Pain

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.

Bell’s Palsy Solutions

Bell’s Palsy is more common than you may think. If you’re lucky, it’s only temporary, lasting a few weeks, or up to 6 months. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, some experience bell’s palsy permanently.

Bell’s palsy creates a very noticeable paralysis of one side of the face with facial muscle weakness. Classically, it presents all of a sudden, worsening over 48 hours. Pain or discomfort occur, stemming from damage to the 7th cranial nerve of the face. It can occur at any age, but is most common age 15-60.

Symptoms include diminished ability to smile, squint, blink, or close the eyelid, headache, tearing, drooling, loss of feeling in the face, loss of taste in part of the tongue, sensitivity to sound, inability to close the eye.

Bell’s palsy is usually unknown cause, it is sometimes associated with:

Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Injury
Toxins
Lyme disease
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Sarcoidosis
Myasthenia gravis
Multiple Sclerosis
Infection (especially viruses, from Herpes simplex virus that causes “cold sores” to Covid, Influenza, etc.)

Traditionally, bell’s palsy is treated in western medicine possibly with steriods, antivirals, pain relievers, or physical therapy.

Acupuncture is a great option for speeding up the recovery of bell’s palsy.

At Cloud 9 Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine, we have over a 90% success rate in reversing Bell’s Palsy. However, we always begin with a consultation to determine if you are a good candidate for treatments.

With bell’s palsy, it is absolutely imperative to begin treatments as soon as possible. Once a patient has had bell’s palsy for over 18 months, it is much harder to reverse it, but not impossible, so be sure to call today.

Call 410-847-4766 to begin with a consultation and evaluation with our medical director today.

Trigeminal Neuralgia… Now there is Hope!

Approximately 15,000 new people are diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia each year. It is most common in people over 50, and more likely to happen to women than men, but is not usually genetic.

Unfortunately, Trigeminal Neuralgia is described as “insanely painful, severe condition” of the face, caused by the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve starts near the top of the ear, then splits into three areas: going towards the eye, cheek, and jaw. Usually trigeminal neuralgia presents on only one side of the face. The pain is often described as more painful than giving birth or passing a kidney stone.

Patients describe the facial pain as:

Stabbing
Electrical sensation
So severe the person cannot eat or drink
Comes on within seconds, but can last minutes or longer
Can be triggered by anything touching the face or teeth (shaving, applying makeup, brushing teeth, even the wind blowing on the face or water touching the face.

Trigeminal Neuralgia causes are not easily known, but some believe it can be caused by dental procedures, facial trauma, or a blood vessel pressing against the trigeminal nerve (vascular compression).

In rare cases, trigeminal neuralgia can be related to multiple sclerosis, a tumor, or possibly from postherpetic neuralgia (caused by shingles).

Traditional treatment for trigeminal neuralgia in western medicine is to use pain medications or invasive surgery, both with many potential side effects.

Now there is Hope. Cloud 9 Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine specializes in treating Trigeminal Neuralgia with over a 90% success rate in significantly reducing the pain in intensity and frequency, and many patients are able to manage their pain without medications after a series of specialized treatments, living fuller, happier lives without pain. The secret to our success is utilizing acupuncture combined with ATP Resonance BioTherapyTM, and O3 Regenerative TherapyTM.

To begin, Call 410-847-4766 for a comprehensive consultation to find out if you are a good candidate for treatment.

Acupuncture as an Alternative to Opioids

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, almost 50,000 people die every year from opioid overdoses, more than 10 million misuse opioids in a given year, and opioids are a factor in 72% of overdose deaths. You hear about the opioid crisis on the nightly news frequently but what can be done to help people deal with chronic pain (the reason they are likely taking the opioids in the first place). Can acupuncture really help? continue reading »

Acupuncture for Arthritis

Did you know? … Acupuncture treats Arthritis with fantastic results!

In the United States, 24% of all adults, or 58.5 million people, have arthritis. It is a leading cause of work disability, with annual costs for medical care and lost earnings of $303.5 billion

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory arthritis worldwide. Chronic pain leads patients to use complementary therapies, including acupuncture.

To quote webmd.com:

“What Conditions Might It Help Treat?

Acupuncture may be part of treatment for chronic pain, such as:

Arthritis
Low back, neck, or muscle pain
Pain after surgery”

Patients at Cloud 9 report feeling improvements in their arthritis sometimes beginning with the first session. It may take time to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis and joint damage, but it’s worth the time to try acupuncture and our integrative therapies. Cloud 9 offers Ozone Regenerative Therapy TM as well to reverse joint damage and produce a rejuvenating, anti-aging effect to the joints of the body. Essentially, “turning back the clock” to revitalize achy, stiff bones.

To begin, Call 410-847-4766 for a Consultation so our Medical Director may sit down with you and determine if you are a good candidate for the types of treatments our clinic offers.