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We are very proud to have M.D. & Ph.D. Caiping Tang providing Acupuncture services at Smik Chiropractic. Dr. Tang is the most accomplished and experienced Acupuncturist in the area.
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Natural healing with Acupuncture - Caiping Tang L. Ac. PhD
Neurological and musculoskeletal, such as headache, migraine, sciatic neuralgia, facial paralysis, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s disease, trigeminal neuralgia, intercostals neuralgia, peripheral neuropathy, rheumatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, cervical syndrome, backache, shoulder pain, tennis elbow, disk Problem Sports injury
Psychiatric & Emotional, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, neurasthema, drug addition, attention deficit hyperactive disorder
Gastrointestinal, such as chronic fatigue, irritable bowel movement syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, hiccup and nausea
Gynecological, such as irregular menstruation, dysmenorrheal cramps, leucorrhea, menopause, infertility, PMS, endometriosis, sexual dysfunction, reverse breech birth
Immune dysfunction and endocrine, such as allergies, lupus, Lyme’s disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, obesity and weight control
Cardiovascular disorders, such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, palpitations, coronary heart diseases, angina
Dermatological disorders, such as rashes, psoriasis, acne, hives, and itching, hives, facial rejuvenation, reduce wrinkles
What Is Acupuncture
How widely is acupuncture used in the United States?
What does acupuncture feel like?
How much will acupuncture cost?
Will it be covered by my insurance?
What should I expect during my first visit? Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000
years ago, making it one of the oldest and most commonly used medical
procedures in the world. It is important to inform all of your health care
providers about any treatment that you are using or considering, including
acupuncture. Ask about the treatment procedures that will be used
and their likelihood of success for your condition or disease. Be an informed consumer and find out what scientific
studies have been done on the effectiveness of acupuncture for your
health condition. If you decide to use acupuncture, choose the practitioner
with care. Also check with your insurer to see if the services will
be covered. Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used
medical procedures in the world. Originating in China more than 2,000
years ago, acupuncture began to become better known in the United States
in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors
in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery. The term acupuncture describes a family of procedures
involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of
techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions
from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique
that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin
with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or
by electrical stimulation. How widely is acupuncture used in the United States?
In the past two decades, acupuncture has
grown in popularity in the United States. The report from a Consensus
Development Conference on Acupuncture held at the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) in 1997 stated that acupuncture is being "widely" practiced--by
thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners--for
relief or prevention of pain and for various other health conditions.
According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey--the largest and
most comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) use by American adults to date--an estimated 8.2 million
U.S. adults had ever used acupuncture, and an estimated 2.1 million U.S.
adults had used acupuncture in the previous year. What does acupuncture feel like?
Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid,
and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel
no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized
by treatment, while others feel relaxed.
Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the
needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment.
This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture
practitioner. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996.
The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they
be labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only. Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture
have been reported to the FDA in light of the millions of people treated
each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications
have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper
delivery of treatments. Practitioners should use a new set of disposable
needles taken from a sealed package for each patient and should swab treatment
sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles. When
not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects,
including infections and punctured organs. According to the NIH Consensus Statement
on Acupuncture, there have been many studies on acupuncture's potential
usefulness, but results have been mixed because of complexities with study
design and size, as well as difficulties with choosing and using placebos
or sham acupuncture. However, promising results have emerged, showing
efficacy of acupuncture, for example, in adult postoperative and chemotherapy
nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other
situations--such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual
cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain,
osteoarthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma--in
which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable
alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. An NCCAM-funded
study recently showed that acupuncture provides pain relief, improves
function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, and serves as an
effective complement to standard care. Further
research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions
will be useful. NIH has funded a variety of research projects on acupuncture.
These grants have been funded by NCCAM, its predecessor the Office of
Alternative Medicine, and other NIH institutes and centers. Read the NIH
Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, to learn what scientific experts
have said about the use and effectiveness of acupuncture for a variety
of conditions. Acupuncture is one of the key components
of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance
of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the
cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited,
or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health
is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease
is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads
to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways
known as meridians. It is believed that there
are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more
than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them. Preclinical studies have documented
acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how
acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine
that is commonly practiced in the United States.
It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating
the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals
such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body.
In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry
by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus,
affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation
and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes
that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.15,16 How much will acupuncture cost?
A practitioner should inform you about
the estimated number of treatments needed and how much each will cost.
If this information is not provided, ask for it. Treatment may take place
over a few days or for several weeks or more. Physician acupuncturists
may charge more than nonphysician practitioners. Will it be covered by my insurance?
Acupuncture is one of the CAM therapies
that are more commonly covered by insurance. However, you should check
with your insurer before you start treatment to see whether acupuncture
will be covered for your condition and, if so, to what extent. Some insurance
plans require preauthorization for acupuncture. (For more information,
see NCCAM's fact sheet "Consumer Financial
Issues in Complementary and Alternative Medicine") What should I expect during my first visit?
During your first office visit, the practitioner
may ask you at length about your health condition, lifestyle, and behavior.
The practitioner will want to obtain a complete picture of your treatment
needs and behaviors that may contribute to your condition. Inform the
acupuncturist about all treatments or medications you are taking and all
medical conditions you have. References: http://nccam.nih.gov/