Medical Acupuncture:

Medical Acupuncture is the blending of 21st century medicine with the ancient Chinese Arts to treat a wide array of medical problems.  

I have gathered protocols using a combination of tissue manipulation techniques and medication management as outlined by the National Initiative on Pain Control TM.  The original techniques have been handed down from ancient Chinese acupuncture.  The modern versions of these tissue manipulation techniques are intended to cause the muscles to lengthen or "release" and align the joints. The released muslces causes less pull on the ligaments and the bony attachments and thus less pain. The common procedures are called trigger point injections and the lease common are called Prolotherapy and Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS). Trigger point injections and Prolotherapy uses hollow hypodermic needles and Intramuscular Stimulation uses regular solid acupuncture needles.  See the links below.

The pioneer of trigger point injections is Janet G. Travell, MD. She was President John F. Kennedy’s orthopedic surgeon who treated his pain without the standard surgical options!!       She comprised a two volume textbook set which instructs physicians on the management of myofacial pain. I wish each medical student were made to read and practice her protocols.  Medicine would be revolutionized!!  She used lidocaine/salt water/water in the syringe for injection into the muscle to get the muscles to release. http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/archives/collections/travell.html.

Another modern version of acupuncture is Intramuscular Stimulation or IMS, used by C. Chan Gunn, MD. He is a Canadian physician who uses the acupuncture needle in a more vigorous way to peck at the trigger points to get the muscles to release.http://www.istop.org/

Prolotherapy is a variation on Dr. Travell's techniques. Physicians use various chemicals in the syringe to inject into the muscles to "grow" connective tissue for the healing process. In the past doctors would use caustic chemicals. I use only a simple weak sugar solution. Information on prolotherapy can be found at http://arthritis.about.com/od/prolotherapy/  

And fnally William F. Craig, MD's CraigPENS, which adds electrical inputs into potent needle points. www.craigpens.com

New on the horizon is the use of "cold lasers" to penetrate the points.  So, no needle sticks! 

 http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/laserfacts.html#5

I use the the most powerful and advanced laser on the market, the THOR laser:

http://www.thorlaser.com/sports/index.htm

Examples of the illnesses effectively treated include:

• Headaches; migraines, cluster, rebound, tension, chronic daily, sinus and facial pain problems (Trigeminal Neuralgia).
• TMJ and jaw pain syndromes.
• Neck problems; torticollis, whiplash, cervical dystonia. Even thoracic outlet syndrome.
• Shoulder problems, any rotator cuff problems, bone spurs, tears of ligaments and frozen shoulder.
• Elbow, arm, wrist, and hand pain such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, or frozen shoulder,  and Rotator Cuff problems.
• Upper, middle and lower back pain, bulging or destroyed disc and stiffness even if you still have pain after surgery, failed spinal surgery. 
• Hip, knee, leg, ankle, and foot pain. 
• Arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, Rheumatism, and muscle strains.
• Fibromyalgia and other Myofacial Pain Syndromes. (Useful tool, http://www.mypressureproducts.com/ to get at trigger points)
• Neurologic pain symdromes like neuropathic pain, reflex sympathetic pain, and post-herpetic pain.

If you are interested in more information about acupuncture, check out:
Medical Acupuncture.org

Webring link: http://b.webring.com/hub?ring=acu