Over half of all adults suffer from neck, back or joint pain that interferes with their daily activity at some point in their life. These musculoskeletal problems are especially prevalent in military veterans and the female population. Other chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, digestive discomfort, headaches, and mental disorders are also being reported at increasing rates, with prescription drugs often being used to suppress symptoms.
But, when modern medicines and therapies fail to alleviate the symptoms of patients' conditions, they can feel a sense of hopelessness and distress, and wonder if there are other options for dealing with their discomforts. Acupuncture, a technique that can be traced back more than 3,000 years, is one such method of alternative medicine that individuals may turn to.
Modern acupuncture focuses on the energetic channels within the body, using needles thinner than hairs to manipulate, unblock, and balance the natural flow of energy by targeting specific points that are associated with different organs and parts of the body. These lines and points are anatomically charted, and different prescriptions of points are used to achieve healing outcomes.
“It's like the lines are a language and the little black dots are the words… they have a definition and a meaning,” said acupuncturist and new Statesboro resident Tim Armstrong.
For more than 20 years at his own practice, Tim Armstrong provided physical and mental relief to his patients through acupuncture and herbal prescription treatment. He believes his own testimony, and those of his clientele, affirm the ability for these oriental medicinal approaches to alleviate a range of discomforts including joint pain, headaches, menstrual pain, fibromyalgia, digestive issues, anxiety, depression, PTSD, cases of substance abuse disorder, and more.
When a new patient first visits the Southern Chiropractic and Wellness Center for acupuncture therapy, Armstrong welcomes them to discuss the chief complaint and purpose for their appointment. He reviews their medical history and assesses their current state, compiling the evidence to find a differential diagnosis. Once a patient is educated about the procedures of acupuncture, he prescribes a treatment regimen to alleviate the problem, adjusting the points as needed over the course of visits to target the issue.
A misconception that people often believe about acupuncture is that the needles are inserted directly into nerves, but Armstrong says that the points of acupuncture are much shallower and not directly associated with the major nerves, but rather those energetic channels; it could be extremely uncomfortable to place a needle into a nerve. He reports from personal experience that, properly performed, this treatment is not notably uncomfortable, and that some of his patients even choose to fall asleep while receiving the therapy.
Armstrong understands that many people are unfamiliar with the details of acupuncture therapy, and this is why his treatments start with very small steps, and progress with the patient's comfort.
He welcomes individuals to call the office to ask questions and schedule a consultation, and urges those that are interested in receiving treatment to discuss possible coverage with their insurance provider. Visit Southern Chiropractic’s website to learn more about Statesboro's newest Georgia Composite Board of Medicine certified acupuncturist, Tim Armstrong.
