general applications of acupuncture

In general, the acupuncture and Oriental Medicine therapies practiced at exhale excel in treating four main areas:

musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction
Using various methods, your acupuncturist can effectively treat acute sprains, strains and even minor tears of muscle, tendon and ligament. Problems with range of motion and flexibility may also be addressed, as well as injury due to trauma (such as automobile accidents, falls and sports related events) and pre- and post-surgical conditions. Chronic postural problems which contribute to many symptoms such as headache, neck stiffness, upper and lower back pain, and sciatica are also treated with our therapies.

stress management
Although seemingly counterintuitive, deep relaxation occurs as a side effect of the insertion of acupuncture needles. For that reason, exhale's acupuncture program excels at managing stress. Stress is a fact of life, and plays an important role in our day to day lives. However, the impact on your physiology is the same with good stress (ie. winning the lottery) as it is with bad stress (ie. your house burning down).

In our competitive environment, stress gets our adrenaline pumping and helps us maintain our edge. On the down side, the same stress that helps us perform certain activities has an overall negative impact on our bodies. Over time, it may manifest as insomnia, mental agitation and inappropriate displays of anger, or even depression in extreme cases. We may begin having trouble concentrating and staying on task. Stress can also cause imbalances with our systems of digestion and elimination, among other things.

Acupuncture offers many tools for the management of stress and its negative impact on your day to day performance. Combined with good nutrition, exercise and the other therapies available at exhale, you will be well prepared to not only survive your stress, but to thrive with it.

peak performance
In the view of acupuncture, the body's health and functionality depend on the unrestricted flow of Qi (chee). Qi is the equivalent to life energy, and sets the difference between the animate and the inanimate. When we are "out of balance," it takes every bit of our energy just to accomplish the simple tasks of daily life. Once we regain our energetic balance, we are able to function more economically, resulting in a net gain of usable energy.

intentional health and wellness
At its highest level, acupuncture and Oriental Medicine functions to support the patient's process as they seek to achieve wellness. While Western medicine describes wellness as "the absence of disease," Oriental medicine views it from a different perspective. Far from simply "not being sick," we see wellness as the highest state of health, where a person functions well in all aspects of life, including the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual. This medicine functions as a tool to help you gain personal understanding, insight and the functional ability to change, while helping you to identify and alter patterns and disharmonies that prevent you from experiencing health, wellbeing and happiness.