In an official report entitled "Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials," the World Health Organization, WHO, listed the following conditions as effectively treated by acupuncture: low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, knee pain, periarthritis of the shoulder, sprains, facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders), headache, dental pain, tempromandibular (TMJ) dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, induction of labor, correction of malposition of fetus (breech presentation), morning sickness, nausea and vomiting, postoperative pain, stroke, essential hypertension, primary hypotension, renal colic, leucopenia, adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy, allergic rhinitis, including hayfever, biliary colic, depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke), acute bacillary dysentery, primary dysmenorrhea, acute epigastralgia, peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis.
The above list includes only conditions that have been proven, to the standards of WHO, to be effectively treated by acupuncture. There are 68 conditions for which acupuncture has been shown to have therapeutic effect, and a number of other conditions for which acupuncture is being clinically investigated.
There are also numerous clinical case studies that show acupuncture to be effective for stress reduction, insomnia, fertility, addiction and addictive behaviors, a range of psychiatric disorders, skin conditions, generally for most non-emergency and non-life threatening health problems and concerns. It also gaining a reputation as an important preventative modality, helping maintain health and avoid significant illness and disease during life's daily challenges and stresses.
Back pain - acupuncture successfully treats back pain resulting from a variety of causes, from garden variety strained back muscles due to overexertion, pain caused by postural disorders generated by current sedentary lifestyles (i.e. sitting in front of a computer for 10 hours or more a day), the combination of the two - sedentary lifestyle followed by multiple Barry's Boot Camp sessions on the weekend. Acupuncture also addresses pain stemming from more serious concerns such as bulging or herniated discs, sciatica, radiculopathy - nerve pathway pain, scoliosis, arthospondylopathies, and other chronic and severe conditions of the back.
In all types of back pain, acupuncture will reduce inflammation and promote local healing and circulation to more quickly repair tissues and resolve existing pain. In less severe conditions, acupuncture promotes quick healing of muscle strains and back sprains. In severe cases, such as bulging or herniated discs, several medical trials have shown partial healing of the disc area, or remission to the point where the tear is not noticeable.
Neck pain - similarly to back pain, neck pain is caused by either postural problems - our habitual sedentary computer-centric lifestyle, professions which favor one side of the upper back and one arm, such as photography or filmmaking, or fitness classes which emphasize putting weight on the arms, like vinyasa yoga or spin class, or excessive upper body weight lifting - without preparatory neck stretches and strengthening exercises. Additionally, the neck can also be affected by disc and vertebral problems exactly like the back. The above discussion about herniated discs of the back and acupuncture equally applies to the neck.
Digestive Disorders: GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disorder), LPR (laryngo-pharyngeal reflux), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in managing or resolving acid reflux and it's complications, such a Barett's esophagus, silent reflux/LPR and it's associated upper respiratory tract complications, and simple IBS. Acupuncture can also alleviate symptoms of Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, and Diverticulosis/diverticulitis. With digestive issues, acupuncture's efficacy is dramatically improved by following appropriate dietary guidelines.
Women's Health: Acupuncture is one of the best tools for regulating women's cycles. The majority of women's health issues stem from excessive hormonal fluctuations which cause fatigue, bloating, lethargy, mood swings and food cravings, inability to focus. Regular acupuncture treatments are among the best available tools to normalize a woman's cycle, and promote natural energy, balance and health. Acupuncture in conjunction with light herbal teas can effectively manage hormonal imbalances like PCOS, recurring ovarian cysts, endometriosis, premature menopause, and peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms. And additional support for women’s health are hormonally balancing essential oils, such as geranium, clary sage, sage, lavender, frankincense, sweet marjoram, oregano. Ioana started introducing essential oil therapy to balance hormonal health in 2018, and found the results impressive. She personalizes therapeutic blends for each patient.
Fertility, including IVF and IUI support: Acupuncture has been shown to stablize and improve the levels of both female and male reproductive hormones. One of the key issues in female reproductive health, whether fertility or balance oriented, is the health of the menstrual cycle. Hormonal imbalances, whether constitutional or due to stress and lifestyle issues respond very quickly to acupuncture treatments, with a cycle stabilizing as quickly as within a month of treatment, but typically not more than 3 months of treatment. Once 1 healthy ovulatory cycle takes place, pregnancy can occur.
For healthy women under 40, healthy pregnancy typically occurs within 3 months of acupuncture treatment. When there are additional components, she has worked in conjunction with the ob/gyn to effectively trouble shoot unusual or age related problems and make pregnancy possible.
She also works with elements of functional medicine, such as treating diagnosed PCOS and selective insulin resistance or MTHFR, using supplements such as folate, methyl B 12, aspirin, coQ10 to improve FSH and AMH numbers dramatically within a few cycles. She customizes acupuncture treatments and herbal supplements to support functional or ob/gyn medicine plans for fertility.
Patients in IUI or IVF fertility treatment also benefit greatly from acupuncture, which reduces side effects of clomide, estrogen patches and trigger shots, and allows the fertility treatment to work optimally.
She also performs the pre- and post- IVF acupuncture protocols which have thoroughly studied in clinical trials and have been shown to increase success rates for both IVF and IUI by as much as 60%.
Insomnia: Insomnia is often a complex syndrome caused by multiple lifestyle factors. In her experience, there is always lifestyle complex which needs to be identified and balanced. She works with patients to create a sleep hygiene regimen, simple or complex lifestyle recommendations (cashews late at night will trigger insomnia!) such as timing of exercise, identifying blue light sensitivities and individual insomnia triggering foods. Once sleep disturbance is diminished or resolved, optimal health is easily restored.