Acupuncture Center Chicago Square Logo

Call (312) 863-0731 For An Appointment

17 N. Wabash Ave. Ste 678 Chicago, IL 60602

Acupuncture Center Chicago Square Logo

17 N. Wabash Ave. Ste 678 Chicago, IL 60602

What Can Acupuncture Provide Relief For?

As our population ages and the cost of healthcare continues to rise, patients are seeking out options when it comes to managing their health care.  Known for centuries to offer stress relief, help manage pain, and more, acupuncture is an option patients and physicians are increasingly turning to as an alternative to traditional medicine.

While acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years in China, it was only introduced to the United States in 1971.  The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture centers around inserting thin needles into specific nerve points around the body in order to affect the flow of energy, or “qi” (pronounced “chee”), throughout the body. Typical treatment sessions are between 30-45 minutes and involve inserting sterile, single-use needles around various nerve clumps on the body.  Sometimes the needles will be electrically stimulated or heated after insertion.  For those patients afraid of needles, fear not as the needles are nothing like hypodermic needles doctors and nurses use as they do not cut the skin.  Treatments are relatively painless, have few side effects, and can be combined with other treatments.  Patients should note that they often will require several acupuncture treatment sessions before results are noticed and that results will vary.

While some are quick to write off acupuncture as mythical-sounding, there is some science behind the practice.  Since acupuncture works to improve circulation of the overall body, inserting needles in specific areas of concern is believed to allow more oxygen to flow to the underlying tissues while ridding inflammation and aiding nerve regeneration.  This stimulation of the nerves also causes your body to produce and release more of its own self-healing endorphins which can allow the patient to feel euphoric, or happy, and feel less pain.  While acupuncture itself is not responsible for these feel good chemical releases, it can work higher up the chain to affect the pituitary gland to produce extra hormones.

Pain management is one of the primary reasons patients seek acupuncture treatment but there are a wide variety of other issues that acupuncture can help with.  Reducing or eliminating dependency on narcotic medications, such as opioids, to treat injuries or ailments is one example.  Acupuncture, when used in conjunction with IVF, has also been shown to increase a woman’s chance of getting pregnant by 65%.  Treatment of allergies, headaches, blood pressure, depression and anxiety, and digestion issues are other common reasons patients seek acupuncture treatments.  There is also some evidence that due to the boost the immune system receives, acupuncture treatments can help with autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Despite being introduced to the United States less than 50 years ago, acupuncture is rapidly gaining acceptance and becoming more mainstream in Western medicine and society.  Hospitals are more frequently incorporating acupuncture into treatment plans.  Some major insurance carriers have expanded coverage to include acupuncture.  And even some zoos are now using acupuncture to treat their animals.  So for people looking for alternative treatment options to replace or supplement traditional medicine, acupuncture could be worth investigating.