Joan Suits
Nurse Practitioner |
Physician's Acupuncture Demonstration
July 25, 2009 |
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Joan was in San Francisco this summer '09 and took a course entitled "Acupuncture for Physicians".
"The course is open to nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well, although in my class of 200 there were 199 physicians.
There are two phases to the course. Phase 1 is two months of home study followed by an intense session in San Francisco, which is then followed by another home study program. That is where I am now.
Under the guidance of my partner, an MD who is also trained in acupuncture, I am doing acupuncture treatments on pretty much anyone who will let me. So far I have treated back pain, sciatica, sinusitis, and GERD ("reflux") with some success. I don't get great results every time, and sometimes as far as I can tell I get no results, but it is always a good learning experience."
-- Joan
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Joan hooks up Bill Suits
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Alan Anticipating the Procedure
While Joan reads the low voltage monitor
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Joan Checks the Monitor
The needles go in easily and painlessly
In some parts of the body they may go in as far as three inches
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"Phase 2 of the course will be at the end of this October. It is another intense session in San Francisco.
After the course is finished I am planning to use acupuncture as a co-treatment with my standard therapy. There are a few things which Western medicine don't do well with, such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and other problems. Also, there are side effects to some medications which don't occur with acupuncture and it will be nice to have alternatives to standard treatments."
-- Joan
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Alan all hooked up
A couple of
needles in the ear, one in the hand and five in the leg
After the acupuncture I noticed less back strain and an improved posture.
Joan suggests full therapy would require twice weekly sessions
for a month and continuing monthly after that.
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In the Ear
The needles come in a sealed packet and
are completely sterile
They are threadlike and extremely fine in size
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"No one really knows why acupuncture works. There have been a lot of studies using imaging techniques which try to pinpoint the parts of the brain which are stimulated when needles are applied, but no one to date is able to say how this occurs, or if this is related to the perceived relief felt by the patient."
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am always happy to try acupuncture on anyone, for any reason, and would welcome any discussion about traditional Chinese medicine or 'alternative' therapies!"
-- Joan
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The Cast of Characters |
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Bill, Bryan and Joan Suits |
Bryan Suits
Bryan is a professor of Physics at Michigan Tech University, Houghton, MI
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Alan and Bryan |
Bill and Bryan
Bill is a graduate of Michigan State University and is now in the
Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy at
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI
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