Acupuncture Therapy

Our Clinical Practice

In the comfort of our Tampa office, we offer acupuncture therapy to treat a variety of health and lifestyle issues you may be facing.

Acupuncture is a great form of alternative medicine that is a key part to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has successfully helped many overcome conditions where traditional medicine may have failed. We’ve helped many just like you here in Tampa Bay with overcoming allergies, weight loss issues, illness, and so much more.

Acupuncture treatments have been used for thousands of years to heal the body and mind. Often times our patients are visiting us because traditional medicine has not worked for them and they are looking for an alternative natural method of treatment. Acupuncture can also help in areas you may not expect. Your body has incredible capabilities to heal itself, natural medicine simply helps it do that. While traditional medicine can treat many conditions, it can also just treat symptoms of a greater problem.

Our aim is to help the body treat the core issue causing the symptoms. This also helps heal and improve other ailments in the body where you may not be aware of any problems. Book an appointment to visit our acupuncture clinic and Dr. Duke will go over your health concerns and discuss a treatment plan that works best for you.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture therapy usually involves a series of weekly or biweekly treatments in an outpatient setting. It’s common to have up to 12 treatments in total. Although each practitioner has his or her own unique style, each visit typically includes an exam and an assessment of your current condition, the insertion of needles, and a discussion about self-care tips. An acupuncture visit generally lasts 30 to 60 minutes.

During treatment, the practitioner uses sterilized, individually wrapped stainless steel needles that are used only once and then thrown away. You may feel a brief, sharp sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally, the procedure isn’t painful. It’s common to feel a deep aching sensation when the needle reaches the correct spot. After placement, the needles are sometimes moved gently or stimulated with electricity or heat.

The traditional Chinese theory behind acupuncture as medical treatment is very different from that of Western medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, imbalances in the basic energetic flow of life — known as qi or chi (chee) — are thought to cause illness. Qi is believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. These meridians and the energy flow are accessible through approximately 400 different acupuncture points. By inserting extremely fine needles into these points in various combinations, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will rebalance. This will allow your body’s natural healing mechanisms to take over.

In contrast, the Western explanation of acupuncture incorporates modern concepts of neuroscience. According to the National Institutes of Health, researchers are studying at least three possible explanations for how acupuncture works:

• Opioid release. During acupuncture, endorphins that are part of your body’s natural pain-control system may be released into your central nervous system — your brain and spinal cord. This reduces pain much like taking pain medication.
• Spinal cord stimulation. Acupuncture may stimulate the nerves in your spinal cord to release pain-suppressing neurotransmitters. This has sometimes been called the “gate theory.”
• Blood flow changes. Acupuncture needles may increase the amount of blood flow in the area around the needle. The increased blood flow may supply additional nutrients or remove toxic substances, or both, promoting healing.

Does it Hurt?

One common question is whether or not you will feel pain from the needles during treatment. While everyone is different, most people do not experience any discomfort at all. You will feel a mild sensation or tingling. The needles used are much thinner than what you might be thinking when you hear “needle”. If you have any concerns we will gladly go over what you can expect before, during, and after treatment.

Conditions Often Treated

Acupuncture is used to help with a variety of health issues. Below are a few areas this ancient Chinese medicine has helped people with healing and balancing their health…

Auricular Acupuncture (ear acupuncture)

We also offer Auricular acupuncture. This can be done with normal treatments but is sometimes beneficial to have done on its own. The ear has many areas that can be used for treatment. This method has been growing over the years and has been found to be effective with a variety of health issues, such as insomnia and anxiety. When you talk with Dr. Duke, he will go over this option with you as well to determine if it would be beneficial to you.

Call our Tampa office and experience what so many have with the benefits of acupuncture therapy. You can book a call with us to go over your health and see if acupuncture is a good fit for you.

Are Acupuncturists Effective?

Yes, acupuncture has been shown to be effective for a variety of conditions. Many patients also confirm this. In one study, acupuncture was used to treat chronic pain. The study acupuncture is effective for chronic pain. And there have been a number of studies done on various illnesses and conditions that also found it to be effective.

Some of those studies found it effective for:

• Low Back Pain

  Studies conducted in 2012, 2010, and 2008 all confirmed it’s effectiveness for low back pain. In fact, the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians recommend acupuncture as a non-drug approach.

• Neck Pain

  A study in 2009 and a large recent German study both found participants having pain relief for neck pain.

• Osteoarthritis/Knee Pain

  A few studies in 2014, 2012, and 2010 all showed evidence that it’s valid for osteoarthritis and knee pain.

• Headaches

  Studies in 2012 and two studies in 2009 all showed that acupuncturists are effective in alleviating as well as reducing migraine frequency.

All studies cited are reported by the NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health).

How to Choose an Office

Choosing an office for health care is just as important as the treatment itself. Finding the right practitioner can make a world of difference. Below are several points you should take into consideration when choosing your doctor.

Factors to Consider

• Convenience – are they close enough to get regular treatments.
• Expertise – how long have they been practicing and what are their credentials (are they licensed in Florida).
• Personal Connection – how do you fit with the doctor, do you feel comfortable talking to them about personal information.
• Facilities – is their office clean and pleasant.
• Listens – does the doctor listen and give ample time to understand your concerns.
• Results – do they get consistent results for their patients, what do their patients’ testimonials say.

At Wholistic Medical Group, we strive to meet all those above concerns. If you have any questions, schedule a free booking with us so we can answer any questions you have.

Our Office

Our office is conveniently located in Tampa, Florida. The home of several popular attractions including Busch Gardens, The Florida Aquarium, and ZooTampa at Lowry Park.

Our office is about a 10-minute drive from downtown. And about 3.4 miles from Memorial Hwy (Interstate 275) when exiting from W Kennedy Blvd toward Westshore Blvd. Alternatively, if you are coming from Gandy Blvd (Gandy Bridge), we are about 2.1 miles. Some popular nearby neighborhoods include Ybor City, Downtown, South Tampa, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Tampa Palms, and Hyde Park.