Whole Health Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

Acupuncture is completely safe when conducted by a licensed practitioner. In Maine, acupuncturists are required to attend a rigorous four-year Masters Degree program and pass state and national board exams prior to practicing. Although there are typically no side effects to acupuncture, a patient should be forthcoming in disclosing any medical conditions. Acupuncturists at Whole Health promote the highest standards of safety by complying with OSHA regulations, practicing universal precautions, and using only stainless steel, sterile, disposable needles.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the inspection of the tongue and palpation of the abdomen are very important in helping your acupuncturist to properly diagnose your condition. In tongue diagnosis, different areas of the tongue relate to various organ systems in the body. The color, coating, shape and texture of these areas of the tongue yield information about the state of your health. The tongue shows the depth and nature of an imbalance. For example, a yellow coating indicates internal heat, so appropriate points would be chosen to clear the heat. Practitioners also use the tongue as a measurement tool to gauge the progress of a disorder. Like the tongue, different parts of the abdomen pertain to different internal body functions.  Detecting tension in different areas of the abdomen allow a practitioner to correctly choose the appropriate treatment points. Prior to an acupuncture appointment, it is important not to eat or drink anything that will discolor the tongue and give a misleading impression to the practitioner.

According to Chinese medicine theory, acupuncture works primarily by promoting the free movement of energy, which acts to balance and harmonize the body. Western scientific research has shown that acupuncture causes the production of the morphine-like pain suppressing molecules in the body called endorphins. However, acupuncture is used for many other conditions besides pain. More recent research has provided explanations for how this works. These studies have shown that when an acupuncture needle is inserted into the body, specific regions of the brain are activated. This brain activation then allows regulation of other systems in the body primarily through the modulation of molecules such as neurotransmitters and hormones. Collectively scientific research has shown that acupuncture can modulate all the primary systems in the body including the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Current research is aimed at understanding exactly how this happens, and the nature and specific usage of the various acupuncture points for different medical conditions.

Acupuncture needles are much thinner than the regular needles used to inject substances like vaccines or insulin. The needles are so fine, that when an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin many patients feel only a mild sensation – or nothing at all! The amount of sensation varies between different point locations on the body and different people’s sensitivity level. It is essentially a painless experience, and is not stressful, even for people who dislike needles.

Chinese Herbal Medicine in an ancient system of healing using plants, animal products and minerals to help restore health.  Its theory, practice and herbal pharmacology has developed over several thousand years into a highly specific and systematic form of herbal medicine.  Chinese Herbal medicine in one of the most well developed forms of herbal medicine in the world.  Its popularity is growing and it is used extensively in treat a variety of health concerns from acute pain conditions to chronic internal medical conditions.  In the United States, it is often used in conjunction with acupuncture.

Rarely does Chinese herbal medicine use only one herb to restore health. Usually, the herbs are combined into formulas or prescriptions that are composed of several herbs.  A typical formula may have an average of ten different herbs.  The process of combining herbs allows the herbalist to customize a formula that is specific to your particular needs. This ability to tailor a formula to meet the needs of a particular client is one of the unique benefits of Chinese herbal medicine. Herbal prescriptions can come in various forms – pills, capsules, powders, tinctures and raw herbs that you boil at home.   At Whole Health, we use capsules and powders that you add to water and drink.  These methods of administrating herbs ensure convenience as well as effectiveness.

Chinese Medicine’s pharmacopoeia contains thousands of substances derived from plants, animals and minerals.  A typical Chinese Herbal pharmacy in the United States will have about two to three hundred different herbs that are used to combine into formulas.  The vast majority of the herbs are derived from the various parts of plants (roots, leaves, stem, bark, etc.).  Some are derived from animals such as oyster shells and others are minerals found in nature such as talcum.  Many of the herbs are common in a typical home kitchen.  For instance, cinnamon, ginger, scallions, cloves, orange peels and licorice are all commonly used herbs in Chinese formulas.

Yes, in certain instances, depending on the drugs and the herbs that are involved.While drug/herbal safety is addressed on a case by case basis, there are general principles that are followed.  Certain classes of herbs are to be avoided with certain classes of drugs.  For instance, herbs known as blood moving are to be avoided with blood thinning drugs such as coumadin, because their similar effects could create too strong of an effect.  

We at Whole Health are conservative when recommending herbs to patients taking prescription drugs.  If there is any reason to suspect a negative drug/herb interaction, we will forego prescribing herbs and address the patient’s health condition in other ways, such as acupuncture, and dietary counseling.