Acupuncture is widely known as a method to alleviate physical, localized pain; but fewer people are aware of its potential as a treatment option in fields such as cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and mental health, addiction, weight loss, acne and more. In recent years, some doctors have been praised for having changed the lives of people suffering from a variety of neurological problems through the emerging field of neuro-acupuncture. Learn more about this type of acupuncture Gainesville patients with neurological disorders could try if conventional medical treatment alone has not been sufficient for mitigating their symptoms.

A Look At Neuro-Acupuncture

Neuro-acupuncture is a contemporary technique that combines traditional Chinese needling methods with Western neuroscience in an attempt to provide an integrative medical approach to address debilitating disorders. Contrary to traditional acupuncture, in which physicians place thin needles into specific points of the body that are usually far away from where the pain is felt, doctors practicing neuro-acupuncture needle areas of the scalp corresponding to parts of the brain damaged by stroke, trauma or neuromuscular diseases.

Two of the biggest exponents of the field in the U.S. are Jason and Linda Hao, two Chinese doctors whose treatment in New Mexico is in high demand. They have helped people recover from a variety of serious conditions, written the textbook “Chinese Scalp Acupuncture” and launched the nonprofit Neuro-Acupuncture Institute in Santa Fe with the goal of training more medical professionals in the field, raise public awareness and raise funds to cure people who can’t afford the treatments.

Disorders Treated With Neuro-Acupuncture

The Haos frequently treat patients with stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, complex regional pain and phantom pain. One of the most publicly recognizable patients who achieved a high level of success after visiting these doctors is country music singer Randy Travis. He suffered a massive stroke in 2013 and underwent brain surgery that reportedly left him with little hope of surviving. After receiving treatment from the Haos, he recovered movement and speech enough to be able to walk without a stick and perform “Amazing Grace” at his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Like Travis, many other patients of the Haos have showed improved vision, speech and movement after being born with genetic disorders or cerebral palsy or paralyzed at some point in their lives by stroke or trauma.  

If you have a diagnosed neurological condition and are open to the idea of treating it with alternative methods such as this one, let your Gainesville acupuncture provider know so you two can discuss your options.

Gainesville, FL, Acupuncture

Traci Pettigrew is a licensed physician providing acupuncture in Gainesville, FL. She and the rest of the staff at Gainesville Holistic Healthcare are dedicated to preserving patients’ physical, mental and emotional health. We provide acupuncture with the objective of treating a wide range of conditions including acute and chronic pain, depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, addiction and cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory issues. If you are interested in trying acupuncture, contact us today for an appointment!