Our services at Turning Point

Traditional Chinese Medicine is the product of traditional and western doctors in China pooling their knowledge into an integrated approach to health care in the mid-20th century. In China many of the hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing have western and traditional medicine working side-by-side blending the best of both fields. The schools in the united states that teach acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are based on the model developed in China to treat its citizens using traditional medicine alongside western medicine. Originally this was to allow the Chinese healthcare system the capacity to care for the millions of citizens that were now being governed by the PRC, but over time this merging of the two traditions became its own form of healthcare. Today it is now quite common to see Chinese medicine in the form of acupuncture being offered in all the major hospitals in the United States, as well as being a vital part of most integrated approaches to healthcare in America. Acupuncture has become so popular due to its safety and effectiveness that it is now the leading new therapy offered by Physical Therapist (called dry needling) and by many dentists. Unique to acupuncture practiced by licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.) is the exclusive use of the electroacupuncture (EAC) modality, only an L.Ac. can legally perform EAC in California.

Acupuncture for pain, inflammation, and healing: In the practice of orthopedic acupuncture, principally, we are trying to locate which tissues are involved in pain. It has been shown that in cases when x-rays reveal some pathology such as degenerative disc disease, bulging disc, osteoarthritis, etc., the source of pain can usually be traced to tension, or imbalance in the muscular system. A physical assessment is performed, and the tissue lesion(s) are located, which often forms knots or bands called a “trigger points” that are involved in your pain, 2-4 needles are placed into the flawed muscles. Then an electrical acupuncture device is connected to the needles, which will make the needles gently and painlessly vibrate. This vibration has an anti-spasmodic effect and will work to release the tension in these taut muscles, while also inducing the delivery of endogenous opiates to help mediate the discomfort. Typically, within 2-3 visits you will experience relief from your pain. There are some conditions that respond more slowly, but in typical cases within 4 visits we will know your rate of response, and whether acupuncture can benefit you.

Chinese herbal medicine has been prescribed and refined for many centuries. The first herbalist in Chinese history is Shennong, who is said to have researched hundreds of herbs and recorded his findings. The Shennong Emperor’s Classic of Materia Medica, the first Chinese manual on pharmacology, lists more than 365 medicines and dates to the 1st century A.D. during the Han Dynasty. Many Chinese herbs used could be quite common or familiar to you. Some of them include ginseng (Ren Shen), cinnamon (Rou Gui), and ginger (Sheng Jiang). The basic concept of Chinese medicine is to promote and maintain a balance in your body (Homeostasis). Each herb or herbal formula can influence your body in one direction or another, often referred to as balancing the bodies Yin and Yang. Chinese herbal medicine is especially effective in treating chronic and stubborn conditions.