Accupuncture

Dana Harbison, M.S., R.Ac., Dipl. Ac.
Phone: 215-837-9538
E-mail: dana@riveroflifecenter.net

Dana is registered in Pennsylvania and board certified in acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Her practice is in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania where she specializes in the treatment of pain and detox/addiction.

Dana focuses her practice of acupuncture on the patient. The treatment is comprehensive in the approach to the whole person. In the first visit a complete work up will include questions about past medical history, diet and daily habits. Recommendations may be made in all areas of the persons life as needed.

In order to maximize the outcome of treatment, it is recommended not to drink alcohol and to avoid a strenuous workout following the treatment.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a powerful form of healing and part of a system of healthcare practices used through out Asia for thousands of years. The earliest records date back to over 4,700 years written on tortoise shell. The dialog between the Yellow Emperor and his physician are chronicled in the "Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine" also known as "Huang Di Nei Jing"(403- 221B.C.)

Acupuncture is based on energetic laws and the Taoist principle theory of Yin and Yang, which represents dynamic balance of opposing and interrelated forces. Within those forces is the movement of energy or life force called "Qi" (chee). Qi is what flows between energy and matter, it is both energy and matter. It is invisible like the air, and powerful as wind, yet you can breath it and feel it surround you and course through your body.

How does Acupuncture work?

Acupuncture uses the application of filaments to stimulate various points on meridians on the body that facilitate the movement of Qi. Qi moves throughout the body, meridians are channels where the Qi can be accessed. Stimulating these points help bring the body back into balance (the Yin and Yang within the body). Acupuncture works on strengthening the body’s own natural healing abilities, it increases circulation and stimulates the immune system to facilitate healing.

What can be treated with Acupuncture?

Who can perform Acupuncture?

In Pennsylvania, only a Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac.) can administer acupuncture. The educational requirements are a minimum of 3,000 plus hours of training in an accredited 3 year Masters level acupuncture program. After passing the National Board Certification Exam, a license can be obtained.

Medical doctors and Dentists who have undergone an accredited certificate program of 200 hours may also perform acupuncture.

Education requirements and standards vary from state to state. It is important to ask the practitioner what kind of training they have undergone to help you decide on the practitioner you will use.

What about Western Medicine?

Western medicine has become more interested in Acupuncture and other Eastern medical treatments, especially where Western medicine is less effective.

Most Western medical doctors have little experience or knowledge about Acupuncture or Chinese medicine and its efficacy.

They probably have noticed the impact and success of acupuncture used in pain management, post chemo therapy, drug addiction and AIDS. Many hospitals are starting to incorporate acupuncture into some of their treatment programs.

We respect Western medicine and will work with western medical practitioners to offer our patients a broader perspective of treatment possibilities and for making their own informed healthcare decisions.

Does Acupuncture work?

According to: NIH Consensus Statement, November 1997
Conclusions:

"... promising results have emerged, for example, showing the efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful."

What is the Place of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Various Conditions for Which Sufficient Data are Available, in Comparison or in Combination With Other Interventions?

"Assessing the usefulness of a medical intervention in practice differs from assessing formal efficacy. In conventional practice, clinicians make decisions based on the characteristics of the patient, clinical experience, potential for harm, and information from colleagues and the medical literature.

In addition, when more than one treatment is possible, the clinician may make the choice of taking into account the patient's preferences. While it is often thought that there is substantial research evidence to support conventional medical practices, this is frequently not the case. This does not mean that these treatments are ineffective. The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies."

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