Acupuncture services are now available to students at Wright State Physicians Family Medicine.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment, based on returning the body to balance. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a healthy state of balance is between the forces of yin and yang. TCM says the reason for many conditions are due to unbalance, which is caused by blocked energy within the internal organs. The energy, known as qi, is pronounced “chee”, is what circulates throughout the system.
“The purpose of acupuncture is to unblock the qi and restore balance to the system,” Cynthia Olsen said, M.D, director of the practice’s acupuncture services. “Acupuncture is used for a variety of reasons, including the treatment of pre-existing disorders, the management of pain and other disturbing symptoms.”
According to Olsen, acupuncture can achieve results in cases that have not responded to modern Western medicine.
“Acupuncture has a low risk associated with it,” Olsen said. “It is relatively painless and is a drug-free way of managing a health problem.”
Several conditions can be treated with acupuncture, such as: abdominal pain, anxiety, chronic central pain syndrome, depression, headache, jaw pain, knee pain, low back pain, nausea and vomiting, neck pain, sciatica, shoulder pain and thoracic pain.
The standard acupuncture treatments starts at $90.
To prepare for an acupuncture appointment, there are many things patients should address, such as bringing a current list of medications, avoid arriving on an empty stomach or after a heavy meal, avoiding excessive caffeine or alcohol intake, not engaging in strenuous activity, not taking break-through pain medication, arriving in a peaceful state of mind and wearing loose clothing where arms and legs can be easily exposed.
Olsen has practiced family medicine and geriatrics for 25 years and has completed a course in combined TCM/Western acupuncture.
