Orthopedics
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Orthopedic issues range from common conditions like osteoarthritis of the knee to more complex spinal issues like degenerative disc disease and foraminal stenosis. Acupuncture dovetails nicely into existing physical therapy programs by providing both an effective pain management tool as well as a long-term therapeutic benefit to the underlying condition. Patients looking to minimize western procedures or avoid surgery should seriously consider acupuncture as a first line non-invasive approach.
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Course of Treatment
A common treatment range is 6-12 treatments as the initial course of treatment. As a patient, you should see some positive change (25-50% improvement) in your condition during this initial course of treatment. Additional courses of treatment may be warranted, or you may consider acupuncture on a monthly basis as a long term approach to pain management or pain prevention. That said, if your condition does not clearly begin to improve during the initial course of treatment, you should seek alternative treatment options. The ideal outcome is complete resolution of your condition, but as acupuncture does not address mechanical issues, not all conditions will be completely resolved. Also, some conditions, because of their severity, require surgery. Acupuncture can aid in surgery recovery and treat idiopathic post-surgical nerve pain.
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How Acupuncture Addresses Orthopedic Issues
- Pain Management: Through a number of mechanisms (gate theory, endorphin response, tissue change) acupuncture can relieve short term pain and provide lasting relief.
- Circulatory Needle insertion stimulates local blood circulation and reminds to body to ‘pay attention’ to an area it may otherwise be neglecting or view as stable.
- Anti-inflammatory: Improved circulation allows the blood to draw away inflammatory factors (i.e. cytokines) that cause an inflammatory condition to persist.
Ted’s Clinical Training in Orthopedics
Board-certified in Acupuncture Orthopedics, Ted Ray, L.Ac. represents fewer than 1% of the acupuncturists nationwide to hold such a designation. Beyond extensive training in Traditional Chinese Medicine pain management techniques, Ted’s advanced orthopedic training includes orthopedic evaluation; clinical observation with neurology, radiology, orthopedic surgery, and podiatry; and education in Western orthopedics. All of this allows Ted to bring the best of both worlds to his patients: an understanding of Western diagnoses and terminology and TCM treatment approaches that are both effective and non-invasive.
Conditions treated include:
- Neck Pain
- Low Back Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Frozen Shoulder
- Spinal Stenosis
- Sciatica
- Arthritis
- Disc Impingement
- Radiculopathy
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Surgery Recovery