WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Simply put, acupuncture is an art of medicine that uses hair-thin filiform needles to stimulate human bio-electrical circulation, which is the basis for physical and non-physical function. Skillful stimulation of this energy circulation brings the body and mind back into natural balance, reducing or eliminating symptoms and optimizing functional holistic health.

Acupuncture is one modality in the 10,000 year-old healing art of Asian or Oriental medicine.  Needling techniques, point-selection, and of course diagnostic abilities vary widely with practitioners all over the world.  Many acupuncturists simply insert a few needles and leave them in the patient for 20-30 minutes without stimulating them.  Some of these practitioners get good results, others don’t. LoPriore Sensei has been practicing this medicine for nearly thirty years.  For the last five years, he has been developing and using a non-retention needling technique (meaning he does not leave the needles in for more than a few seconds).  His technique uses specific alignments, and gentle, subtle, precise manual stimulation on each point.  It is a refinement of his years in clinical practice, advanced internal medicine research, and studies of ancient acupuncture techniques rarely used nowadays.  Some of the benefits of his method of acupuncture are:

• An increase in the positive psychological, physical, and behavioral benefits of treatment

• The patient can move during and immediately after being treated, offering more comfort, and the availability of more of the hundreds of points for selection and use for the healing process.

• Gentler, more superficial needling

• Deeper relaxation after the treatment

Asian medical diagnosis comes in many forms.  Good diagnosis is crucial to treatment efficacy. Some practices of this medicine are simple systems of addressing symptoms. Others are quite complex and comprehensive. LoPriore Sensei’s eclectic system involves looking, listening, palpation, and conversation. Through these methods, he can diagnose the nature of symptoms, the patterns of yin and yang imbalances underlying and supporting the symptoms, and the constitutional mindset holding those imbalances in place.

This is why, in our practice, counseling and patient self-care education are essential forms of therapy. Ultimately, acupuncture “changes energy,” which optimizes our functional capacity and reduces or eliminates symptoms. This is accomplished through acupuncture needling, and also by counseling, herbal medication, and/or shiatsu bodywork therapy, in complementary ways.  Gentle and precise, this is powerful medicine.

Acupuncture has the amazing quality to help holistically where, quite often, western medicine cannot. We do no harm in the process. And maybe best of all, patients learn how to take care of themselves in the future so that symptoms do not return.

Essential Self-Care

In addition to acupuncture, Oriental medicine involves many essential self-care methods that can be learned by patients. Some are advisements on simple healthy lifestyle habits, for example,  drinking more water or less coffee or alcohol, quitting smoking, dietary changes, taking herbal formulas prescribed for your specific situation, more or better-quality sleep, basic breathing techniques, and self-acupressure.

Other self-care methods are more involved. These can include meditation and contemplation exercises, lifestyle changes, Japanese yoga, and internal energy-balancing exercises. As Headmaster of an 800-year-old Japanese wellness art, LoPriore Sensei offers weekly classes so that students can learn these more robust wellness methods.

All patients are offered the treatment and training that LoPriore Sensei believes they need based on their symptoms, their age and overall health picture, their budget, and their interest in self-care. Of course, the ones who put the greatest effort into their health benefit the most, but virtually all patients treated here are happy with their results.