What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a form of medicine which dates back thousands of years, but is still evolving till this very day. The capacity for your body/mind heal itself is greater than anyone has ever told you. Tiny acupuncture needles, placed gently in very precise spots on your body, simply signal the body to heal itself to its own utmost ability. A needle on your wrist may signal the body to heal a stiff shoulder. A needle in your leg may signal your body to move chronic constipation. Usually a combination of several needles is used. You can read more from the National Institute of Health.
What needles do you use? Do they hurt?
Needles used in acupuncture are tiny. I also use a very light and shallow Japanese needling technique. Often, the patient may feel ‘De Qi’ (duh-chee), a distending sensation, which often means that the body has responded affirmatively to the needle, and the healing process is occurring. In trigger point therapy (sometimes known as ‘dry needling’, the most elementary form of acupuncture), I may use a longer needle to strategically stimulate trigger points or motor points in a muscle. In some cases, I may also apply gentle electrical (9-volt battery) stimulation to a pair of needles. Of course, needles come in sterile packaging, used once only, and then destroyed.
What about medical herbs?
Chinese herbal medicine is the oldest recorded system of herbology in the world. Some medical herbs are familiar to us, such as ginger and licorice. Other herbs are only found and harvested in very specific regions and climates in Asia. Minerals are also used in Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese herbal formulas are designed to gently bring the body/mind back to its own capacity of self-healing. Our training in the use of medical herbs is comprehensive; for example, we take into consideration the western pharmaceuticals the patient may be taking and adjust the herbs in our formulas accordingly, or choose not to use them at all.
Who is qualified to practice acupuncture and oriental medicine?
Although licensure laws vary from state to state, only Licensed Acupuncturists (L.Ac.) are qualified to make an accurate diagnosis and safely insert needles into a patient, and prescribe Chinese herbs. To become licensed, a practitioner must complete a 3000+ hour Masters program at an accredited college of acupuncture/oriental medicine, such as Southwest Acupuncture College, earn accreditation from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine after passing four national board exams, as well as earn a certification in Clean Needle Technique from the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. In short, the practitioner should have a Masters in Oriental Medicine, NCCAOM accreditation, and state licensure with the title ‘L.Ac.’ It is neither safe nor wise to accept acupuncture treatment from anyone without these qualifications, and you do so at your own risk.
Read more about who is and who is not qualified to perform acupuncture and dry needling.
What can you do without needles or herbs?
Plenty. I have extensive training in many forms of oriental physical therapy, such as tui-na, which aligns and adjusts joints and the spine in a gentle, harmless, holistic way. No force is used, and it is virtually risk-free. I am also trained in Shiatsu, Thai, and Burmese physical therapy. I usually integrate these into diagnosis and treatment of any illness. I also do medical cupping, as shown in the picture. This technique has been used for centuries all over the world, including China, Germany, Greece, Russia, and South America.
Is oriental medicine superior to western medicine?
No. There is no complete or perfect model of healthcare. If there were, there would be no sick people in the world. There is a time and place for acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and a time and place for western medical intervention and pharmaceutical drugs. I have benefited from and have a great respect for the miracles of modern medicine, surgery, and technology, and I will be the first to refer you to a specialist outside my area of expertise, should it be to your benefit. Your well-being is my greatest concern, and there is no place in civilized society for medical chauvinism.
Laith Naayem L.Ac., MSOM
Licensed Acupuncturist
New Windsor, NY
(845) 674-7639
We serve:
Orange County, Middletown, Port Jervis, Cornwall on Hudson, Florida, Greenwood Lake, Harriman, Highland Falls, Kiryas Joel, Maybrook, Montgomery, Otisville, South Blooming Grove, Tuxedo Park, Unionville, Walden, Warwick, Washingtonville, Woodbury, Chester, Crawford, Deerpark, Goshen, Greenville, Hamptonburgh, Highlands, Minisink, Monroe, Mount Hope, New Windsor, Newburgh, Tuxedo, Wallkill, Warwick, Wawayanda, Rockland County, Ramapo, Clarkstown, Orangetown, Haverstraw, Airmont, Chestnut Ridge, Grand View on Hudson, Hillburn, Kaser, Montebello, New Hempstead, New Square, Nyack, Piermont, Pomona, Sloatsburg, Spring Valley, Suffern, Tallman, Wesley Hills, West Haverstraw, Bardonia, Blauvelt, Centenary, Congers, Garnerville, Grassy Point, Hillcrest, Jones Point, Ladentown, Monsey, Mount Ivy, Nanuet, Nauraushaun, New York, New City, Orangeburg, Palisades, Pearl River, Rockland Lake, Sparkill, Stony Point, Tappan, Thiells, Tomkins Cove, Valley Cottage, Viola, Dutchess County, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Amenia, Beekman, Clinton, Dover, Fishkill, Hyde Park, La Grange, Milan, North East, Pawling, Pine Plains, Pleasant Valley, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Stanford, Union Vale, Wappinger, Washington, Ulster County, Denning, Ellenville, Esopus, Gardiner, Hardenburgh, Hurley, Kingston, Katrine, Lloyd, Marbletown, Marlborough, Milton, New Paltz, Olive, Plattekill, Rochester, Rosendale, Saugerties, Shandaken, Shawangunk, Ulster, Wawarsing, Woodstock, Bergen County, Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawn, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Mahwah Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milford North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, River Vale, Rochelle Park, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle Brook, Saddle River, Teaneck, Tenafly, Teterboro, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wallington, Washington Township, Westwood, Wood-Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Wyckoff, New Barbadoes, Saddle River, Franklin, Harrington, Lodi, Hohokus, Ho-Ho-Kus, Union Township, Orvil, Boiling Springs, Bergen, Eastwood , Overpeck
Current Research
Acupuncture research definitively proves that it is an effective treatment modality, especially for pain relief. This has been augmented by contributions from Georgetown University, Harvard Medical School, Tufts University, Emory University, University of California, and other prestigious institutions. In addition, endorsements from the American Academy of Physicians and inclusion within the USA Medicare system have added to both the acceptance and access to acupuncture. Medicare picked up acupuncture Read more...
read moreChemotherapy and Neuropathy
Acupuncture alleviates neuropathic symptoms due to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer survivors. A randomized-controlled trial was conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, Massachusetts). The results demonstrate that an 8-week intensive acupuncture protocol (18 sessions) greatly reduces pain intensity levels, pain interference, and average pain levels. The results also show significant improvements in CIPN-specific and general quality of life scores, Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Enhances Lactation
Acupuncture restores normal breast milk production to lactating mothers with low milk secretion levels. Research conducted at the Hanzhong Shanxi Hospital demonstrates that the application of a specific set of acupuncture points significantly boosts lactation quantities. In a controlled investigation of 116 women with deficient secretion of milk (hypogalactia, hypogalactorrhea), acupuncture successfully increased breast milk secretion from an average of 49.63 ml to 115.21 ml. In addition, lactating Read more...
read moreDry Needling is Acupuncture
“Dry needling is indistinguishable from acupuncture.” — American Medical Association (AMA) Here are the facts you really need to know about dry needling: 1. Dry needling is acupuncture. More specifically, dry needling is acupuncture that involves inserting an acupuncture needle (a U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA]-regulated medical device) through the skin and into an acupuncture point (a circumscribed area of muscle or connective tissue) Read more...
read moreCupping
Cupping by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (by using change in heat or by suctioning out air), so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. In some cases, the cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, causing a regional pulling of the skin and muscle (the Read more...
read moreMenstrual Pain Relieved with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
Acupuncture relieves menstrual pain and cramping. Researchers from the Xianning Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine investigated the efficacy of triple acupuncture with moxibustion for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. The research team concludes that triple acupuncture is significantly more effective than conventional acupuncture for the relief of menstrual pain and cramping. Triple acupuncture achieved a 96.7% total effective rate. Conventional acupuncture achieved a 90% total effective Read more...
read moreAcupuncture as an Adjunct to Anesthesia
Acupuncture as an adjunct to anesthesia. Interesting video. Read more [...]
read moreAcupuncture More Effective than NSAIDS for Neck Pain and Stiffness
Acupuncture relieves neck pain and improves range of motion. Chen et al. find acupuncture effective in alleviating cervical spondylosis, a painful disorder caused by intervertebral disc degeneration. Zeng et al. conclude that acupuncture alleviates cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy. The data demonstrates that acupuncture is more effective than NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Zhou et al. find acupuncture effective for the alleviation of pain after surgery to the cervical spine. Read more...
read moreAcupuncture and Herbal Medicine Beats Acyclovir for Shingles
Acupuncture combined with herbal medicine outperforms acyclovir for the treatment of shingles (herpes zoster). Acupuncture plus herbs has a significantly higher total effective rate for the treatment of shingles than acyclovir, an antiviral medication. Researchers document that acupuncture plus herbs is both safe and effective for relieving pain, reducing overall symptomatic presentations, and for the resolution of shingles. Researchers from Hubei Medicine College determined that acupuncture Read more...
read moreParkinson’s Treated with Acupuncture
Researchers confirm that acupuncture and other Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) procedures are effective Parkinson’s disease treatment modalities. Specialized TCM procedures demonstrating efficaciousness include scalp acupuncture, moxibustion, and acupotomy. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis and concluded that acupuncture significantly improves the overall condition of Parkinson’s disease patients. Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder characterized by tremors, Read more...
read more