ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT IN ASHEVILLE
Acupuncture treatment is a central therapy within Classical Chinese Medicine, used for thousands of years to relieve pain, ease stress and anxiety, improve function, and restore balance. At our Asheville acupuncture clinic, your treatment plan is personalized to your condition and goals, drawing on decades of experience and clinical training in both China and the U.S.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture treatment is the insertion of very fine, stainless steel needles into specific points on the body. The needles are single-use and are disposed of after treatment. Most people are pleasantly surprised to find that acupuncture does not hurt, and that the experience of receiving an acupuncture treatment is actually very relaxing. Many patients fall asleep on the treatment table or feel a deep sense of calm as the body releases endorphins — the nervous system’s natural pain-relieving chemicals.
Acupuncture supports the body’s natural systems of regulation, helping improve circulation, enhance nerve signaling, calm inflammation, and restore healthy balance. These effects allow acupuncture to promote healing on multiple levels
DOES Acupuncture Work?
In 2012, a landmark meta-analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health reviewed data from more than 18,000 patients and concluded that acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. The findings were significant enough to be reported by major news outlets, including
The New York Times.
More recent research continues to confirm acupuncture’s effectiveness. A 2022 systematic review found that for
nonspecific chronic low back pain, acupuncture combined with standard therapy produced clinically meaningful reductions in pain compared to standard therapy alone.
A 2021 meta-analysis on
acute low back pain also found that acupuncture reduced pain scores and decreased the use of pain medications more effectively than standard care alone.
Research continues to expand beyond pain conditions. Studies also show benefits for
anxiety,
headaches and migraines, and several digestive and women’s health conditions.
Acupuncture’s effects are understood to work through multiple physiological mechanisms, including improved circulation, modulation of the nervous system, and enhanced release of the body’s natural pain-modulating chemicals.
Clinical Studies
What Can Acupuncture Treat?
Here is a partial list of the conditions that the WHO lists that have been proven by clinical studies to be treatable with acupuncture:
- Acute Bacillary Dysmenorrhoea
- Acute Gastritis
- Acute In Peptic Ulcer
- Adverse Reactions To Chemotherapy
- Adverse Reactions To Radiotherapy
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Biliary Colic
- Chronic Gastritis
- Correction Of Morning Sickness
- Craniomandibular Disorders
- Dental Pain
- Depression
- Depression Following Stroke
- Depressive Neurosis
- Dysentery
- Essential Hypotension
- Facial Pain
- Gastrospasm
- Hay Fever
- Headache
- Hypertension
- Knee Pain
- Leukopenia
- Low Back Pain
- Malposition Of Fetus
- Nausea And Vomiting
- Neck Pain
- Periarthritis Of Shoulder
- Postoperative Pain
- Primary Epigastralgia
- Primary Induction of Labour
- Renal Colic
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Sprain
- Stroke
- Temporomandibular Dysfunction
- Tennis Elbow
- And More...
What We Treat With Acupuncture
At the Blue Ridge Acupuncture Clinic, we commonly treat all types of pain conditions, including back pain, neck pain, sciatica, hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and headaches or migraines. Many patients also seek acupuncture for stress, anxiety, trauma, insomnia, and depression.
We specialize in women’s health, offering support for fertility, PMS, painful periods, irregular cycles, perimenopause and menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Digestive issues, fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and chronic complex conditions are also common reasons people come to see us.
If you’re unsure whether acupuncture may help your particular concern, just give us a call—we’re happy to offer a free consultation and help you understand your options.
Common
Misconceptions
There are three common misconceptions about acupuncture.
People often think that acupuncture hurts, but it does not. Acupuncture is nothing like getting a shot at the doctor’s office. The needles are very fine and thin and often painless. At most you might feel a slight pressure or sting.
People often think that acupuncture is is a procedure that is done only once, like a steroid shot. Acupuncture needs to be done in a series over many weeks to get the best results.
People sometimes think acupuncture is not scientific, but that is not true. Numerous clinical studies have validated the effectiveness of acupuncture.
Our Other Services
Our Asheville Acupuncture Clinic
Since opening our acupuncture clinic in 2003, we have been dedicated to providing safe, natural, and effective acupuncture treatments for the Asheville community. Our ongoing study of Classical Chinese medicine, including training in China and mentorship with respected practitioners, continues to deepen the quality of care we offer. We welcome patients of all ages and backgrounds, and look forward to helping you feel your best.