Acupuncture Calgary

Conditions Recognized as Treatable with Acupuncture by the World Health Organization (WHO):

Neurological

• Headache: tension, migraine, cluster, mixed.
• Meniere’s syndrome
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Sciatica
• Disk problems
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
• Stroke residual

Musculo-Skeletal

• Pain, swelling, stiffness and weakness in neck, shoulder, arms, hands, fingers, back, knees, and feet.
• Localized traumatic injuries, sprains, strains, tendonitis, contractures.
• All forms of arthritis.
• Fibromyalgia.
• Work and sports related injuries.

Cardiovascular:

• Essential hypertension (as complementary treatment)

Eye, Ear, Nose, Dental

• Allergic conjunctivitis
• Visual changes related to some neurological diseases
• Tinnitus
• Tonsillitis
• Tooth Pain
• Post extraction pain
• Gingivitis

Gastro-Intestinal

• Esophageal spasms
• GERD
• Hyperacidity of stomach
• Ulcer pain (palliative only)
• Irritable bowel and colitis
• Benign diarrhea and; constipation

Gynecological

• Infertility (Not WHO recognized. Clinical experience proves effective.)
• PMS.
• Dysmenorrhea.
• Menopause syndrome.
• Benign irregular menstruation.
• Benign amenorrhea.

Psychological

• Depression
• Anxiety
• OCD
• PTSD
• Somatization disorder
• Hypersomnia
• Insomnia

Sinusitis

• Common cold
• Allergic rhinitis
• Bronchitis
• Asthma

Other

• Withdrawal from street and; pharmacological drugs & tobaccos
• Appetite suppression

The National Institute of Health (NIH) in 1999 approved and recommended acupuncture for treating the following conditions:

• Inflammation
• Edema from trauma
• Pain: neuralgia, paresthesia, s/p surgical pain
• Nausea and vomiting associated with cancer treatment
• Asthma
• Conditions that respond to NSAIDS, narcotics, TCA’s, physical therapy, intermuscular or interarticular injections, or surgery for pain-related conditions.

Yes, Extensive and thorough research has documented and verified the benefits of acupuncture. In more recent years, research has been conducted in light of modern Western methods & models.

Alberta Health Care does not cover acupuncture. However, most company benefits cover acupuncture when treatment is provided through a Registered Acupuncturist. You may contact human resources department or the insurance company for the details, including the coverage amount for each session, and a year, what the cut off day of the year is, if a medical referral is required etc..

Yes, acupuncture is safe. The practice of acupuncture in Alberta is regulated by the Health Disciplines Act. This Act assures the public that acupuncturists are capable of practicing competently and safely, and are accountable under provincial legislation for their practice. The protocols are followed if it is practiced by a Provincial Government licensed acupuncturist. Licensed Acupuncturist must pass the government examination for knowledge not only in bringing good result but also in modern safety issues.

Acupuncture doesn’t hurt on most of the acupoints on the body although you may have slight sensation of soreness, distension or warmth etc. The acupuncture needles used are very thin.  In general, ten to twenty acupuncture needles can fit into one ordinary hypodermic needle that’s used to draw blood.

Our clinic also offers auricular acupuncture which can be practiced with ear-beads adhered on the acupuncture points on outer ears. This technique is most effective on treating anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, colitis, depression, hay fever, addictions, e.g. alcohol, drugs etc., headaches, hiatus hernia, indigestion, insomnia, migraine, obesity, P.M.S., sciatica, shingles, sinusitis, stopping smoking, tendonitis, tennis elbow & general musculo-skeletal pain. In addition, acupressure, tuina, cupping and scraping are also common modalities to treat certain conditions without using needles.

You probably will get different answers if different practitioners are asked. We hope you deem our answer just 1 of them.

Our body has a greatest healing power named HOMEOSTASIS, which means SELF-BALANCING. The body will be in illness when it is out of balance due to the loss of its homeostasis function. Acupuncture restores the function of homeostasis back to the body. This philosophy has been incorporated in Chinese medicine to treat Chinese with all kind of diseases for more than two thousand years.