The main modality at Creekside Acupuncture & Natural Medicine is acupuncture. In addition to acupuncture, targeted massage, gua sha, cupping, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, lifestyle counseling, nutritional counseling, and guidance on stretching may also be incorportated.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years and is used by millions of people around the world. Acupuncture works by stimulating the body's ability to heal itself. Human beings have an innate capacity to heal when the body is supported. Acupuncture stimulates the immune, endocrine, nervous and other systems of the body to optimize a person's own healing ability. In this way acupuncture can both work by itself and in conjunction with other medical treatments.

Numerous research studies have shown that acupuncture is effective. Here are a few:

• Acupuncture boosts effectiveness of standard medical care for chronic pain, depression

• Acupuncture Provides True Pain Relief in Study

• Acupuncture Outperforms Drugs For Infertility, Promotes Pregnancy

• Chinese Medicine Demystified : How Acupuncture Works

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine has a long history dating back some 4000 years. Chinese herbal medicine has been under constant development and refinement. Mastery of Chinese herbal medicine is a life-long pursuit. It involves the knowledge of hundreds of herbs and formulae. In most cases herbs are not used alone but in combination, with a prescription centering around a main ingredient. The formula may consist of 10-15 or more ingredients, each having a functional relationship to the others. One of the advantages of putting together a prescription of individual dry herbs is that the prescription can be created specifically for each patient and adjusted on a regular basis in relation to improvement or change in the patient’s condition.

Herbal prescription begins with the classification of herbal ingredients according to their essential nature and primary effects. To formulate a prescription for a specific syndrome or condition, the doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine must be able to first translate symptoms and signs into patterns of disharmony. In this process it is essential to be able to differentiate between ingredients which manifest in similar effects. The final prescription is then based upon the nature of the herbs used, the nature of the disease to be treated, along with the patient’s own physical condition.

This prescription of dry ingredients is soaked in water and then cooked into a tea. Chinese herbs can also be prescribed and taken as powder or pill.