throughout the body. What may I expect from the treatment? It energy Qi flow is restored, Yin-Yang starts to re-balance (which may be indicated by internal Chemical and hormone changes) and thus healing begins to take place. Most people may have experienced overall relaxation, symptom relief, and general well-being after the first few treatments. Occasionally the original symptoms may worsen for a few days, which usually should not cause concern, as they simply indicate that the acupuncture is starting to work and your body is in the transition of re-balancing process. How many treatments will I need? It varies depending on the quality and course of the diseases, and the individual responsiveness to the therapy. In general, For chronic and complex conditions, one to three treatments per week for several months may be recommended. For acute problems, fewer visits are usually required. An individualized treatment plan will be discussed according to your needs. Chinese herbal medicine An ancient and highly complex practice that uses the healing properties of medicinal plants for diagnosis and treatment. Herbal remedies are often used in teas and supplements, and are a powerful adjunct to acupuncture. The practitioner defines a treatment strategy using precise herbs based on the patient's age, gender, general condition, and immediate symptoms. |
A committee of the United Nation's World Health Organization has issued a list of over 30 diseases that lend themselves to treatment by acupuncture. Neurological and Musculo-Skeletal Disorders Headache and migraine, Trigeminal neuralgia, Facial palsy (early stage), Paresis following stroke, Peripheral neuropathies, Meniere's disease, Cervicobrachial syndrome, Nocturnal enuresis, "Frozen shoulder", "tennis elbow", Sciatica, Low back pain, Osteoarthritis. Respiratory System Acute sinusitis, Acute rhinitis, Common cold, Acute tonsillitis, Acute bronchitis, Bronchial asthma. Disorders of the Eye Acute conjunctivitis, Central retinitis, Cataract (without complications), Myopia (in children). Disorders of the Mouth Toothache, Post extraction pain, Gingivitis, Pharyngitis. Gastrointestinal Disorders Hiccough, Constipation, Gastric hyperacidity, Diarrhea, Gastritis, Chronic duodenal ulcer (pain relief), Acute duodenal ulcer (without complication). |
| What conditions may acupuncture help with. |