Acupuncture is becoming more and more popular with people seeking alternative therapies to drugs and surgeries. Acupuncture is a great treatment option for many people who are suffering, and the good news? Not only are there no negative side effects, but we often experience incredible benefits.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an Eastern practice that uses and improves the 12 channels or meridians of energy/life force (otherwise known as Qi — pronounced Chee) that flows throughout our bodies. The premise is that physical, emotional and chemical stresses that occur in our everyday lives cause blockages along these meridians, which eventually lead to the symptoms and diseases we suffer from. By inserting tiny needles at specific points along these pathways, one can remove the blockage, allow for our energy or life force to flow freely again and thus reduce disease processes and symptoms. It is not just exposure to stressors that play a role, but also the season of the year can affect our Qi. The colors you love, the emotions you feel, and the issues you suffer from are all determined by our Qi and are affected by where our blockages are along the pathways. In my experience acupuncture has proven to be as effective a treatment as any other western medicine modality for many of the disease processes and symptoms commonly suffered by my patients in my clinic.
Will it help me?
The amazing thing about acupuncture is that there are points that can help almost anything you can imagine. The question you are asking yourself right now is will it help me? The answer is acupuncture will likely have a positive effect on your body. Most people notice after a treatment that they feel they have more energy, they feel more relaxed and they breathe deeper and sleep better than usual.
Are the effects permanent?
Like anything else, treatment times depend on how chronic your ailments are and how your body heals. Attitude also plays a role. If you don’t believe acupuncture is helping, it probably won’t. Because its effects are somewhat subtle, your openness to seeing improvements depends on your preconceptions and expectations.
How fast will I see results?
Frequently people notice a difference after the 1st treatment. I don’t usually treat a specific ailment on the first treatment. Instead, I put in general points that seem to help most people. Once I know your body is ready to move on, I target the specific areas that are dysfunctional.
Who benefits from acupuncture?
I have had great success helping people with headaches, stress management, sleep issues and especially females with menstrual cycle issues/infertility. In my practice, I often turn to chiropractic first for treatment, but when chiropractic isn’t getting expected results, I always turn to acupuncture. I'm ever pleased and amazed with its ability to achieve the results we were previously missing. Acupuncture has given me unexpected results in some patients such as hyperhidrosis (excessively sweaty palms), or managing stress on the job.
Acupuncture is extremely beneficial in so many cases. If you are someone who has tried everything and can’t find the right help, this is a great avenue to explore. If you are someone who is suffering and doesn’t know where to begin but don’t want to try anything invasive, this is a great place to start. And if you are someone who is healthy and wants to stay that way, acupuncture is perfect for you.
You can bet, just like “there’s an app for that,” “there’s a point for that” too. My goal is to give you the tools to love the body you live in.
Dr. Melissa Wilke,chiropractor, triathlete, soccer coach
Dr. Melissa Wilke, is a board certified chiropractor, who “gives you the tools to love the body you live in.” She believes that everyone has the power of health within; it is her job to create a better environment for each body to heal themselves. She listens to the needs of each individual and uses a variety of techniques to help them achieve health. The founder of Wilke Chiropractic, Melissa has been treating and helping people for over 16 years. She attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada where she earned her Bachelor in Arts, Psychology, and the National University of Health Sciences where she received her Bachelor’s in Science, Human Biology and her Doctorate of Chiropractic in 2001. She currently lives near Chicago, where she's active in coaching her kids in soccer, running and racing triathlons and traveling with her family as time and opportunity allows. Follow Dr. Melissa on Facebook.