Q: What is acupuncture?
A: Acupunture is a 5,000 year old Chinese system of natural healing (No drugs... No surgery), which is concerned with restoring proper energy flow to the various organs, glands and tissues of the body on the premise that most diseases are the result of malfunction due to disrupted energies.

Explanations:
The Chinese definition of Health is "All parts of tile body functioning normally," all 400 trillion parts. If there is an interuption in the transmission of energy flow or life force (called ch'i in Chinese), then organ malfunction, disease, pain and suffering are inevitable.

Q: Where does the interruption of energy flow occur?
A: In either or both locations:

(1) In the channels of energy flow, which are located throughout the body, just beneath the skin surface;

(2) In the spinal column where the vertebrae may become misaligned, thereby compressing vital nerve trunks.

Q: Are there other causes of disease besides those associated with the interference of the transmission of energy flow?
A: Yes, of course, Psychosomatic states, hereditary factors, poisons, adverse environmental conditions, injury, germs, malnutrition, etc..., are all disease producing.

Q: How do you detect the disturbance in energy flow with a patient?
A: By many methods, including certain signs, symptoms, pain spots, organ reflex points, and by pulse or instrumental findings.

Q: Assuming I'm going to take acupuncture treatments, How are they performed?
A: First, the related skin points are determined. Then they are appropiately treated by one of over thirty methods of stimulation some of which are:

Q: What are some of the conditions commonly treated by acupuncture?
A: Textbook listed condtions run into the hundreds. Typical ailments usually responding to acupuncture health care includes: neuralgias, headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, tics, spasms, muscular rheumatism, neuralgia of the shoulders and arm, tennis elbow, osteoarthritis, rheumatism, ulcers, stomach problems, diarrhea, hepatitis, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, coughs, certain types of heart trouble, abnormal blood pressure, hemorrhoids, lumbago, bladder irritation, bed wetting, certain kidney problems, female disorders, impotence, glaucoma (sometimes), weak eyesight, hay fever, loss of smell, tonsillitis, loss of hearing, skin conditions, and even nervous or psychiatric factors based on the fact that often mental problems arise from physical disorders.

The above list may seem long as though acupuncture were a Panacea. The truth is that most textbooks list over two hundred diseases. Please be mindful of the fact that acupuncture is not like one drug used for one condition. On the contrary, it is a complete healing art within itself, concerned with the systems of the body such as nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, eliminatory, reproductive, hormonal, musculoskeletal, etc., and seeks to correct health problems withing those systems.

Q: Out of, say 10 patients accepted for acupuncture health care, How many usually respond favorably?
A: On the average, 8. Two out of ten fail to respond favorably for a variety of reasons. Advanced age, severity of the condtion, irreversible tissue damage, etc., are deterrents to recovery.

Q:Are spinal adjusting treatments necessary for acupuncture?
A: Absolutely. Spinal adjusting is part of the acupuncture health care. World authorities including Feliz Mann, M.D. of England; Paul Nogier, M.D. of France; and Kunzo Nagayama, M.D. of Japan are very empathetic of this aspect of "getting well." Dr. Mann states that many internal diseases are cured by the spinal adjustment alone. Leaving the adjustment (chiropractic) out of the treatment plan invites failure.

Q:Does acupuncture have another name?
A: Yes. In fact the word acupuncture is incorrect because it implies needles only. The proper wording is "Meridian Therapy," or Ching Lo Chi Liao in Chinese. It was named "acupuncture" in the 16th century by the Portugese sailors who knew no better. The wrong name stuck.

Q:In America, what kind of doctor should one go for this type of health care?
A: Any doctor (chiropractor, medical, or osteopath) who has had the proper training.

Any doctor who has not had the proper training is pretending to know something he/she does not, and by that definition is a quack. Just because a doctor happens to have a chiropractic, medical, or osteopathic degree does not mean he/she is qualified to do acupuncture. If he/she engages in practice, he/she is guilty of acupuncture malpractice. He/she must receive training and pass exams to certify competence. This protects the public.

Q:In Acupuncture (Meridian Therapy) are there other significant factors besides skin point stimulation and vetebral adjusting?
A: Yes, there are four laws to obey for those who desire health and longevity:

1. Proper nutrition
2. Adequate rest
3. Moderate exercise
4. A positive mental attitude

For more information, please Contact Us.

Siraguso Family Chiropractic

Chiropractic & Acupuncture
Our goal is your well being. Chiropractic and Acupuncture are not for the treatment of any disease, but rather for the enhancement of health resulting from the reduction of conditions that lower your resistance to disease.

Insurance Information
Most insurance plans are accepted at our office. Listed on our insurance page are some of the companies we accept. If you do not see your insurance provider listed, or are unsure of your coverage, do not hesistate to contact us.

Acute Back Pain : Acute low back pain generally lasts less than six months. A few cases may resolve without medical attention, although many reoccur.

Chronic Back Pain: Chronic low back pain generally persists beyond six months. If you are experiencing chronic back pain, you should seek medical attention. To get more information, please contact us.

Coccyx: Also known as the "tailbone". The coccyx are two to four tiny, partially fused vertebrae at the end of the sacrum.

Degenerative Disc Disease: Degeneration of the disc over time produces low-grade inflammation and irritation and is a major cause of chronic low back pain. Because the discs in the spine do not have a dedicated blood supply, the discs must rely on a process called diffusion to receive their supply of water, nutrients, and oxygen. If the flow of these elements is disrupted, the vertebrael discs can degenerate.

Herniated Disc : A condition in which part or all of the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disc is forced through a weakened part of the disc, resulting in back pain and nerve root irritation.

Lumbar: The lumbar (L) section of the spine consists of five large bones and intervertebrael discs that support most of the body's weight and absorb large amounts of stress.

Posterior Facet Syndrome: The facet joints can wear down. In such cases, a nerve can become pinched (impinged) and cause pain.

Processes: Each vertebra in the spine has a number of bony projections, known as processes. The spinal and transverse processes attach to the muscles in the back and act like little levers, allowing the spine to twist or bend. The particular processes form the joints between the vertebrae themselves, meeting together and interlocking at the facet joints.

Sacrum: The sacrum is below the lumbar region and is a shield-shaped bony structure that connects with the pelvis at the sacroiliac joints.

Sciatica: Sciatica refers to a pain felt along the length of the sciatic nerve. The pain is usually felt in the buttock where it radiates down the back of the leg. At some time, up to 40% of people experience pain caused by compression of this nerve.

Spine: The spine is a column of small bones, or vertebrae, that provides support and leverage to the entire body.

Spinal Canal: Each vertebra and its processes surround and protect an arch-shaped central opening. These arches, aligned to run down the spine, form the spinal canal, which encloses the spinal cord.

Spinal Cord: The spinal cord is the central trunk of nerves that connects the brain with the rest of the body. Each nerve root passes from the spinal column to other parts of the body through small openings bounded on one side by the disc and the other by the facets. When the spinal cord reaches the lumbar region, it splits into four bundled strands of nerve roots called the cauda equina (meaning horsetail in Latin).

Vertebrae: Vertebrae in the spinal column are separated from each other by small cushions of cartilage known as intervertebral discs. Inside each disc is a jelly-like substance called the nucleus pulposus, which is surrounded by a fibrous structure called the annulus. The disc is 80% water, which makes it very elastic. It has no blood supply of its own, however, but relies on nearby blood vessels to keep it nourished.

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