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The Point of Return: Healing through Acupuncture
Imbalances in our body can lead to premature aging, injury, and disease. Pain is just one of the ways our body communicates that it is imbalanced. At Firm Body Evolution (FBE), we use acupuncture to balance your energy channels to relieve pain, promote health, enhance beauty and offer you hope in areas where conventional methods sometime fail.
Acupuncture has been used by the Chinese for 5,000 years as a primary method of healing physical and mental ailments. During the Chinese Communist Revolution in the mid-20th century, however, a great number of documents relating to acupuncture theory and practice were destroyed. Fortunately, some of this information and some techniques were preserved in the Korean application of acupuncture. Dr. Yasmin Harounian, L.Ac. (RI), our licensed acupuncturist and health practitioner, has studied both Korean and Chinese acupuncture - one of the several ways in which she has distinguished herself from her colleagues. Her extensive studies enable her to draw from a wealth of theories and practices to meet the needs of her clients. Approximately 80-100% of Dr. Harounian's patients experience improvements in their health as a direct result of her treatments.
If you are unfamiliar with the details of acupuncture, you are likely not alone. Although, acupuncture has been used mainly by the Chinese for 5,000 years as a primary method of healing for physical and mental ailments; it has only been used in the U.S. for about 30 years. Here are some quick facts that you might find interesting:
- In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed randomized controlled acupuncture studies and put their stamp of approval on acupuncture for treating numerous diseases.
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Studies have proven that acupuncture is very safe. For example, The York acupuncture safety study concluded that only 1 of every 1000 people had minimal adverse effects as a result of treatment. These effects included dizziness, perspiration or discomfort after treatment and were most likely due to low blood pressure. These symptoms resolved on their own.
- The York acupuncture safety study: Prospective survey of 34,000 treatments by traditional acupuncturists. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
- Acupuncture is not recommended for those with bleeding disorders or those on anticoagulants (blood thinners).
- Acupuncture does not interfere with conventional medical treatment. Many physicians are referring their patients to licensed acupuncturists to assist their patients on their healing journey.
We look forward to showing you through acupuncture the potential your body has to heal itself. Feel free to browse this page for more information about acupuncture or click here to book an appointment.
Preparing for Your Visit
When you are ready to book your appointment, click here.
Your Visit
Your initial visit will take about an hour and will consist of a consultation - including a medical history review - and your acupuncture treatment. Subsequent visits will typically be scheduled as 1-hour sessions, the amount of time needed for treatment. During your treatment, very thin, disposable needles are inserted into specific points on your body while you are lying on a comfortable table. The needles are so thin that they do not cause pain; however, you may feel a sensation similar to a hair being plucked or possibly some tingling or numbness. The needles are left in the body for 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the type of treatment that is offered.
The needles are not meant to draw blood, and only occasionally you will see a tiny drop of blood when they are removed. Our acupuncture services are usually performed over the course of a few weeks or months, depending on the condition being addressed. People typically become more relaxed during the course of a session and in subsequent sessions.
Relief from emotional, mental, and physical symptoms is common after being treated with acupuncture, and many people claim to experience inner life changes. A significant number of our clients return to us for treatment beyond what was initially sought.
Explore the tabs on this page (Benefits, Why It Works, Pricing, and Appointment) to learn more about our acupuncture services or book an appointment now to get started.
According to a 2001 study by the British Acupuncture Council of 132 acupuncture patients, researchers reported that,
- physical symptoms were relieved 75% of the time;
- emotional and mental symptoms were relieved 67% of the time;
- "inner life changes" were experienced by 54% and 27% patients felt major life changes; and
- during the course of their treatment, 42% of the patients decided to use acupuncture to treat another illness.
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2001 7(3):261-8.
Also, according to the World Health Organization,
- acupuncture is undoubtedly effective for 28 diseases, including headaches, post-operative surgical pain, post-operative dental pain and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting;
- acupuncture is effective for 63 diseases. This category includes stroke rehabilitation, chronic back pain, neck pain, sciatica, gastrointestinal disorders, lung conditions, tennis elbow, arthritis, gynecological issues and menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, some sports injuries, anxiety, depression, allergies, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and jaw pain. Nervous conditions and disorders of the eyes, nose and throat also fall under this category; and
- Western medicine cannot treat 9 diseases very well, so acupuncture is worth trying in those cases. Fibromyalgia and pain from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are included in this category.
Acupuncture: Review & Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials,
World Health Organization, Retrieved March 15, 2011.
Furthermore, acupuncture can be used for motor vehicle injuries (recovery), bladder infection, stress-related disorders, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, smoking addictions, constipation, diarrhea, Meniere's disease, obesity, weight control, infertility and many other conditions.
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Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the theory that every living person (or animal) has life force called chi, which circulates through the body and accesses over 300 "switching points" along the way. These acupuncture switching points can be switched on or off to affect the total vitality of the body including your energy levels and health. Illness is the result of an imbalance of the chi on one or more of the 14 different meridians that connect these points. When needles are inserted into these switching points in a particular manner, the energy flow can return to normal. Health and vitality is the result of balancing the chi on the meridians.
Science has discovered that acupuncture may affect several of the body's signaling systems. Western medicine is starting to understand the mechanisms leading to the positive results of acupuncture. For example, Eastern medicine has long understood that acupuncture often alleviates or eliminates pain; but Western medicine is now partly able to explain this in terms of endorphins being released by the body at needle point. Endorphins are neurotransmitters and are the same chemicals in the body that are responsible for the “runner's high.”
Western medicine has also begun studying acupuncture's ability to stimulate the nervous system and activate the body's extensive cell signaling system to control pain and the perception of pain. Signaling systems are complex and involve small proteins and chemicals such as neurotransmitters that are released at one site and travel to other locations to affect metabolism, hormone production, physiology, and brain chemistry. These systems are thought to be responsible for health, disease and recovery.
The micro-processes of how acupuncture is able to affect the body will likely continue to be elucidated by research; but the effectiveness of acupuncture is already receiving strong support in modern medicine as illustrated by the report from the World Health Organization Report, “Review & Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials” retrieved on March 15, 2011:
- Acupuncture is undoubtedly effective for 28 diseases, including headaches, post-operative surgical pain, post-operative dental pain and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting.
- Acupuncture is effective for 63 diseases. This category includes stroke rehabilitation, chronic back pain, neck pain, sciatica, gastrointestinal disorders, lung conditions, tennis elbow, arthritis, gynecological issues and menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, some sports injuries, anxiety, depression, allergies, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and jaw pain. Nervous conditions and disorders of the eyes, nose and throat also fall under this category.
- Western medicine cannot treat 9 diseases very well, so acupuncture is worth trying in those cases. Fibromyalgia and pain from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are included in this category.
Still, for many people, the thousands of years of history and positive personal testimonies remain the most convincing reasons for them to turn to acupuncture to assist them in healing. We welcome the opportunity to help balance your body's energy and to help restore you to your optimal health.
Make an appointment.
Please contact Dr. Harounian, L.Ac. (RI) at 310.652.5522 for pricing.
Please call Dr. Harounian, L.Ac. (RI) at 310.652.5522 to arrange an appointment.
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