Acupuncture in St. Augustine
Acupuncture vs. Medical Acupuncture vs. Dry Needling
Florida law states that if an acupuncture needle is inserted in the body, it is called acupuncture. Because it works so well, many other doctors and health care professionals are getting trained and certified (not licensed) to perform acupuncture.
So, what’s the difference?
“Real Acupuncture”
A licensed Acupuncture Physician completes a four-year master’s program with at least 2,700 hours of supervised training and passes national board exams. I went on to earn my doctorate (DAOM).
“Medical Acupuncture”
Chiropractors need 100 hours of training to be certified, and Florida law doesn’t set a required number of acupuncture training hours for medical doctors.
“Dry Needling”
In Florida, physical therapists can be certified after 50 hours of continuing education plus supervised practice, and chiropractors after 24 to 40 hours. Yet a Florida judge ruled in 2019 that dry needling meets the state’s definition of acupuncture.
If you needed surgery, you would want a surgeon with years of training rather than someone who took a short course. The same goes for the needles going into your body.
Whatever name it goes by (“dry needling” or “cutting-edge technology”), it’s still an acupuncture needle being inserted into your skin, and years of training make all the difference in how safely and effectively it’s done.
What Acupuncture Can Help With
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can treat a wide variety of conditions, including pain, headache, infertility, digestive problems, menstrual cramps, sports and work-related injuries, depression and anxiety, among others. It is also a wonderful adjunct therapy for speeding recovery from major trauma, surgery and stroke, treating the side effects of cancer chemotherapy, and enhancing the effectiveness of alcohol and substance abuse recovery programs. Best of all, it’s health care customized for YOU – it treats patients, not diseases, and it has wonderful side effects: it might increase your energy and make you feel happy 🙂
Want more? Read my 16 Reasons to Try Acupuncture Today (and not only because celebrities get it 🙂).
Some of the Conditions You Should Seek Acupuncture For
- Back pain
- Migraines
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Digestive problems
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Infertility
- Menstrual cramps / dysmenorrhea
- Menopausal hot flashes
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Sprains and strains
- Allergies
- Stroke rehabilitation (e.g., dysphagia)
- Cancer support
- Knee pain
See all conditions
- Addictions
- Autoimmune diseases
- Bell’s Palsy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chemotherapy-induced leukopenia
- Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain
- Cholesterol
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Chronic pain syndrome (e.g., RSD, facial pain)
- Constipation
- Erectile dysfunction
- Facial paralysis
- Frequent urination
- Hashimoto
- High blood pressure
- Injuries
- Intra-cerebral hemorrhage
- Irregular menstruation
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Osteoarthritis
- Pain
- Pain management
- Painful menstruation
- Palpitations
- Respiratory disorders
- Shoulder pain (e.g., bursitis)
- Smoking cessation
- Spasticity after stroke
- Stroke
- Tennis elbow / epicondylitis
- Tension headache
- Tic disorders
- Tinnitus
- Urinary incontinence
- Uterine fibroids
- Whiplash
Did You Know?
- Acupuncture became widely known in the United States after President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972.
- Under Florida law, acupuncture is a form of primary health care, and licensed acupuncturists practice as primary health care providers.
- The World Health Organization’s review of controlled clinical trials lists more than 100 conditions acupuncture has been studied for, including more than two dozen where it has been proven effective.
- In 1997, a National Institutes of Health panel found clear evidence that acupuncture relieves nausea after surgery and chemotherapy, as well as dental pain. The panel named many more conditions where it can help, including headaches, low back pain, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and tennis elbow.
See all facts
- Ötzi, a man frozen in the Alps more than 5,000 years ago, has tattoos that line up with traditional acupuncture points. Researchers published the finding in The Lancet in 1999, and it suggests a form of acupuncture was practiced in Europe thousands of years ago.
- In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reclassified acupuncture needles from experimental devices to regulated medical devices for licensed practitioners.
- In 2017, the American College of Physicians recommended that patients with low back pain try non-drug treatments such as acupuncture first, before medications.
- In 2001, an Air Force physician developed “Battlefield Acupuncture,” using tiny needles in the ear to relieve pain. It has been used with service members deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- In 2010, acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine were added to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
- A 2012 analysis of 29 clinical trials with nearly 18,000 patients concluded that acupuncture is “a reasonable referral option for patients with chronic pain.”
Curious how acupuncture actually works? Here’s the science behind the needle, from your body’s own endorphins to the newly discovered interstitium. You’ll find more articles on my blog, including 12 Surprising Facts About Acupuncture.
Every Treatment Includes
Biomat, infrared therapy and high-grade essential oils. Your first visit, including your full evaluation and treatment, is $210, and follow-up visits are $95 to $105. See what to expect at your first visit.