By WIN Contributor: Dr. Ernie Bagnulo, Chiropractor

The one question I get asked every day is “what does acupuncture do?”….. Well, the answer is actually pretty straight forward… Acupuncture affects our bodies, specifically, the nervous system, by altering what we can’t voluntarily control. This is the premise of neuro-functional acupuncture.

The needle is nothing more than a stimulus…. That stimulus send a signal to the brain and the brain then forwards messages that alters the area where we have pain or dysfunction. (*these are there only two reasons we treat people but we can discuss in the next blog)

I often quantify this is a similarity between food (the stimulus) and digestion (it just works without us thinking about it, like the nervous system). So that’s how acupuncture works…. But what does it do?

Blood flow, muscular tension, pain sensitivity and motor control are the main changes we desire. Changing these for the better is desirable but when you combine acupuncture with manual therapy or rehabilitative exercise, the results are better. It can aid in speed of treatment and allow the patient to return to desired activities sooner. It can also be used preventatively as well, by maintaining these changes listed above before they become problematic.

What’s even more incredible is that acupuncture affects everyone. Even if you are not aware that it has helped, it certainly has an effect. The size of the effect is dependent upon how “tuned” your nervous system is. But as long as you are living and breathing, it will be of help.

For a dynamic health care approach that utilizes acupuncture in your treatment plan, visit one of our Chiropractic Doctors at WIN Health Solutions and we would be happy to help.