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Acupuncture is an ancient medical practice that has been delivering documented and positive results for a multitude of conditions. This practice has taken place for thousands of years and has been a reliable source of treatment for many ailments. Acupuncture is done by inserting needles into the skin at specific points on the body helping to correct imbalances and restore the natural flow of the body’s energies, thus returning you to a more natural state of well-being.

Evidence for the Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Back Pain


The National Institute of Health (NIH) has published a number of studies that show acupuncture is quite effective as a pain management therapy. They have demonstrated that it is effective in treating neck, back, and joint pain in a multitude of studies.

In their examination of treating chronic pain using acupuncture, the NIH concluded that, “Acupuncture appears to be a reasonable option for people with chronic pain to consider.” They found that those undergoing treatment during the study had positive results and subsided pain. According to PracticalPainManagement.com, “A review article found pain relief using acupuncture comes from deactivating the source of pain, modulating endorphin levels.” Even WebMD.com writes that, a “[…] recent review of 22 acupuncture studies showed that it provided short-term relief from chronic back pain.”



This implies that alongside acupuncture treatment, eating well and taking care of your body in other ways such as eating well and exercising regularly can help your back pain.

Pain Relief is Just One Benefit of Acupuncture


For those suffering from long term, chronic pain – only one thing matters: relief. Chronic pain can degrade the quality of a person’s life, and make day to day activity unbearable. Those who suffer from it can lose their ability to work, and often lose the desire to do the things they enjoy.

Effective pain management can absolutely improve a person’s quality of life. While western pain relievers do work, the side effects and risk of addiction make them sub optimal. The job of the acupuncturist is to address chronic pain and offer a non-addictive, non-westernpain relief option. Acupuncture is safe, natural and drug-free.

When we consider the ability of acupuncture to decrease the need for opiates and other dangerous painkillers, it’s easy to see how acupuncture not only relieves pain, but also saves lives.

Give us a call today if you or a loved one is suffering from back pain.

Measuring only four inches in length, the gallbladder is an organ small in comparison to many other organs in the human body. It can be found under the liver in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile. Bile is a combination of fat, fluids and cholesterol that helps break down fat from the food we eat. The bile is then secreted into the small intestine allowing fat-soluble vitamins to be more easily absorbed by the body. And even though the gallbladder has a very specific function, it is not vital for life, as the liver actually produces bile.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the gallbladder has several other functions too. The gallbladder governs decision making and planning. It affects dreams and it controls the sinews of the body. The gallbladder is responsible for passion, action and assertiveness.

Many people have problems with their gallbladders. This is usually caused by one of two main conditions, poor diet or excessive stress. A person who experiences severe chronic stress and couples that with poor eating habits, can easily become sick. Greasy, rich or spicy foods combined with added stress lead to inflammation in the gallbladder, as well as stagnation that can contribute to the formation of gallstones.

There are some acupuncture points that can be very beneficial when dealing with gallbladder-related issues. Here are five of the most commonly used:

· Gallbladder 34 – This point is located on the outer aspect of the lower leg, in the depression in front of and below the head of the fibula. Gallbladder 34 is the command point of the joints and sinews, which makes it a great choice for relieving pain, especially in the lower extremities. It is also used to address hemiplegia, lateral costal pain, bitter taste in the mouth, vomiting and jaundice.

· Liver 14 – Located bilaterally on the abdomen, directly below the nipple, four thumb-breadths from the midline, in the sixth intercostal space. Liver 14 promotes the smooth flow of liver Qi and benefits the digestive tract. This point is also useful to address depression, distention and pain in the chest and hypochondrium, as well as abdominal distention, hiccup, and acid regurgitation

· Urinary Bladder 18 – This point is located bilaterally on either side of the spine, at the lower border of the ninth thoracic vertebra, about one and a half thumb-breadths from the spine. This point benefits liver Qi and decreases anger and irritability. ANd is indicated to help with pain in the hypochondrium, jaundice, eye diseases, vomiting, epistaxis, manic psychosis, and back pain.

· Gallbladder 43 – Located bilaterally on the outer edge of the top of the foot, just proximal to the margin of the web between the fourth and fifth toes. Gallbladder 43 is a great point for resolving damp heat in the gallbladder, which is often caused by eating too much greasy or fatty food. This is a good point to use for somebody suffering from gallstone pain, headache, dizziness, redness, swelling and pain of the eye, tinnitus, deafness, mastitis, pain in the hypochondrium, and febrile disease

· Liver 3 – This point is located bilaterally on the top of the foot, in the depression about one thumb-breadth from the edge of the webbing between the first and second toes. Liver 3 is one of the most widely used acupuncture points. It is used to treat lower abdominal fullness, jaundice and distention of the lateral costal region, where the gallbladder is located. And can also treat various headaches, vertigo, redness, swelling and pain of the eye, wry face, depression, pain in the hypochondrium, abdominal distention, hiccup, weakness, numbness and pain of the lower extremities, difficulty in walking, irregular menstruation, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, hernia, enuresis, epilepsy, and infantile convulsions.

Any of these points can be used alone or in conjunction with others. They can be manually stimulated using pressure from a finger or a dull, rounded tool. But for best effects, it is recommended that acupuncture be applied.

But as with any medical modality, it is important to talk with us before treating or diagnosing yourself. Give us a call if you have any questions.