Acupuncture in Portland
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a healing modality using the insertion of fine gauged, solid needles to address a variety of health concerns. Originating thousands of years ago, acupuncture is a safe and effective method to address both internal diseases and musculoskeletal injury. Common reasons people seek acupuncture include injury recovery, pain management, neurological pain or weakness, gastrointestinal disease, or other disease processes like psoriasis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
- Read a statement on acupuncture for low back pain from the Society for Acupuncture Research
- Read a summary on acupuncture efficacy from the National Institute of Health
What is dry needling?
Dry needling is the use of solid needles to stimulate myofascial trigger points to decrease pain and restore proper muscle function. Trigger points are areas of the muscle that have contracted and radiate predictable patterns of discomfort to other areas of the body. The needle can stimulate the muscle to twitch, restoring proper blood flow, nerve communication, and reducing inflammation. Acupuncturists call trigger points “ahshi points” and consider dry needling to be one among many different needling styles.
What is animal acupuncture?
Animal acupuncture is also thousands of years old, beginning with the treatment of war horses on the battlefield. Today, acupuncture is used to help dogs for many of the same reasons humans seek treatment. In conjunction with low-level laser, acupuncture in dogs can be used to treat a variety of internal diseases as well as musculoskeletal injury and arthritis. Veterinary acupuncture is provided with a referral from the pet’s primary vet.
Common concerns addressed with animal acupuncture include lameness or pain, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, and neurological problems.
- See more on the history of animal acupuncture
