John W. Orsborn, L.AC.

It depends upon what the root cause of the stress is. Symptoms are generally not the problem, but the expression of an underlying imbalance. Most symptoms can have three or more underlying syndromes which are potential causes of the manifestation. Differential diagnosis is the basis of this medicine... getting to the underlying cause and correcting the imbalance. Acupuncture is an excellent treatment modality to treat stress related syndromes. Many of my current patients are dealing with stress and anxiety due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

First of all, to make any behavior change, the person must want to do so and must give themselves a positive goal to work towards, i.e., not quit smoking as compared to getting health, breathing better, tasting food better, etc. When we posit a negative, we invariably turn back towards it. That's why it's important to have a positive goal to work towards.</p><p>As to acupuncture, one of the treatments is the NADA protocol (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association). Dr. Michael Smith, in 1974, began using this protocol to treat heroin addiction. He was dissatisfied with the protocol at that time of treating heroin addiction by giving the patient methadone. In other words, taking them off an illegal drug and putting them on a legal drug. This did nothing to address addiction. The NADA protocol is very successful in empowering and calming the patient, and not only has had high success rates, but is also the main protocol used by Acupuncturist Without Borders when they go to disaster areas to treat stress and PTSD. If your son truly wants to stop smoking and get healthier, I suggest you go to www.nccaom.org (the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) and find a practitioner who is board certified. Then call and see if they treat addiction and can help him get healthy.

During the first trimester, acupuncture is safe. From the second trimester on, there are specific points and areas of the body that are to be avoided during pregnancy. Your board certified acupuncturist should be aware of this. Acupuncture also helps stimulate labor if it is delayed, can help with a malpositioned fetus (breach), as well as pan during labor. Talk to your board certified acupuncturist.

Absolutely. Digestive disorders are a common problem corrected by acupuncture. All three of the symptoms you mention are very likely the result of the same syndrome in Chinese medicine, one which is fairly easy to correct.

Yes, GERD and acid reflux are common digestive disorders that I see in my clinic and are fairly easy to resolve.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of tiny, hair thin needles into specific points on the body. Acupressure is the manual stimulation of the same points without puncturing the skin. They both function by the same principles and are only different in application.

In general, treatment is determined by a few factors. What is the constitution of the patient? What is the problem, what caused it, what is the severity, and how long has it been occurring? This will help determine the prognosis for recovery. As to back pain, is it a structural problem or is it muscular? Depending on the severity of the problem, a maintenance program may be necessary after relieving the severity of the condition. However, the issue may be resolved and long-term treatment is not needed. I have patients I see weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or when they feel the need. Regular, long-term treatment should not be required to correct the issue, again, dependent upon the severity and duration of the problem.

Dr. Orsborn, A.P., D.O.M.