We live in a time of unrest; political, social, financial and resultant personal and interpersonal issues. And whether we want to admit it or recognize it, we are connected to others.
This connection may be invisible, like threads of energy from our minds, which is a bit ethereal for my tastes, or a more tangible connection such as through friends, friends of friends, jobs, community activities, coaching, playing sports, travel, and the list goes on and on. Six degrees of separation is a common phrase, and for good reason. Having said this, the escalating tension has a great many people stressed beyond their limits.
This leads to headaches, sleep disturbances, digestive problems, neurological issues, anxiety, depression and more. What can be done to help those who are taking on the problems of the World around them? Acupuncture is one tool that wields a great deal of power. How is this the case? Let’s take a look.
Acupuncture has been growing in popularity over the past 30 years, but especially in the past 15 years. There are a number of reasons, but the reality is that is works, and even more importantly, it offers a “right tool for the right job,” component that makes it the Swiss Army Knife of the medical world. What do I mean by right tool for the right job? Well, if you had to sink a nail into a piece of wood, you wouldn’t use a screw-driver to do so, would you? I hope not! You’d use a hammer if you had any sense. Unfortunately, we don’t use medicine this way, oftentimes. People go to the Doctor for things that the Doctor doesn’t treat all that well, but they simply aren’t trained to do anything differently. Except that that is changing now. More and more people are understanding that chronic health issues are best addressed by ACTIVE therapies like Chiropractic, Massage, Acupuncture, etc, and better yet, a SYSTEM of medicine that gets to the root of chronic health issues and addresses those roots, like Chinese and/or Natural Healthcare (Naturopathy).
Acupuncture works via different means. Some benefit from the natural painkillers released by the brain. These neurotransmitters help calm the nervous system, relax tissue, etc. Others are helped by the removal of blockages and the increased communication by the nervous and endocrine (hormonal) systems, and still others benefit from the increased removal of waste and unwanted debris and the new blood, nutrients and oxygen coming in to repair damaged tissue.
In 21 years in Practice, I have seen hundreds of cases, if not thousands, make marked progress where little to none was made, previously. I have watched stressed, anxious, angry, depressed, grieving, disheartened and otherwise emotionally distraught people come in, get evaluated, have some discussions with me, receive acupuncture and days, weeks or months later, admit to being very different people. There is nothing more gratifying then watching someone get their life back, but nothing more dramatic then watching a nay-sayer receive acupuncture and have their pain disappear (maybe for hours, days or sometimes for good) with the insertion of a needle or a few needles! The widening of the eyes, the exclamation, the questions…I love it…and so do they.
I have treated many combat Veterans and First Responders through the years. I find the experience of treating these people so rewarding, but it has also done something else for me, and that is watching the watchers and see how fast they turn into Patients when they see their buddies relaxing with the needles in! It is a powerful visual for them and makes them want that.
This down-regulating or balancing of the sympathetic nervous system happens quickly, and although we need to send that message a number of times (varies based on a number of factors), the effectiveness of acupuncture is recognized and felt very quickly by those in fight or flight.
Aside from regulating the nervous system, a great many other tasks may be identified and tackled throughout a treatment plan, but the key is to admit you have an issue, that you’re done ignoring it or maybe you’re not doing everything in your power, or you’ve been doing things that just aren’t working.
Get on it, make the call, and let’s get to work! And FYI, for the needle-phobes out there, Paul is trained in a number of effective modalities and has a number of Patients who opt-out of acupuncture.
The Balanced Path Wellness Center is at 89 Main St. Ste 304 in Medway, MA and is co-owned by Paul Gerst L.Ac. and Cindy Meeske LICSW. Or contact us here. For Acupuncture and Natural Healthcare, call Paul Gerst L.Ac. at 774-283-2726 and for Psychotherapy and Reiki, call Cindy Meeske LICSW at 774-573-1644