Shingles is a common medical problem that western medicine has little answer for. When a painful shingles outbreak occurs, most people seek anti-viral medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs and in some cases steroids like cortisone. In many cases, stress is the culprit. In all cases, the varicella virus that causes chicken pox, that lies dormant in the nerve roots, gets activated and causes pain, redness and swelling. Typically after a case of shingles, the problem will not reoccur. But when a person has shingles, the inflammation and pain can affect the torso, the upper body or even the head. I have seen cases around the eye, and that can cause extreme pain and often worries the patient.
Acupuncture and Shingles at the Blue Ridge Clinic
Acupuncture can be very effective for a shingles outbreak and I have had many successes treating shingles over the years. I recently had a patient with a severe outbreak across her torso: you can see this in the photograph. After one acupuncture treatment, the pain disappeared and the inflammation was dramatically reduced. Acupuncture uses very fine stainless steel disposable needles to treat inflammation and pain. Acupuncture is also very effective at reduces stress and helping a person achieve balance and health. Give us a call if you would like to use acupuncture for shingles.
