What Is Acupuncture Good For?

Written By: Dr. Kristen Burris, DAcCHM, LAc, MSTOM aka Dr. Babymaker

What is acupuncture good for? This is a question most people have, even when they are a current patient. They may have tremendous success with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese herbal medicine balancing their hormones or getting rid of twenty years of chronic pain, but they still are amazed at the hundreds of conditions we treat. Often once we heal or cure one condition, patients will continue to address each health problem until they are the healthiest they have ever been.

Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine, after 5 years of training and being dual board certified, our acupuncturists insert teeny, tiny, thin, needles into specific acupuncture points along the body to promote healing and address stubborn illnesses. It is the most commonly used alternative medicine in the U.S. most widely used to address chronic health issues, including but not limited to:

1. Pain Management

  • Chronic Pain: All pain: back pain, neck pain, knee pain, elbow pain, finger pain, foot pain, abdominal pain, menstrual pain, shoulder pain, joint pain, muscle pain, organ pain, and even sports injury or pain from a fall.

  • Headaches

  • Migraines: Often used to reduce frequency and severity

  • Arthritis: Relieves joint pain, redness, stiffness and swelling

  • Post-Surgical Pain: Helps manage pain and speed recovery

2. Mental Health and Stress Reduction

  • Stress Reduction: Promotes relaxation response releasing endorphins

  • Reduce Unhealthy Hormones: Reduces cortisol the main stress hormone

  • Anxiety and Depression: Calms anxiety and reduces depression

  • Insomnia: Calms the nervous system and creates healthy sleep patterns

3. Digestive Disorders

  • Crohn’s Disease: Aids in digestion, reduces blood, pus, cramping, constipation and diarrhea. Acupuncture also helps modulate auto-immune conditions to stop attacking oneself

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Regulates digestion, eases constipation, soothes diarrhea and reduces overall uncomfortable bowel symptoms

  • Nausea and Vomiting: Often used for pregnancy-related nausea and recommended by cancer programs to address post-chemotherapy nausea

4. Women's Health

  • Menstrual Pain: Alleviates severe menstrual cramping, low back pain associated with dysmenorrhea and endometriosis and unknown causes of menstrual pain

  • PMS: Reduces cravings, bloating, breast tenderness, irritability, mood swings, menstrual spotting, mittelschmerz pain and bowel irregularity

  • Irregular Periods: Balances hormones to regulate menstrual cycles

  • Fertility Support: Enhances IVF outcomes, reduces miscarriages and is the primary treatment for infertility for women and men with tremendous success

  • Menopause Symptoms: Significantly reduces frequency and intensity of hot flashes, night sweats, joint pain, insomnia, mood disruptions, fatigue and weight gain

5. Neurological Conditions

  • Neuropathy: Reduces tingling, numbness, and pain caused by nerve damage in extremities

  • Stroke Recovery: Aids in improving motor function in all four limbs, speech and memory

6. Respiratory Issues

  • Allergies: Decreases symptoms and boosts immunity to reduce recurrence

  • Asthma: Reduces frequency and severity of attacks improving breathing

  • Sinusitis: Relieves congestion, post-nasal dripping, coughing and pain

7. General Wellness

  • Boosts Immunity: Enhances the body's ability to fight infections, prevents chronic infections, strengthens immunity

  • Improve Energy: Promotes energy, vitality and reduces overall fatigue

  • Enhances Mood: Encourages a sense of calm, well-being without any negative side-effects. Can be used with or without patients on medications

  • Infertility: Addresses all aspects of male infertility including: sperm count, motility, and morphology. This not only helps women get pregnant but stay pregnant due to the health of the child.


Colin Eggleston