- Cloud 9 Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine22 West Padonia Rd. Suite A-203
Timonium, MD 21093 Follow Us!
Fibromyalgia
Acupuncture for Chronic Pain, Failed Surgeries, and Autoimmune Conditions
If you’re suffering from chronic pain, failed surgeries, or an autoimmune condition, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world struggle with these conditions, and they can be incredibly debilitating.
Traditional Western medicine often doesn’t offer much relief for these conditions. In some cases, surgery may be an option, but it’s not always successful. And even when surgery is successful, it often doesn’t address the underlying cause of the pain or condition.
That’s where acupuncture comes in. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine treatment that has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, failed surgeries, and autoimmune conditions.
Acupuncture works by stimulating specific points on the body with thin, stainless steel needles. This stimulation helps to improve the flow of qi, or vital energy, throughout the body. When the flow of qi is restored, the body is better able to heal itself and reduce pain and inflammation.
There is a growing body of scientific evidence to support the use of acupuncture for chronic pain, failed surgeries, and autoimmune conditions. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that acupuncture was effective in reducing pain and improving function in people with chronic low back pain.
Another study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that acupuncture was effective in reducing pain and improving quality of life in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
If you’re considering acupuncture for chronic pain, failed surgeries, or an autoimmune condition, it’s important to find a qualified acupuncturist. A qualified acupuncturist will have extensive training in Chinese medicine and will be able to assess your individual needs.
Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, failed surgeries, and autoimmune conditions. If you’re looking for a natural way to relieve your pain and improve your quality of life, acupuncture may be a good option for you.
The Best Way to Find the Best Acupuncture Clinic for You
Whether you’re suffering from low back pain, or neuropathy, infertility or headaches, you’ll want to find the best acupuncture clinic that suits your needs the best.
The very best way is to call and speak with the receptionist of your clinic of interest and ask them if they have experience in or specialize in your primary condition you are seeking care for. While most acupuncturists have trained extensively for 3-5 years in graduate level study acupuncture programs, and receive a Master’s degree or a Doctorate (also known as a Acupuncture Physician), it’s still best to work with an acupuncturist or clinic that has experienced success in treating your condition.
Some questions you can ask when you phone a prospective acupuncture clinic:
Has the acupuncturist treated my type of condition before?
What is the success rate of treating my condition at this clinic?
How many years of experience does the acupuncturist have?
Do you offer any additional therapies beyond acupuncture to help address my condition?
What can I expect during my first visit? (Is it just a consultation, or will I receive treatment that day?)
Most of our patients are referred by word of mouth, from former patients who have also experienced success. Our acupuncturist Dr. Laura Parks does specialize in chronic, complex conditions and has been practicing for over 13 years. She received her acupuncture doctorate from Five Branches University, and acupuncture masters from Maryland University of Integrative Health (formerly Tai Sophia). Dr. Parks has been treating Fertility patients for over 13 years and specializing in neuropathy for over 4 years, with over a 85% success rate.
Becoming Resilient to Stress
I once had to write an essay on the book, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” by Robert Sapolsky and I can summarize it to this day… The sympathetic nervous system elicits the “fight or flight” response. A third response is to freeze in place.
Modern humans often freeze in place, stall. Usually, we do not fight others or run (flight) like zebras run away from lions, but we just sit or stand in place, doing the same exact thing physically we were doing prior to the stress trigger. The cortisol elevates with the stressor, the adrenaline surges… and we sit (or stand) in place instead of using that fuel to launch into a sprint away from a predator (lion, tiger or bear, oh my!)
Zebras have no choice. They run or they die, or they run and die. Either way, they really must run. In turn, their bodies burn off the adrenaline surge and other stress hormones. This is why they do not get ulcers.
However, humans do get ulcers, because their ancient wiring “fight or flight” response designed to keep them alive during times of war with neighboring tribes, or being hunted by predators, simply goes off at very inopportune times… like when we’re stuck in traffic, or getting flack from our boss, or a friend phones with bad news … goes off, constantly, daily, sometimes multiple times per hour. This creates a cascade effect with the nervous system, the neuro-endocrine hormones and creates inflammation, extra body fat, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, anxiety, panic attacks, headaches, autoimmune disease, insomnia, and more. Everyone responds to stress differently.
Most people respond very well to acupuncture because it brings the nervous system and endocrine system into balance. Over time, with regular acupuncture treatment, patients become less triggered by stress as the “fight or flight” response becomes much more self-regulated.
What’s Our Medical Director Been Up To?
Have you heard? Our Medical Director, Laura Parks, M.Ac., L.Ac. went back to school and will be graduating at the end of April 2023 with her Doctorate in Acupuncture. 13 years after graduating with her Masters degree in Acupuncture, we’ll be calling “Dr. Laura” to the clinic with all her new wisdom on how to help patients.
Here’s what she had to say about her doctorate experience so far: “It’s been so great studying advanced, complex conditions like Lyme’s disease, advanced fertility and gynecological issues, pediatrics, and autoimmune conditions, weighing in with some of the most brilliant minds in the country. Last semester I got to celebrate getting straight A’s in all my classes while juggling family life and running a very busy clinic, all while completing medical internships, studying modern acupuncture research, and learning from live case studies. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to take my training to the next level and serve thousands of patients in the future with this centuries old medicine.”
We can’t wait to see what the future holds upon completing her doctorate this April!
If you’re interested in working with our Medical Director, Laura Parks, this spring, give us a call at 410-847-4766.
Why You Should Choose Acupuncture to Treat Fibromyalgia
According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, fibromyalgia is one of the most chronic pain conditions. They say, “the disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3%-6% of the world population. While it is most prevalent in women (75%-90% of people who have fibromyalgia are women), it also occurs in men and children of all ethnic groups.” continue reading