I take ibuprofen for my back pain, medication for my hot flashes, migraine medication for my, well, migraines. You must know that all these pills give me heart burn so I’m taking an acid relieving medication, but this gave me constipation so I’m on a medicine for that too. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
What if I told you there was a way to treat all these things without daily medication? Would you willing to journey into the world of alternative medicine to alleviate the need for pharmaceuticals? If you are eyeballing your cluster of pill bottles warily and nodding in agreement, then it is time for us to talk about acupuncture.
First of all, while we, as Americans, are a little suspicious of anyone poking us with needles, Chinese medicine has been using acupuncture for centuries. If you have just mentally checked out with the mention of needles, stay with me a little longer. They are not the giant garden hose sized needles we use to draw blood, they are significantly smaller in diameter. Quite thin actually. These needles are placed in the skin at different parts of the body to help restore balance.
Acupuncture can be used to help treat many different conditions. It has been shown to be beneficial for migraines, back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic pain (think fibromyalgia), nausea related to chemotherapy, high blood pressure and more. It is actually being looked at right now as an alternative to opioids and for addiction treatments.
Does this mean that you will be able to come off every medication once you start receiving acupuncture? Of course not. There is unfortunately no such thing as a “cure-all” However, if it can lessen the amount of medication you take on a daily basis or lessen the amount of pain you are in, it is definitely worth a try.
If we have piqued your interest but you aren’t sure where to start, I’m about to make your day. We will be hosting a meet and learn session with Ece Yildirim from New Moon Acupuncture. She has worked in clinics all over Portland treating chronic illness and acute/chronic addiction recovery. She will be able to give you a little insight into what is involved with an acupuncture treatment and where to start should you wish to go forward. Check our calendar for dates and times. Hope to see you there.
Brooke Rieth NP
