Acupuncture News
News Archive
12-15-05
THE BENEFITS OF ACUPUNCTURE
by Kelly Cullivan
Most of us deal with a headache by taking pills, but Sue Retterath prefers acupuncture. After many failed attempts with medications and doctor visits, Sue found that acupuncture was the only solution for her chronic migraines.
"I was at the point where I have to do something. It's not going to hurt me
to try," Sue
said. Acupuncture is based on the concept of Chi or energy. And what Dr. Bob
Gietzen tries to do is rebalance this chi in your body by targeting certain
areas with tiny needles.
"Usually by doing that alone, most of your problems will take care of
themselves,"
Certified Acupuncturist Dr. Bob Gietzen said. There are roughly 700 points in the body, and by targeting only 15, your migraines could be cured. "You find points that hit multiple areas," Dr. Gietzen said. He says it's not about putting in a lot of needles, it's about putting in the right amount. And that amount has kept Sue migraine free since July, which is when she began coming here.
"It has just been awesome. I can get up in the morning and say, `Hey, today
I am not
going to have a headache,` and I know that," she said. Dr. Gietzen says
sleep also plays an important role in the way we cope with pain. Acupuncture
can help patients sleep better at night, too. "If you have pain, you can't
rest, if you can't rest, you become more fatigued. If you become more
fatigued, the pain is worse," he said. Sue wants other migraine sufferers to
know that they don't have to live in pain.
"You have nothing to lose, why suffer, quality of life is so important. You're missing out on a lot in life with your family, your job," she said. Something Sue doesn't have to miss out on anymore.
