Distal Needle Acupuncture
By Sarah Hayes, LAc, Acupuncture Northwest Portland
Distal Needle Acupuncture is a style of acupuncture commonly used and highly effective at treating pain.
With this particular style, we place needles in areas that are not where the pain is localized, but rather in a location away from the problem area. The easiest image to understand is when a patient has knee pain we will place needles in the opposite elbow. When we treat pain in the foot we will needle the opposite hand. With this type of needling, the pain usually goes away instantly on the table. It is very rewarding to treat a patient who has been dealing with chronic pain, headaches, migraines, low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, you name it and get their pain to “magically” disappear. Of course, one acupuncture treatment is not a permanent fix, it typically takes weeks of treatment to resolve a pain condition permanently, but, we know if we can get the pain to go away on the table, we will very likely be able to get the patient back to 100% or close, with 6-12 plus acupuncture sessions.
This system was first created by the famous Dr. Richard Tan. I had the privilege of learning from him when he was still alive, his system was a gift to our profession. When properly utilized the results are incredible. He would call his work a magic show because Distal Needle Acupuncture works so well and completely blows patients away, with immediate relief and results. At Acupuncture Northwest we are in the business of fixing people. Our tools, the needles, work so well, coupled with great strategy, means people get results they never thought were possible. We get to look people in the eye all day long and tell them with complete confidence, I can fix you, I know what’s wrong with you, and I know what your body needs. We work incredibly hard for our patients to deliver great results and are also willing to let people know if they are not progressing as we thought they would to help them find them someone who might be able to better serve them, with a different modality. As always if you have any questions, or want a quick consult about your health condition and how we can help, feel free to call.
