"Over two-thirds of the pain specialists reported having either used or referred patients to acupuncture treatments."
Pain 2000;85:313-315.

"Acupuncture...is no more experimental as a mode of treatment than is the Chinese language as a mode of communication. What is experimental is not acupuncture, but Westerners' understanding of it and their ability to use it properly."
US District Court of Southern Texas, July 1980.

"I can't see a better solution to long term chronic pain. There is no question in my mind that acupuncture is safer than surgery or drugs because it stimulates the natural chemical changes in the body."
Dr. Bruce Pomeranz, neurosurgeon, University of Toronto

The most dangerous words a patient can say are, " Maybe it will go away." Consider that pain is a warning signal to the body, and that ignoring that signal, or covering it up with pain killing drugs, may lead to bigger health issues. There are many ways that pain can be handled, and at Merritt Acupuncture, we have experience in several of those modalities.

Acupuncture is widely recognized for pain relief. From dental and surgical anesthesia to migraines, everybody has heard about acupuncture relieving pain. How does it help? In Oriental Medicine, pain is always a result of the body's energy being blocked. When the natural flow of this energy is blocked, it backs up and creates pain and pressure, much like water behind a dam. Acupuncture changes and improves the flow of this energy, relieving the blockage and therefore alleviating the pain.

Massage also moves energy and blood, and often can alleviate pain. This is why massage is included in all of our acupuncture sessions.

Herbal formulas specific to pain help to move the energy and blood between sessions. They are an important adjunct to all of our therapies.

Oriental Medicine does not just treat the signs and symptoms. It uncovers the source of your pain and corrects it. Not only can we eliminate the dam that causes the pain, but we can get to the root of what initially caused the problem. When the problem is corrected, your body can begin to heal on deeper levels.

Don't put up with pain! It is NOT necessarily a factor of excuses like "getting old" or "doesn't everyone have back pain?" Chronic or acute, OM can make an enormous difference in your pain, and in your quality of life.