Acupuncture for Chronic Disease

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we determine how a person's body is balanced in our own way, often using interrogation (asking questions about all aspects of a person's health), tongue and pulse diagnosis, and other observations. In this way, we can diagnose the root cause that is contributing to the symptoms someone is experiencing and work on improving both the symptoms and the underlying imbalance.

If you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness in Western medicine, please let us know so that we can have a better understanding of your health goals, your medications, and the treatment plans you've established with other practitioners, but keep in mind that the diagnosis alone is not what will not determine our course of action as we view the body in a different way. People with the same Western diagnosis may have different imbalances from the TCM perspective and will receive different treatments designed specifically for them. 

In TCM our goal is to manage symptoms while also treating the underlying imbalance that is causing them. With chronic disease especially, this can be a long process because most patients have already reached advanced stages of imbalance by the time they come in to see us. Your Licensed Acupuncturist will most likely recommend regular treatments over an extended period of time with continued maintenance treatments after the symptoms have been managed. Diet therapy and lifestyle choices are especially helpful in the long-term, and herbal medicine may be suggested as well if needed.

Cancer is a special case: If you're receiving Western medical treatments for cancer (i.e. chemotherapy or radiation), acupuncture can significantly decrease side effects like nausea, anxiety, fatigue, and pain and help strengthen the body to fight the cancer on its own. If you decide to forego Western medical treatment after consulting with your doctors about your choices, do careful research into the different options offered in complementary medicine. At Beachside Community Acupuncture we don't recommend TCM as the sole treatment for cancer. Our clinic emphasizes patient empowerment in which we guide our patients back to health by giving them the tools they need to make their own healthy choices. Cancer often requires more careful monitoring by health professionals, and our philosophy of gentle guidance doesn't involve micromanaging. If you'd like to use TCM more aggressively, there are hospitals in Asia where herbal medicine and acupuncture are primary means for treating cancer, and you may find Licensed Acupuncturists in America who specialize in oncology and have access to stronger herbs.  Healing centers like Hippocrates Health Institute also provide a variety of holistic treatments, including acupuncture, that can help the body heal itself while keeping you on a schedule full of healthful activities.