This article is one of a series covering back pain — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Back Pain Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
Have you yet heard of acupuncture? Acupuncture is a treatment with a process of inserting small needles through the skin at different depths and points of the body to heal and relieve pain. New studies suggest that acupuncture is successful in relieving pain and can help other problems. Let’s break down exactly how it works and which problems it can help.
First, let’s break down how it works. A licensed acupuncturist will insert the small needles into the body all to balance the energy. This helps boost well being and could even help with certain illnesses which we will list later. Some of these are headaches, blood pressure, and even whooping cough.
Now you may be wondering, where exactly does acupuncture come from? Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice. It is explained that health is a result of the balance of the yin and yang of the life force of qi. And what causes imbalances to these forces you ask? Illness.
Qi flows all through specific pathways in the body. There are specifically 350 pathways in which acupuncturists can access them through the insertion of the small needles to re-balance the ying and yang.
Studies done in Germany found that acupuncture may help with the following conditions:
- low back pain
- neck pain
- osteoarthritis
- knee pain
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today if you are interested in learning more about acupuncture!
Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.
Further Reading: Back Pain