Dr. Lucy Cooper Photo

Dr. Lucy Maria Cooper
MS, DAOM, OMD, LAc,
Doctor of Oriental Medicine
Clinical Director

Skip Navigation | Text Only | Site Map | Contact Us

The St. Mary Institute
only search The St. Mary Institute

Acupuncture

Acupuncture in Standard Mandarin, zhēn biān (a related word zhēn jiǔ refers to acupuncture together with moxibustion) or (from Lat. acne, "needle", and pungere, "prick") is a technique of inserting and manipulating filiform needles into points on the body with the aim of relieving pain and also for therapeutic purposes. Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China. Acupuncture is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)..Acupuncture is often used as a preventative medicine. As an example, many people see their acupuncturist two to three times a year just for a "tune-up" or for a "balancing" treatment. By doing this, they can prevent diseases, promote health, increase energy and can add vitality to their life.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely thin needles through your skin, to various depths at strategic points on your body to improve health and well-being. It originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, but over the past two decades its popularity has significantly grown within the United States. American practices of acupuncture use medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea and other countries. In the United States, the best-known type of acupuncture involves putting hair-thin, metallic needles in your skin. While scientists don't fully understand how or why acupuncture works, some studies indicate that acupuncture may provide a number of medical benefits ranging from reducing pain to helping with chemotherapy-induced nausea.

Acupuncture points are locations on the body that are the focus of acupuncture, acupressure, sonopuncture, and laser acupuncture treatments. There are several hundred acupuncture points that are distributed along pathways (also known as "meridians" - connected points across the body which affect a specific organ or other part of a person) as well as numerous other "extra points" that are not associated with a particular meridian.

Back to Top

Common Problems Treated With Acupuncture

Do you know what common problems are treated with Acupuncture?

The most common ailments presented to acupuncturist tend to be pain related conditions. For example; arthritis, back, neck, knee and shoulder pains. Carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica are also included in this common list.

Back to Top

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture as medical treatment is very different from Western medicine. This is from the traditional Chinese theory behind acupuncture. For example, In traditional Chinese medicine, health results form a harmonious balance between the complementary extremes (yin and yang) of the life force known as qi or chi. In contrast, Western acupuncture incorporates modern concepts of neuroscience. Lots of practitioners view acupuncture points as places to stimulate mucles, nerves, and connective tissue. This stimulation appears to boost the activity of your body's natural painkillers and increases blood flow in your body as well.

Note: Qi is believed to flow through pathways, called meridians, in your body. These meridians and energy flow are accessible through more than 350 acupuncture points. Illness occur from an imbalance of the forces. On the other hand, acupuncture practitioners believe that by inserting needles into these points in various combinations, your energy flow will rebalance.

Back to Top

Acupuncture Diagnosis

To determine if Oriental Medicine can help you an acupuncturist will have to look at the onset of your condition and see what your constitutional diagnosis is because each case is unique and it would be difficult to determine how effective acupuncture will be for you without a full assessment.

Please contact our licensed acupuncturists in The San Fernando Valley for a consultation to find the best suited practitioner for you. We are located in Northridge, CA. Serving the San Fernando Valley.

Back to Top

Different Types of Acupuncture

These types of Acupuncture are taught and practiced throughout the world.

  • Chinese Acupuncture (Classical)
  • Japanese Acupuncture
  • Korean Acupuncture
  • Tibetan Acupuncture

For more details about these different types of acupuncture visit our Acupuncture Herbs website.

Back to Top

Preventative Medicine

Acupuncture is often used as a preventative medicine. For example, many people see their acupuncturist only two to three times a year just for a "tune-up" or "balancing" treatment. Doing this can prevent diseases, promote health, increase energy and add vitality to your life.

Back to Top

Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine has been extremely successful in treating a multitude of conditions. As a "last resort", many people try Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for serious and complex medical problems and find that it helps them when other treatments could not.

Here is a list of conditions Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat

Back to Top

Wrinkle Prevention

Wrinkles are believed to evolve from specific muscular movements. A skilled and licensed acupuncturist can examine your body and identify the root cause of your facial wrinkles. Treatment will then start on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for several weeks. Needles won't actually be inserted in your face. For example, if a specific wrinkle cause imbalances in the spleen, then the needles will be inserted in the spleen area. With each successive acupuncture therapy, patients typically notice gradual improvement in their skin tissue and energy levels. Younger patients only require a month and a half worth of treatment, while older patients will probably require more treatments (two to three months).

Back to Top

ALL INSURANCE ACCEPTED

Problems With Your Health Insurance Company?

Is your insurance company not paying properly? Are they not paying your legitimate claim? We have provided this link for your convenience!

Lucy Cooper
Dr. Lucy Maria Cooper
MS, DAOM, OMD, LAc
Doctor of Oriental Medicine
Clinical Director

Call for an appointment at 818-775-1183

We are located in Northridge, CA. Serving the San Fernando Valley.

Call for an appointment at 818-775-1183

Please do not send text messages. Patients are only seen with an appointment.

Holistic Health:

An approach to how treatment should be applied.

Cleansing, detoxification and drainage of the key organs will promote immunity, circulation, weight loss and rejuvenation of the body.

For Other Services See:

Notice of Privacy Practices

Notice of The Saint Mary Institute Privacy Practices

DISCLAIMER:

Any statements here or in our advertisements have not been evaluated by The Food And Drug Administration.

Translation Tool