The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies over 40 medical conditions acupuncture effectively treats.

At PPIM, we may recommend Medical Acupuncture as part of your comprehensive treatment plan. Many are familiar with the use of acupuncture to treat issues such as post-operative pain and acute pain from injury and chronic conditions. But the effectiveness of acupuncture is not limited to pain management. The World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations identifies over 40 medical conditions acupuncture effectively treats, which includes migraines, allergies, digestive issues, infertility, and neurological conditions.

Acupuncture is believed to encourage the release of endorphins, natural painkillers that can also increase feelings of well-being. Acupressure, in which the same acupoints are stimulated by hand, may be effective in the same way, but usually to a lesser degree.

Medical Acupuncture can have profound positive effects on the human body.

Medical Acupuncture, when performed properly by a trained physician practitioner, can have profound positive effects on the human body. But like all things in nature, the body needs time to heal, especially if the disease is chronic. While seemingly miraculous cures are always a possibility after an acupuncture treatment, please do not expect that to be the norm. Oftentimes one or more follwo-up treatments may be necessary to treat a given medical condition and, as with all of our treatements, acupuncture will be most successful when paired with your efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. Successful healthcare is certainly a collaborative effort between our services and our patients’ decisions.

Accupuncture has few side effects, so it may be worth a try if you’re having tourble controlling pain with more conventional methods.

“I’ve heard of acupuncture, but what is “Medical Acupuncture””?

Medical acupuncture is performed by a specially trained physician with not only extensive understanding and background in traditional western medical principles, but also an understanding of eastern medicine. For nearly 3000 years, Chinese physicians have studied and practiced a very effective type of medicine which uses principals and techniques that our western healthcare system has only recently begun to understand and appreciate.

The use of herbal-abased therapies, the use of hands-on manual techniques, and the use of acupuncture, are well established and proven approaches that have been used successfully for thousands of years. Over the past half-century, this eastern medical model (often called “traditional Chinese Medicine”, or TCM) has been increasingly understood and accepted by western physicians. We are finding many uses for these proven techniques, and we are seeing the many exciting ways they can be applied to greatly enhance our care of our patients.

Dr. Denam has been trained in Medical Acupuncture at the Helms Institute of Medical Acupuncture.

Joseph Helms, MD traveled to France in 1973 to study with eminent European physicians who brought TCM and Chinese acupuncture to Europe. They began to incorporate these eastern medical principals into their framework of western medical understanding. Their studies found that TCM, particularly acupuncture, is not only compatible with  our western healthcare model, but can provide a much greater understanding of our patient’s maladies, and adds another very powerful tool in our medical armamentarium. Dr. Helms has taken the knowledge he gained from his studies in France, and over these past decades has developed a very comprehensive medical model that incorporates the concepts of TCM and acupuncture into our established western model. Many physicians from all over America and the world have come to study Dr. Helms’ approach, and like Dr. Denam, are incorporating his principals into their practices to provide better care for their patients.

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Through Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, or OMT, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine can use their hands to diagnose illness and injury. By realignment, restoration of normal structural mechanics, and other manual treatments, we encourage your body’s natural tendency toward self-healing. DOs have a keen understanding of how the body’s systems are interconnected and how each one affects the others. This is the holistic approach Osteopathic physicians are known for.

As part of their education, DOs receive special training in the musculoskeletal system, your body’s interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones. Using OMT, your DO can effectively treat your muscles and joints to relieve pain, promote healing and increase overall mobility. OMT is often used to treat muscle pain, but it can also help provide relief for patients with asthma, sinus disorders, chest congestion, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, and many other ailments. In many cases, OMT can be used to complement, or even replace, drugs or surgery.

By combining the latest advances in medical technology with OMT and other integrative methods, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are able to offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today.