Mr. John Rybak, L.AC.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for osteoarthritis in many joints including the ankles.
The National Institutes of Health have recommended acupuncture for osteoarthritis and many other conditions since the 1990’s.
We can further explore how and why acupuncture works if you are interested. I always recommend finding an acupuncturist that has experience with orthopedic acupuncture and takes a holistic approach.

Absolutely. You can fly after acupuncture. I have heard of acupuncturists even giving treatments in emergency situations while in flight. The only limitations I recommend for patients seeking help from pain conditions is moderate exercise. In other words, rather than pushing for an “heavy day” at the gym, or thar extra mile, go ahead and work out but take it easy. Same goes for libations and temperature exposure, avoid extremes for 24 hours following acupuncture.
One of the reason for that is that acupuncture is shown to restructure connective tissue and we are trying to create a new and better ‘muscle memory’ away from the primary complaint.
Great question! Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help!

That’s a great question. Acupuncture can help relieve the pain, neuropathy, and muscle spasms that are common when people have herniated discs. There is not any evidence that acupuncture can “fix” a herniated disc. I have seen patients become asymptomatic with minor disc herniations. And acupuncture has been shown to reduce pain, reduce the need for pain medications, and increase function until patients can get scheduled for surgery. Then after surgery many orthopedic surgeons and patients are happily surprised how quickly they recover with acupuncture.