Ms. Beverly Lawrence, L.AC., C.A.HT.

This has no simple answer. Yes, sometimes. That said it can lead to worsening conditions like bronchitis. The in faction could spread. There are herbs that will get rid of the infection in most cases. You can also add fresh ginger and fresh garlic to your diet. This can help get rid of infections and in many cases prevent them.

Yes, it is very good at releasing knots. The addition of cupping and/or Tui Na (Chinese Massage) will also help to release the knots.

Yes, the liver, unlike other organs, can rejuvenate itself as long as the damage is not too severe. First, one must change their diet. Bad fats like vegetable oils which damage the liver as does fructose and alcohol. It is important to only use good fats like real olive oil, coconut oil, and contrary to conventional wisdom even butter from cows that were free-range and grass fed. Fruit must be limited (fresh lemon is OK) and no foods containing fructose or especially high fructose corn syrup should be eaten. Some suggest a dairy free diet. My experience is that while most dairy is not good for the liver it is because the dairy is from cows that have been raised in modern agricultural ways and given antibiotics and vaccines.

There is an herbal formula from Evergreen Herbs called Cholisma (ES) that is particularly good for fatty liver and helps to heal the liver over time. This is along slow process. It did not get damaged overnight, and it will take time to heal so it is a life changing process, not a quick and easy process. You will need a professional to order the formula for you. Other herbs you can use are Milk Thistle that is readily available at most health food stores.

It is also important to stop all alcohol consumption as well as recreational drugs including marijuana. Long term use of marijuana is not good for the body. Smoking and vaping of any kind must be stopped. Any medications that are not needed should also be discontinued, contact your medical professional about this. If necessary, they may prescribe a different medication if the one being taken is not helpful in healing the liver. The liver must process all medications so knowing the affect a medication has on the liver is important.

Avoid over the counter medications as much as possible, most are not as safe as one might think. Find alternatives to pain killers, digestive issues, and cold/flu remedies. You may need to consult an appropriate healthcare professional to know what is best for you to take as an alternative.

It is also important to reduce your stress levels, drink plenty or clean, non-fluoridated water, get adequate exercise and sunlight, and get a good night’s sleep. It is when we are asleep that the body heals itself.

It is not recommended. Sometimes it prevents the healing to fully integrate. Just because the needles are out does not mean the healing is not still happening. It is best to rest after a treatment and do some self-care.

Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is great for low back pain (LBP).

First, the cause must be determined. There are many causes from trauma, organ issues, channel issues, intestinal issues, emotional issues, and the list goes on.

With TCM we treat the whole body and not just the symptoms. Clearly, you want the pain to stop but you also do not want it to return.

There are many tools that an acupuncturist may use depending on the severity, cause, and how long the condition has existed. This may include acupuncture, heat, herbs, e-stim, cupping, Gua Sha ( scraping), Tui Na (Chinese massage), and other therapies depending on the acupuncturist's training.

Occasionally the patient may also need the services of a chiropractor when there are spine alignment issues.

All acupuncturists are trained to treat pain conditions. Just make sure they have L.Ac. after their name. There are other practitioners who are not fully trained but their board allows them to use acupuncture needles. Unfortunately, they are not fully trained. The WHO requires at least 1800 hours of training but many other practitioners only have 30-100 hours of training. Some Naturopaths have about 300 hours of training. So make sure they have L.Ac. after their name to ensure they have the full 1800 hour minimum of training.

The short answer is yes. First the spine must be stretched out to try and pull the herniated disc back in pace as much as possible. For this you many need a Physical Therapist or a Chiropractor. They have the proper equipment to do this. Then use acupuncture with herbs. The acupuncture will reduce the pain, combine with elector stimulation to help the nerves, and the herbs to nourish the disc. The discs flatten with age which causes the herniation. The herbs will send more blood to the area and the disc will regain some of its fluid volume and them stay in place easier.

There are a number of reasons that acupuncture can hurt.
The first is that the person is dehydrated. Make sure he drinks at least 8 ounces of water before going to the acupuncturist (no soda or coffee or anything with caffeine as it dehydrates people). Also make sure he has proper electrolytes.
Another reason is fibromyalgia (FMS). Trauma can sometimes bring this on. It would take too much to explain FMS here – he would require a change of diet and boost his immune system. It is curable.
Finally, it is completely emotional. When the skin breaks out it can be either Wood or Air elements which represent anger or grief respectively. My guess would be anger. Wood is the Liver Gallbladder. Does he drink or do any drugs? Has he had any therapy to deal with the accident.
Many times an accident can cause PTSD. He may need help with this.
Without actually seeing the person and doing a tongue and pulse diagnosis it is impossible to tell the real underlying cause but 80% of the time there is always a significant emotional element to all conditions. Deal with the emotions first and sometimes the physical issues just go away.

Yes, RLS can be treated once the underlying cause is determined. Generally, is it a dietary deficiency, frequently magnesium but there can be other causes.

There is an herbal formula I prescribe for this that usually helps, Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang or Chinese Peony & Licorice. Because it only has two ingredients most people can take the formula even when they are on various medications that would be contraindicated with herbs.

That said, I once had a patient come in with RLS and I immediately knew it was Parkinsons and referred him back to his primary care physician. This condition may be helped with acupuncture, but it can only be diagnosed and treated with Western medicine. This is why getting a professional diagnosis is always important.

With Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) of which acupuncture is one treatment style we use out of many, we treat the whole person and not just the symptom. Western medicine would just give you a painkiller and not treat the underlying condition. We would look at the cause of the pain and there are many possibilities. What part of the leg (which side, intensity, character, how long it has hurt, is it constant or intermittent…)? We also look at other symptoms. Just treating the pain will not fix it. We easily treat pain, that is easy, but we do not want the pain to come back so we need to identify the underlying cause and also treat that. With leg pain, there are a myriad of conditions that can cause the pain, including nerve damage or even hip alignment. Sometimes the patient also needs to see a chiropractor to get the spine and bones properly aligned. Depending on the side of the leg and the depth of the pain (skin level, muscle level, nerve level, etc., will determine which channel or Meridian is affected. It may just be a block in the channel.

The short answer is yes, usually.

People are well trained by Western medicine to only think of symptoms since all it does is suppress symptoms. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that most people just call acupuncture, we look at the underlying cause of the problem. A headache can have many causes. Some insignificant to extremely serious. In most cases, TCM (which includes many different procedures including acupuncture and herbs) will treat the cause of headaches to eliminate them. In very serious cases we may need to refer you to a Medical professional. So, the answer is it depends. In all cases, acupuncture can facilitate any medical procedures that may be required in serious cases.

Chronic headache is just a symptom. We would need to determine the underlying cause and treat that. Otherwise, the headaches will just keep coming back. There are many reasons for having headaches from simple things like allergies to very complex and serious things like a brain tumor. I would suggest you get a diagnosis right away. Acupuncture can certainly make the headache go away, but it will not last until the underlying cause is determined and healed. An acupuncturist can do a diagnosis and if it is very serious, they will refer you to the appropriate medical professional. If it is something we can treat, Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat many conditions, then they will work on relieving the pain and also treat the underlying cause of the headache at the same time.

In my experience, it is very successful. It may take a few treatments but generally, it works well. It is also great immediately before and immediately after invitro fertilization to ensure that it is successful. There are statistics showing its efficacy. It is best when both parties are treated and not just the female.

Allergic rhinitis is a symptom. With TCM we treat the whole person. We would need to look at the underlying condition that allows allergic rhinitis to occur. Acupuncture can lessen the symptoms but the underlying condition must also be treated or the symptoms will not go away permanently. There can be many underlying reasons for this condition. An acupuncturist will have to do a proper diagnosis and analysis to know how best to treat the condition.

Acupressure may help to relieve pain temporarily, but it is not a long-term solution but a temporary stopgap until a full acupuncture treatment is available.

Acupuncture is only one type of modality that acupuncturists use. Frequently we use other treatment styles with acupuncture, called layering for our treatments. For nerve pain e-Stim, or microcurrent may also be needed. This is frequently the case with nerve pain. It depends on the type of nerve, the location, how long the pain has been there, as well as the underlying cause as to the exact treatments that may be needed.

Definitely, acupuncture can help with insomnia. First, we need to determine the underlying cause. Many times, it is just stress but frequently there may be other causes. Some causes can be environmental, life style, or diet related. Occasionally there may be an underlying health issue or a need to detoxify the body. We would treat the underlying cause, make recommendations if there are external aggravating factors, and make any suggestions related to diet. We would also use acupuncture points that are known to help people sleep in general. In some cases, herbs may be prescribed to be used on occasion when getting to sleep is difficult, this frequently happens at times of high stress.

As will all pain, it depends on the cause. From over work, one treatment and some rest. If it is sprained or over stretched, it takes much longer. If it is nerve pain, then the cause of the nerve impingement must also be fixed. If the pain is due to either organ or channel issues, then it depends on what is causing it and how long it will take to resolve the issue. For example, shoulder pain, especially right shoulder or even frozen shoulder, is frequently caused by liver issues. It takes time to fix the lever and usually requires lifestyle and diet changes as well. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), of which acupuncture is only one part, treats the whole person, not just the symptoms. You did not indicate which muscle, how long it has been hurting, or if you know the cause (trauma, sudden onset, slowly getting worse, and many other factors). All of this information needs to be collected in order to properly diagnose and treat any pain or condition.

The first question is the term “licensed professional”. Was this an L.Ac., Licensed acupuncturist, or someone else? The acupuncturist should have immediately treated the numbness from the treatment, at least I would have. Second, six weeks is way too long. You need e-stim to fix the numbness, the longer you wait the worse the prognosis. It sounds as if the needle hit a nerve. This happens and can easily be fixed if treated right away. If you went to a licensed acupuncturist, then call them back and go in to get it fixed. If it was not a licensed acupuncturist then contact one and get it fixed right away.

This is not normal. You should have immediately reported this to the acupuncturist so they could fix it for you. Call now and go back. Acupuncture moves the energy in the body. It gets “stuck”, we call it blockages. We clear the block and move the energy. Clearly, you had more than one blockage and that just needs to also be cleared. Only two needles for the treatment indicates to me that you did not go to an actual acupuncturist. Licensed acupuncturists that are fully trained will have L.Ac. after their name. Frequently MDs, DCs, and PTs in some states will also do acupuncture. They have only limited training. If this is the case call a licensed acupuncturist and they can clear the block and help with the dizziness. With acupuncture we treat the symptoms and the underlying cause. This will always take more than 2 needles. Only in rare cases would I only use a couple of needles on a patient, four at a minimum.

With Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), in which acupuncture is only one of the modalities we use, can treat almost everything that Western Medicine treats. For emergencies or life threatening conditions I suggest Western medicine first then TCM for recovery. So, the sort answer is yes. The long answer is that in TCM we look at the whole person and treat the underlying cause and not just the symptoms. Why do you have gastritis? Is it diet, emotions, lifestyle, or other causes. You may need to change your diet, lifestyle, or work on emotions, etc. For the treatment you may also need herbs as well as acupuncture. I give all my patients microcurrent with their treatment, sacred music, and sometimes essential oils. Each acupuncturist uses a mis of tools depending on the diagnosis and the underlying cause of the problem.