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“The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies.” -The National Institutes of Health
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Cedar Valley Clinic of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine What is Acupuncture?
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Acupuncture is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a comprehensive system of health care with a continuous clinical history of 3,000 to 5,000 years. Chinese medicine (also called Oriental medicine) includes acupuncture, Chinese herbology, bodywork, dietary therapy and exercise based on traditional Oriental medicine principles (to view a complete list of Oriental medicine techniques and therapies, click here). These therapies work with the natural vital energy inherent in all living things to promote the body’s ability to heal itself. This system of health care is used extensively by one quarter of the world’s population residing in Asia and is rapidly growing in popularity in the West.
Oriental medicine is based on an energetic model rather than the biochemical model of Western medicine. The ancient Chinese recognized a vital energy behind all life forms and life processes. They called this energy Qi (pronounced chee). In developing an understanding of the prevention and cure of disease, these healing practitioners discovered that this energy flows along specific pathways called meridians. Each pathway is associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ. Disease is considered to arise due to a deficiency or imbalance of energy in the meridians and their associated physiological systems.
Acupuncture points are specific locations along the meridians. Each point has a predictable effect upon the vital energy passing through it. Modern science has been able to measure the electrical charge at these points, thus corroborating the locations of the meridians mapped by the ancients.
Traditional Oriental medicine uses an intricate system of pulse and tongue diagnosis, palpation of points and meridians, medical history and the evaluation of other signs and symptoms to create a composite Oriental medicine diagnosis. A correct diagnosis within the Oriental medicine paradigm is crucial to successful therapeutic results. A treatment plan is then formulated to induce the body to a balanced state of health.
Many conditions may be alleviated very rapidly by acupuncture and Oriental medicine. However, some conditions that have arisen over a course of years will be relieved only with slow, steady progress.
As in any form of healing, the patient's attitude, diet, determination and lifestyle will affect the outcome of a course of treatment. Patients are encouraged to actively participate in their healing process.
Although Oriental medicine can treat most conditions, there are circumstances that can be dealt with more effectively by western medicine. In such cases, your acupuncturist will recommend you contact a Western medical doctor. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine should be seen as complementary to Western medicine.
Acupuncture is traditionally divided into three principle specialties: internal medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes acupuncture and Oriental medicine’s ability to treat many common disorders including:
Although receiving an injection for vaccinations or antibiotics can be painful, the insertion of the needles used in acupuncture is a far different experience for most individuals. Compared to the very thick, rigid, hollow needles used in a hypodermic injection, acupuncture needles are as fine as a human hair, and are flexible, enabling them to gently glide through the surface of the skin without the discomfort associated with the thicker needles.
Under the care of a highly trained practitioner, patients normally experience only warmth, pressure, or a mild electrical sensation in the area of insertion, with little or no discomfort. In most cases patients find the experience to be relaxing, and it is not unusual for a patient to fall asleep during the treatment.
The Cedar Valley Clinic of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine uses the finest quality, pre-sterilized, disposable needles available, made of extremely smooth, hypoallergenic surgical stainless steel.
Questions occasionally arise concerning the safety of acupuncture. Statistically, acupuncture has one of the most exemplary safety records in the world of medicine. During the 14-year period that the NCCAOM has certified over 9,000 individuals, it has never had to take action against a single Diplomate due to negligent or harmful treatment of a patient.
Acupuncturists who are certified by the NCCAOM must take special courses in Clean Needle Technique (CNT) which include comprehensive methods of sterilization of acupuncture needles and equipment, prevention of the transmission of blood-borne pathogens, proper disposal of contaminated waste, and other safety aspects of acupuncture, and, in addition to national certification examinations for acupuncture, must pass separate national CNT examinations before qualifying for certification. NCCAOM acupuncturists have extensive training in three to four year programs, which include hundreds of hours in supervised clinical internship.
The acupuncture needles used at Cedar Valley clinic of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are pre-sterilized and are disposable after use. Furthermore, the state of Iowa mandates by law the use of pre-sterilized, disposable needles.
Thus, in the hands of a comprehensively trained, licensed acupuncturist, your safety is assured.
"I Tried Acupuncture, and It Didn't Work..."
If you (or someone you know) tried acupuncture and felt that you received no benefits, it may be worthwhile to read through some of the troubleshooting tips listed below to see if any of these factors apply to your particular case.
1) Some conditions require a longer course of treatments than others. Acupuncture benefits are cumulative, meaning that with each additional treatment within a course of treatments, the effects build up, until a threshold is reached when the condition begins to improve. Sometimes patients give up after only a one or two treatments, even though many conditions require more time to see results.
2) About 10% of patients may feel temporarily worse after a treatment. In most cases, this is a natural part of the healing process, and it will clear up after a few days.
3) Sometimes acupuncture fails due to poor treatment quality. This can occur when the person giving the treatment has received inadequate training. Unfortunately, many chiropractors and physicians practice acupuncture with very little training, since they are not required by law to meet the standards of Licensed Acupuncturists. To insure you are receiving the most effective acupuncture possible, it is important that a well trained acupuncturist is administering the treatments. See below for more information on how to recognize a good acupuncturist.
4) Of course, no medical treatment of any kind is universally effective for every person or for every condition. There is no medicine that is 100% effective in every case. If acupuncture didn't work for someone you know, it doesn't mean it won't work for you. If you have questions about whether your condition is treatable with acupuncture, it is best to discuss your case with a Licensed Acupuncturist.
How Do I Find a Qualified Practitioner?
A correct evaluation within the Oriental medicine paradigm is crucial to successful therapeutic results. Therefore, a patient should look for a full-time specialist in the field with the highest standards of training in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Over 40 states, including Iowa, have passed statutes setting standards for the practice of acupuncture by professional Licensed Acupuncturists* (L.Ac.).
In Iowa, the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners licenses acupuncturists, and L.Ac.’s in Iowa must be board certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. The NCCAOM upholds the highest certification standards in the country, and requirements include, in addition to undergraduate studies, at least 3 years of specialized study for the Diplomate in Acupuncture designation, and at least 4 years for the additional Diplomate in Chinese Herbology designation, as well as passage of comprehensive board exams. A new comprehensive certification, the Diplomate of Oriental Medicine designation, is now available, and includes all other NCCAOM certifications, including the Oriental Medicine Bodywork certification.
Chiropractors and physicians, in comparison, may receive as little as 5 to 15 weeks (100 to 300 hours) of training respectively, for acupuncture ‘certification’ by their organizations. Simply claiming to have "studied in China" or to have "taken classes in chiropractic college" provides no guarantee of the extensive training necessary for mastery of acupuncture. Most training programs in China offered to foreigners (especially for physicians) are usually no more than two to four weeks in duration, which is an inadequate period to assimilate the complexities of Chinese medicine. Acupuncture requires years of specialized study to master.
Those who have tried acupuncture before from an inadequately trained practitioner may have experienced poor results. Obtaining treatments from an authentic, highly trained acupuncturist may prove more satisfactory.
Currently, there are only about 36 authentic Licensed Acupuncturists in the state of Iowa.
Thus, for the highest standards of acupuncture training, look for a professional with the ‘NCCAOM’ and ‘L.Ac.’ designations.
*Note: In Iowa, certain health practitioners (such as chiropractors, physicians, and osteopaths) are not required by Iowa statute to become additionally licensed to practice acupuncture, and thus may practice acupuncture with comparatively little training in the modality.
For more information about acupuncture training standards, the quality of training, and the difference between various standards of training, click on Know Your Acupuncturist to go to the CCAOM website.
Kent Addleman founded the Cedar Valley Clinic of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine in 2002, the first clinic of its kind in the Cedar Valley area. Addleman began his extensive study of acupuncture in 1990, and has been awarded the following credentials: Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) (This certification covers all NCCAOM certifications, including the Diplomate in Acupuncture, Diplomate in Chinese Herbology, and Diplomate in Oriental Bodywork certifications.) Master of Oriental Medicine degree (M.S.O.M.) from the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico Trained by award winning staff of Chinese doctors from mainland China, including Tantan Huang, O.M.D., & Kezhuang Zhao, O.M.D., renowned Chinese herbalists & acupuncturists. 3 year internship with Chinese O.M.D.’s at Institute; internship at St. Vincent’s Hosp. in New Mexico Completed Institute’s four-year program (in addition to undergraduate studies), with extensive training in all aspects of Oriental medicine, including acupuncture, Chinese herbology, moxibustion, tui na massage and gua sha, cupping, auricular therapy, dietary counseling, qi gong & tai ji chuan. (For more information about these therapies, click here.)
A Childhood Interest in Green Medicine Kent Addleman was born in San Bernardino, California. At the age of three, his family moved to the tropical island of Puerto Rico, where his father, a commercial beekeeper, produced royal jelly, a health product of beekeeping. Beginning at age four, he accompanied his father to the bee apiaries which were spread out all over the island in the remote mountain jungle wilderness. His early childhood was one of beach combing and snorkeling the deserted beaches, trekking through pristine rainforests, gathering and enjoying the wild tropical fruit, and riding along with his father over winding mountain roads in his old pickup. He also learned to speak Spanish during those years. From these young experiences, he acquired an appreciation of the natural ecology and it's green, life-giving, precious bounty. His boyhood fascination and love of the natural world would later become the basis for his interest in natural, eco-friendly green medicine. He first became fascinated with the world of Chinese medicine as a teenager, upon reading the book, The Art and Science of Chinese Medicine, by Dr. Felix Mann. Other interests at this young age were Eastern philosophy, yoga, nutrition, herbs, and natural medicine. His early reading in these subjects developed into a lifelong fascination for matters of health and healing. His experience with the use of herbal medicine and nutrition began during his early teens. He developed an extensive collection of herbs, long before herbs had regained popularity in America. At the time, herbs were available mostly in bulk form, rather than as pills. Addleman would make herbal infusions (strong teas) of valerian, passion flower and hops for his mother to help her sleep, used aloe vera (growing in the backyard) for sunburns, and used ginseng for energy. He studied books on herbs and nutrition, by such authors as Adelle Davis, Jethro Kloss, and Dr. Airola. He also taught himself yoga, and had mastered at age 14 most yogic postures. He learned a wide variety of meditation practices used in yoga, and adopted yogic dietary and nutritional practices at that age. His study of nutrition has continued to evolve and change over the following years. His interest in yogic techniques led him to other forms of kinetic disciplines, such as creative movement, modern dance and other methods, which he intensely studied for years, eventually leading him to study from some of the most well known instructors in Los Angeles. The experiences and extensive training in these forms of movement have added to his understanding and abilities in the practice of Qigong (Chinese yogic techniques). He also followed his fathers footsteps and became a commercial beekeeper for a few years, producing organic honey and bee pollen that he sold to local health food stores as well as providing pollination services to the farmers of almond groves in central California.
Education and Training Having studied Chinese medicine for many years through intense independent study, including the thorough reading of most major texts on the subject, he later decided to formalize his study by completing the 4 year program at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a city well known as a center for those interested in natural medicine. The Institute, an ACAOM accredited medical college, was founded over twenty years ago by Dr's Michael and Nancy Zeng, of mainland China. The Zeng family is well known in Chinese medicine circles. Dr. Michael Zeng has spoken before the U.S. Congress on issues of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The Institute was awarded commendations by the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation for having one of the finest staffs of experienced acupuncturists and herbalists, the majority of whom were Chinese doctors from their native homeland. Most of the doctors were fluent in the English language, a feature which provided a unique learning opportunity in a field which has been, until only recently, largely inaccessible to Western students due to the language barrier. This was one of many advantages offered by the college. Despite this, the students were required to learn many Chinese terms frequently used in Oriental medicine, including the Mandarin names of some 400 herbal medicines. The Institute was attended by students from many parts of the globe, including France, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Canada, and even Taiwan and China. The Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation also awarded the Institute for having one of the finest curricula in the country. All aspects of Chinese medicine were included in the curricula, including traditional Chinese internal medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics. The school was also known for its expertise in teaching Chinese herbal pharmacology.
Treatment Philosophy In recent times, the relentless pursuit of financial gain at the expense of patient-focused medicine has become the primary driving motivation in the health industry. More and more, it has become the norm in modern medicine for doctors to tolerate enormous patient loads, in some cases treating as many as one patient every three to 12 minutes. This approach has, sadly, begun to find its way into the alternative health professions as well. Stemming from his deeply held core values of authenticity, spirituality, and ethics, Kent Addleman's personal treatment philosophy is to put the patient first. Thus, as was once the practice of the ancients, no more than one patient is treated in a period of 40 to 60 minutes, allowing time to properly assess the state of health of the individual, thereby affording a more informed and comprehensive treatment. His goal is to bring about a state of health and well-being in the patient as soon as reasonably possible, so as to lessen the expense of medical treatments. Though he is dedicated to providing community education and information about Chinese medicine through public speaking or writing, he prefers to build his practice primarily on the positive word of mouth he receives from his patients. Web
site designed and written by Kent
Addleman
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