Thank you to all the Artists
and Farmers who attended
our show for a great event!
Check the Art Show Page
to see last year's
Popular Vote Winners
and information about the
most recent winner!
Payment Options
We accept most insurances, cash, checks,
Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine, sterilized needles into specific points along channels on the body. Both preventative and curative in nature, acupuncture works by regulating the body’s energy as it flows along pathways called meridians (or channels). A blockage in the flow of energy may result in an imbalance that can lead to any number of medical conditions. As one of the Five Branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is part of an entire system of medicine.
Chinese Medicine is the oldest, professional, continually practiced, literate medicine in the world. This medical system’s literature stretches back nearly 2,500 years and many postulate it has been practiced closer to 5,000 years. Today, Chinese Medicine and Western or allopathic medicine comprise the two dominant medical systems in the world. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its origin in ancient Taoist philosophy which views a person as an energy system in which body and mind are unified, each influencing and balancing the other. Unlike allopathic medicine, which sees a disease as separate from a person, TCM emphasizes a holistic approach of wellness that treats the whole person. TCM is a complete medical system and treats a full range of diseases, acute and chronic, traumatic, infectious, and internally generated. Many people have found TCM methods of healing to be excellent tools for restoring and maintaining optimum health, preventing illness, and enhancing well being of body, mind and spirit.
The modern version of TCM was developed during the Cultural Revolution in China when they created a curriculum that was teachable at colleges of medicine. They needed to standardize the information from many traditions and regions around China. The information that was chosen for inclusion was found to be universal throughout and was subsequently adopted by the schools as a teachable body of knowledge. Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Bodywork, Nutrition and Qi Gong are the Five Branches of TCM.
CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
What is it?
Chinese Herbal Medicine has a history dating back at least as far, and probably farther, than acupuncture. Traditional societies have always looked for medicine in the natural world that surrounded them. The substances used include mostly plant materials such as roots, leaves, flowers, or the whole plant. Other less used substances are minerals such as oyster shell or gypsum, and some are of animal origin, such as turtle shell or deer antler. Our Materia Medica contains over 5,000 herbs.
What is an herbal prescription?
One of the biggest differences between Western Herbalism and Chinese Herbalism is the use of formulas in Chinese Medicine. The process of treating disease in TCM is defined as differentiating patterns and instituting treatment. As an integral part of this process, the formulas are specific groupings or configurations of medicinal substances that serve as tools for instituting treatment. Once a patient’s problem is identified, the strategy of treatment is created. From this a formula is chosen that incorporates this strategy, and the specific herbs that constitute the formula for that particular patient will naturally follow.
Is it safe to take herbs with prescription drugs?
Yes, it usually is. I crosscheck the drugs a patient is on with the herbs I want to prescribe, using the most recent data available.
There are numerous types of ear acupuncture, including Chinese, French and German. I have studied German Auricular Acupuncture, based on the curriculum of the German Academy of Auricular Medicine and textbooks written by Dr. Beatte Strittmater.
Auricular acupuncture is the stimulation of acupuncture points on the external ear surface for the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions in other parts of the body.
The ear has the highest density of acupuncture points on the body. When an auricular acupuncture point on the ear is “active”, which is indicated by increased tenderness upon stimulation and a higher electrical conductivity of the skin, this indicates pathology in the body tissue corresponding to that location in the body, making auricular acupuncture a useful form of assessing ailments. For treatment, stimulation of active points can be done with acupuncture needles, ear pellets, manual pressure, or lasers.
The earliest use of ear acupuncture, like body acupuncture, dates back to ancient China. Auricular acupuncture, as we know it today, is largely the result of the work of Dr. Paul Nogier of France. Nogier discovered in the late 1950’s that the ear holds all of the acupuncture points of the body, replicating as a microsystem the entire body. Dr. Nogier and his colleagues conducted research over the next decades, discovering that stimulation of the ear acupuncture points was very effective in alleviating pain and other symptoms.
Moxibustion involves the burning of an herb called mugwort directly over acupuncture points to allow the heat to penetrate the areas around the points or along the channels that influence the qi and blood flow. The dried mugwort is spun in a grinder to clear out the woody parts of the plant. What remains is called moxa wool, a soft clumpable herb that can be used in a wide variety of ways. The most common method of moxibustion is indirect, utilizing moxa sticks that resemble a big cigar. There are also brass moxa burners that are laid on the skin over a towel to protect the skin from burning, but allows the warmth and healing wavelengths to penetrate the skin. In addition, there is a method known as direct moxa, where cones of moxa are burned on the skin and removed just as the patient feels the heat from it and is not burned in any way. The indications for the use of moxa are many and include weakness, pain, injury, and surgery.
Chinese Medicine, like all ancient cultural practices, has a traditional approach to food developed over centuries. Foods are categorized in regard to temperature (how it changes the internal temperature of the body), taste and function. Foods in and of themselves are not as strong as herbs, but when you ingest the same ones every day over time, they become as strong as herbs in terms of affecting your internal environment and health. Patients can keep a food diary so that we can go over it together, in order to identify foods that may be contributing to their imbalance. Linda Prout’s book, Live in the Balance, is recommended as a good introduction to Chinese food philosophy.
Cupping is an ancient Chinese healing art and was at one time a commonly used therapy for a wide variety of complaints. Cupping is a technique that applies suction cups to the surface of the body to move qi and blood and remove stagnation of any kind from the body.
Electro-acupuncture is the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating acupuncture points. The electro-acupuncture device is not intended to provide a significant current between the acupuncture needles. It delivers less than a milliampere, about the same as that produced by a wristwatch battery. There is virtually no current transmitted through the body, but there is enough of a local voltage stimulus for the patient to feel an evident reaction at the location of the needle. Especially good results are experienced from this form of treatment for pain and paralysis and certain fertility treatments.
What does acupuncture treat?
According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture can effectively treat the following conditions:
- Internal:
- Hypoglycemia, asthma, high blood pressure, ulcers, colitis, indigestion, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, constipation, diabetes.
- Ear, Nose, Throat
- deafness, tinniness, earaches, ear infections, poor eyesight, dizziness, sinus infection, sore throat, hay fever.
- Genitourinary and Reproductive
- impotence, infertility, premenstrual syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, vaginitis, morning sickness, irregular periods and cramps.
- Musculoskeletal and Neurological
- arthritis, neuralgia, sciatica, back pain, bursitis, tendonitis, stiff neck, Bell’s palsy, trigeminal neuralgia, headache, stroke cerebral palsy, polio, sprains.
- Mental/Emotional
- anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia.
- Infections
- colds and flu, bronchitis, hepatitis.
- Dermatologic
- eczema, acne, herpes.
In addition, Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used in China in conjunction with Western Medicine for every medical problem, such that conditions not listed above are still treatable with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.
What is a first visit like?
After you make your first appointment, you will be sent an extensive health history form. Please fill it out and bring it in with you to your first appointment. We will go over your entire health history, including surgeries, injuries, which medications you are on, etc. Two additional ways of gathering information to make a Chinese Medical Diagnosis based on you as a whole person are to briefly examine your tongue and take your pulse. The first visit is one and a half hours and you would normally receive an acupuncture treatment during that time, unless we need to use the entire time to cover your health history. For the actual acupuncture treatment, the patient lies on a massage table, although some people prefer to remain seated. The best clothes to wear are loose comfortable clothing that can easily roll up to the knees and elbows.
Does acupuncture hurt?
Generally, acupuncture does not hurt. Some people feel the needles as they go in, and some people feel nothing. Acupuncture needles are solid needles, not hollow like hypodermic needles, and they are much, much thinner - about the diameter of a thick human hair. Patients often have sensations during the treatment, which is the Qi (or energy) moving or the opening of a channel that has been blocked.
Will insurance cover acupuncture?
Some insurances do cover acupuncture. We can bill them directly and simply take a co-pay at time of service. However, it is up to you to call your insurance company directly and inquire about your specific policy. If the insurance ends up not covering your acupuncture treatment, please be aware that you are responsible for the charges. State of Maine employees and school district employees seem to have the best coverage at this time.
How many treatments will I need?
This depends entirely on your personal condition, how long you have had it and how severe it is. One rule of thumb is that a person requires one month of treatment (once a week) for every year that they have had the problem. Occasionally, if a patient has a very acute condition, I will see them twice a week.
Truly, it is so much easier to treat an imbalance before it has become entrenched than after. In ancient China, the physicians to the emperor only had a job if everyone in their care stayed healthy, so they were extremely interested in preventative medicine!
Can acupuncture treat infertility?
Yes! The strength of Chinese Medicine, including Herbs, is that it can affect the quality of the eggs and the lining of the uterus. Recent research has shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, which provides the woman’s system with more nourishment, can increase the lining of the uterus, and relax the uterus. All of these factors help increase fertility. Acupuncture supports a woman’s overall health and reduces stress, particularly if she is undergoing ART.
Can children be treated with acupuncture?
Yes and they respond very quickly to it. In China, where acupuncture is more accepted, children get acupuncture all the time. If they are too young to want needles, then other methods such as Sho Ni Shin, moxa and cupping can be utilized. There are also some special herb formulations in liquid glycerin that are very easy for children to take.
Is acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture is a field that requires extensive training and licensure in Maine. My training in acupuncture includes a 3 ½-year master’s degree program and then to receive certification from the NCCAOM, I passed a 3-day exam.
There are typically no side effects to acupuncture, however, a patient should be forthcoming in disclosing any medical conditions, including pregnancy. Part of the beauty of acupuncture is that it encourages the body to regulate itself in a gentle way rather than forcing it. Some medications, such as Coumadin, require caution, but do not prevent acupuncture treatment.
Are acupuncture needles safe?
I use only needles that are pre-sterilized, prepackaged, and disposable. Each needle is used once and then deposited in a biohazard container, which ensures safe disposal.
How does acupuncture work, scientifically speaking?
Recent research has shown that when an acupuncture needle is inserted into the body, specific regions of the brain are activated. This brain activation then allows regulation of other systems in the body primarily through the modulation of molecules such as neurotransmitters and hormones. Collectively, scientific research has shown that acupuncture can modulate all the primary systems in the body including the nervous, endocrine and immune systems.
Other research from Europe is focusing on the fascia as a means for Qi to travel all over the body. The fascia of the body, which covers every muscle, bone, and organ, in other words, is everywhere in the body - all connected. This ubiquitous covering has a tiny electrical charge that is measurable by very sensitive instruments, of which the human practitioner can also be. The insertion of needles into the body changes this fascia and sends a message along the channel (or meridian) to affect an organ or more diffuse systems of the body. Some theorize that emotional memories are stored in the body, most likely the fascia. Therefore, chronic pain and poor posture often have to do with these stored emotions, such as when someone chronically hunches their shoulders to protect their heart. Acupuncture can help move this “stuckness”, which we call stagnation. The acupuncture points themselves are particular places to access a meridian and it’s particular qualities. The points are able to be measured as places where the electrical conductivity of the skin is different than the surrounding area.
Is it necessary to choose between acupuncture and other types of health care?
Acupuncture is compatible with other systems of health care. We are happy to work in conjunction with you and your other health care practitioners. Please inform your acupuncturist of any other treatments and medications/herbs/supplements which you are currently using so that we may integrate our efforts. Our wish is that you receive maximum benefit from all sources.
Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease. ~Hippocrates