Acupuncture

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture was first developed in China thousands of years ago and has since become an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. After a surge in its popularity in China during the mid-20th century, its use spread internationally. Its popularity among patients has continued to grow over recent decades, especially in the United States. 

While some physicians consider the evidence of acupuncture's benefits to be inconclusive, many patients see acupuncture as an effective and safe alternative to pain management in cases where other medical interventions have had little to no success.

What conditions could benefit from acupuncture?

Acupuncture is helpful for people who are suffering with digestive problems such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Bloating 
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Crohn’s disease 
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea and constipation

Acupuncture may also be beneficial to patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). 

What does acupuncture involve?

Dr. Gurevich can help you find the underlying cause of your pain—acupuncture being one of the ways she can pinpoint pain. At your initial appointment, she asks several questions to understand your health history and your current gastrointestinal health. 

Then, at your acupuncture session, she helps you get comfortable before inserting small needles into areas of your body. You can relax as the needles hold in place for a few minutes. 

You might experience some mild discomfort, but this is relieved after the needles are removed. After your acupuncture session, you can return to your daily activities right away and there’s no downtime. 

Will acupuncture hurt?

This is one of the biggest concerns for patients considering acupuncture for the first time. Patients often rarely feel any kind of sensation with some acupuncture techniques.

However, when undergoing traditional acupuncture, you should feel something as the needles are gently placed in your skin and removed. Patients generally describe this sensation as:

• Tingling
• Burning
• Heaviness
• Mild ache

Just keep in mind that any pain you experience should be mild and brief. And, if you feel any discomfort, you can let Dr. Gurevich know. 

To find out how acupuncture could relieve your gastrointestinal symptoms and help you find relief, call Open Wellness PDX today, or book an appointment online.