Jeff Rippey

I'm sorry to hear what you're going through.

The Chinese medical model recognizes a relationship between organ function and emotional state. We often do very well treating conditions like depression using this approach.

I've never personally worked with post-breakup issues and none of my local colleagues have worked with them either. Here's what I'd suggest: shop around a bit and find a psychologist/therapist you feel like you can work with. If you're not in CA, go to the "Find a Practitioner" lookup at NCCAOM.org and get some local acupuncturists. If you can find one, you're looking for someone who practices 5-element acupuncture - they focus on emotional aspects of health and illness.

The combination of therapy and acupuncture will probably get you where you want to be faster than either therapy or acupuncture alone.

Assuming both you and your husband have been through some conventional testing and there are no structural issues or sperm number/quality issues, then, yes, acupuncture can probably help.

Exactly what the mechanism of action is for acupuncture in fertility is still a little unclear. What we do know is that:

1. Acupuncture promotes the 'rest and digest' portion of the autonomic nervous system. This helps lower stress and associated stress hormones which can sometimes interfere with fertility.

2. Acupuncture dilates blood vessels and promotes blood flow. This helps to bring nourishment to internal organs which can also be a benefit with fertility issues.

When dealing with fertility issues, you really want to see someone who is licensed as an acupuncturist in your state and who specializes in fertility issues. If you're not in CA, I'd suggest starting with the "Find a Practitioner" look up at NCCAOM.org.

How acupuncture works in depression is still an open question. We have several studies showing acupuncture is as effective as prozac in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Some studies appear to show acupuncture having a regulatory effect on serotonin along with several other neurotransmitters. I work a lot with depression and anxiety patients. They usually get very good results without the cost or side effects of the standard medications. If you're not in CA, I'd suggest you start with NCCAOM.org's "Find a Practitioner" to look up some acupuncturists near you.

Yes, acupuncture can probably help reduce your back pain. In fact, acupuncture along with several other non-invasive treatments are now first-line recommendations for back pain according to the American College of Physicians. If you're not in CA, go out to NCCAOM.org and use their "Find a Practitioner" to look up a list of acupuncturists near you.

Acupuncture, when performed by a licensed acupuncturist, is generally very safe. Like any medical procedure though, there are some risks:

1. There is sometimes bruising or itching at the needle site. Light bruising or swelling typically resolves in a day or two. Itching goes away in a couple of hours.

2. Rarely there may be heavier bleeding or pain at the needle site. You should inform your acupuncturist of any needle that remains painful after the initial insertion so they can either remove or reposition the needle.

3. Very rarely, there is risk of organ puncture. The lungs are the most susceptible to this kind of damage. Licensed acupuncturists who graduated from the various schools of Chinese medicine are well trained in avoiding this particular issue.

4. Very rarely there may be longer lasting pain around the needle site. This pain may last a week or two. Again, feedback is important. Tell your provider about any unusual sensations so they can adjust the treatment if necessary.

5. Very, very rarely, there is a risk of infection. I've only ever heard of this happening one time, in Canada, before we all started using single use disposable, factory sterilized needles.

I've been practicing acupuncture for quite a while and have inserted tens of thousands of needles. The single biggest issue my patients report is short term itching.

Your provider should explain all the risks and benefits to you as part of their intake. They should also explain all the potential sensations you might experience from the needles so that you can provide feedback during and after the treatment.

A lot depends on the specific mental illness. For things like depression, anxiety and PTSD acupuncture has a very good track record and compares favorably against most of the prescription medications typically used in these conditions.

For things like schizophrenia, or other more complicated issues, acupuncture can be of benefit when combined with conventional pharmaceutical therapy and/or psychotherapy.

One of acupuncture's effects is to lower or normalize blood pressure. If you are a hypertensive patient, the combination of the drug and the acupuncture may have lowered your blood pressure too far which can result in some mild dizziness - especially when going from laying/seated to standing.

If you're not a hypertensive patient, then no, it's probably not normal. I suggest you have a discussion with your acupuncture provider and describe what happened after your treatment. It may help them to adjust their treatment in order to avoid future occurrences.

When it comes to pain management, the best evidence we have is that acupuncture is basically doing four things:

1. Stimulating the release of endogenous opiate peptides. These are opiate-like molecules that the body creates and releases when pain arises.

2. Stimulates the brain to build more opiate receptors. This provides more binding sides for the endogenous opiates resulting in faster and longer lasting pain relief.

3. Regulates a set of neurotransmitters which are responsible for transmitting pain signals in the brain and spinal cord.

4. Changes the way the pre-frontal cortex of the brain processes pain information.

When performed by a licensed acupuncturist, the procedure is usually very safe. That doesn't mean there aren't risks. Here are some of the potential problems:

1. Swelling, bruising or itching around the needle site. Swelling and bruising are generally very mild and resolve in a day or two. Itching is a very common experience and resolves in an hour or two.

2. Pain at the needle site. This happens occasionally and usually means the needle is a little too close to either a nerve or a capillary bed. If a needle remains sharply painful after insertion, tell your provider and have them either move or remove the needle.

3. When needles are placed over the chest or abdomen, there is a risk of organ puncture. The lungs are the most susceptible to this particular issue.

4. Very rarely, infection can be a concern. Most licensed acupuncturists utilize single use, factory sterilized needles and, in this case, infection risk is very low.

Anyone licensed as an acupuncturist has attended and graduated from a school of Chinese medicine, carries a clean needle certification (CNT) and, outside of CA, is NCCAOM board certified. We have a great deal of training in how to safely and cleanly insert and remove needles. We're also required to keep that training up to date through continuing education.

Where you're rolling the dice is with a non-acupuncturist provider like a PT or a chiropractor. They do not receive the same level of training, do not carry national board certification in the insertion/removal of needles and are not required to maintain these skills through continuing education.

Yes, acupuncture can reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that acupuncture regulates a broad set of inflammatory mediators. Here are some good summaries:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1781596/

https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1714-acupuncture-anti-inflammatory-marker-found

https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/present-research/acupuncture-antiinflammatory-effect-and-immunomodulation/

There are literally thousands of good studies showing acupuncture's effectiveness in pain management. Pubmed is the best resource for peer reviewed trials (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/). Here's a good review article:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28719458

I typically get excellent results with all kinds of pain, including neck pain. For the best possible outcome, please make sure you're seeing a licensed acupuncturist in your state. If you're not in CA, you can use the "Find a Practitioner" lookup at NCCAOM.org to get a list of providers local to you.

Studies show that acupuncture is relieving pain in four ways:

1. Stimulates the release of endogenous opiate peptides. These are molecules created by the body that function similar to opiate drugs.

2. Increases the number of opiate receptors in the brain. This provides more binding sites for endogenous opiate peptides resulting in faster and longer lasting pain relief.

3. Regulates a set of neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord which are responsible for transmitting pain signals.

4. Changes the way the pre-frontal cortex of the brain processes pain signals.

With chronic headache, I almost always recommend patients start with a head x-ray/CT/MRI just to make sure we're not missing something serious. If you've had this done already and have clear imaging, acupuncture can most likely help relieve your pain.

Yes, acupuncture can help with chronic headache. The number of treatments necessary is going to depend on how long you've been experiencing the headaches. I typically tell patients they should be seeing some improvement in either frequency or severity in 3 to 5 treatments.

Most of the studies on acupuncture in fertility focus on IVF. There are a few looking at acupuncture in more of a stand-alone or natural role. In both cases outcomes are usually good in terms of achieving and sustaining pregnancy.

Here's the thing though - some of these studies also provide some guidance on how much acupuncture might be necessary and the current thinking is: you want to start weekly acupuncture sessions about 90 days in advance. Of course, this comes with the caveat that both you and your husband have been evaluated and there are no structural/hormonal/sperm quality/other issues which need to be addressed.

When it comes to fertility and Chinese medicine, you really need to make sure you're seeing an acupuncturist licensed in your state. There are a lot of other providers out there who take a weekend seminar and then add 'acupuncture' to the list of their service offerings. A provider like this does not understand the complexity of Chinese diagnostics or how that system inter-relates to fertility issues and will thus be of very limited use.

If you're not in CA, I suggest you start with NCCAOM.org's "Find a Practitioner" look up to get some board certified and licensed people near you. For fertility issues you want to see someone who specializes in this aspect of Chinese medicine and has a good track record.

I can describe what it might feel like for me, but everyone can experience a different sensation. Those sensations range from nothing, to a slight pinch on insertion followed by nothing, to a range of potential experiences which usually fall in to a bucket labeled "Ok, if you feel them."

Potential 'ok' sensations include: a short lived electrical/pins and needles sensation that propagates up or down from the needle location, a dull throbbing or aching around the needle site or a mild sense of distention around the needle as though someone is blowing a balloon up under the skin.

This is complicated by the fact that some needle locations are more tender than others. A lot depends on what your chief complaint is, what your Chinese diagnosis is and how your provider chooses to treat that diagnosis.

If it helps any, acupuncture needles are solid and roughly the diameter of a cat's whisker. The longer needles can actually be tied in to a knot by someone with sufficient dexterity.

Acupuncture can be a very good choice for treating anxiety. If you don't already have an acupuncturist, shop around a little and take advantage of any free consults that might be offered. Get a feel for the providers in your area and pick someone you feel like you can trust. You can start with the "Find a Practitioner" page at NCCAOM.org.

Yes, assuming a few things are true, acupuncture can be an excellent treatment choice for migraine. I see a few migraine patients and I'm almost always able to reduce frequency, severity or both.

If your migraines are a relatively new development (and it sounds like, for you, they may be), you really need to rule out a few things first. It's often a good idea to start with your primary care doctor or a neurologist and have a head x-ray/CT/MRI - just to make sure we're not missing something serious as the cause of your headaches. Also, if your migraines have recently ramped up in either severity, frequency or both, you may want to have a head x-ray/CT/MRI, again, just to make sure we're not missing something more serious.

If you have clear head imaging, and especially if you have clear head imaging and pharmaceuticals aren't doing much for you, then acupuncture can probably be of benefit.

For the best results, please make sure you're seeing someone who is licensed as an acupuncturist in your state. You want someone who attended and graduated from a school of Chinese medicine, not someone who is offering the service as a 'bolt-on' after attending a few hours of seminars.

Yes, it's possible to treat vertigo with acupuncture. I've treated it successfully for several patients.

To get the best results, please make sure you're seeing someone who is licensed as an acupuncturist in your state. Outside of CA, you can visit NCCAOM.org and use their "Find a Practitioner" look up.

If you've been to your doctor and have a clear head x-ray/CT/MRI, then yes, acupuncture can often be of great benefit for migraine sufferers.

Where the needles might be placed is a harder question to answer. In Chinese medical theory there are several reasons why you might be experiencing migraine or headache. Each of these reasons has a different treatment. On top of this, there are multiple different systems of acupuncture, each of which has a slightly different approach to needle placement.

Chinese medicine is a highly individualized approach, there aren't really treatment 'protocols' per se like there are in conventional medicine. This is one of the reasons why we're often so effective at treating issues where conventional medicine struggles.

Which brings me to my last point: when seeing a provider for acupuncture or Chinese medicine, you want someone who can diagnose your issue in Chinese medical terms and then apply needles and herbs to remedy that diagnosis. For the best results you need to see a licensed acupuncturist in your state. If you're outside CA, you can use NCCAOM.org's "Find a Practitioner" look up to get a list of local board certified and state licensed acupuncturists.

Yes, acupuncture can be effective for acne. I've been able to help a couple patients with this particular skin issue using acupuncture combined with a little food therapy (add a couple food items, remove a couple food items). For females whose acne is related to their menstrual cycle, acupuncture often has the added benefit of evening the cycle out and relieving things like cramping, distention, PMS and PMDD.

For the best results, please make sure you're seeing a state licensed acupuncturist. If you're outside CA, you can use NCCAOM.org's "Find a Practitioner" look up to get a list of local providers.

Most of the literature in alternative/holistic weight loss looks at acupuncture. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a reason acupressure wouldn't work. I've utilized both acupuncture and acupressure for patients and, in my experience, acupuncture gives faster, longer lasting results.

I suspect that in order to see any benefit with acupressure, you'd need to be pressing/massaging the appropriate points at least daily if not multiple times per day. Not everyone has that kind of discipline.

I'd suggest you start with a licensed acupuncturist in your state. If needles are an issue for you, I've gotten good results in weight loss/food cravings using ear seeds. If you're not in CA, go to NCCAOM.org and use their "Find a Practitioner" look up. Call a few providers in your area and see if you can find someone who works with weight loss on a regular basis.