This article answers questions about what acupuncture and functional medicine actually are.
A. Acupuncture is the insertion of tiny, solid
needles into the body at specific points called “acupoints” that are usually
found along energy lines in the body called “meridians” or “channels.”
Acupuncture is a therapeutic modality within Chinese Medicine, which was
developed over 2,000 years ago and continues to evolve. There are multiple
different “systems” and schools of thought within the practice of acupuncture
in much the same way that there are multiple different styles of martial arts.
Some acupuncturists specialize in particular styles of acupuncture. If you want
to try
acupuncture in Del Mar, CA, be sure to ask your acupuncturist what style of acupuncture
she/he practices. This could make for an interesting and enlightening
conversation!
Q. What is functional medicine?
A. Functional Medicine is a modern method of
healthcare that focuses on finding the underlying causes of diseases and their
symptoms. It utilizes advanced methods of objective laboratory diagnosis that
are more in-depth than what a conventional doctor would order. For instance,
instead of diagnosing you with a disease such as migraine headaches or
rheumatoid arthritis, and then prescribing a pain killer for the migraines and
a steroid drug for the RA, a functional medicine practitioner would conduct
further testing to uncover the root cause of the migraines and the rheumatoid
arthritis. An organic acids test can uncover hidden food sensitivities and
nutritional deficiencies not picked up by a food allergy test or a standard
blood test. A salivary hormone panel may discover adrenal hypo-function that is
not apparent upon a single blood measurement of morning cortisol. A fatty acids
panel might find that you have an imbalance of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids,
therefore causing widespread inflammation and pain. These are just a few
examples of tests that a functional medicine practitioner may perform. Many
health conditions can then be reversed with targeted nutritional and herbal
supplementation over a period of three to six months. Ask about functional
medicine diagnostics when you get acupuncture in Del Mar, CA
.
