I gave a talk to a group of nurse practitioners at the VA hospital in Phoenix this past week. The talk covered an introduction to acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine theory followed by the use of acupuncture to treat a large variety of health issues.   Specifically, we discussed the specific mechanisms how acupuncture works to address certain diseases by:

-Decreasing pain by stimulating natural pain-killers including beta-endorphins.

-Improving the immune system by increasing certain white blood cells,

-Decreasing inflammation by changing cytokine levels

-Curing depression/addiction/PTSD by altering neurotransmitter levels like dopamine and serotonin

-Lowering hot-flashes and osteoporosis by altering hormones and cytokine levels.

Understanding these mechanisms and being able to explain them has been really helpful in teaching both patients and other health practitioners the wide applications of acupuncture and its legitimate role in today’s healthcare.

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Craig Amrine is a licensed acupuncturist and expert on cold-laser therapy.  He can be reached through his website at Hidden Rhythm Acupuncture by clicking HERE.

 

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