Jeff Rippey

As a supplement, absolutely. Just be careful if your acupuncturist suggests herbs and you're already taking pharmaceuticals. Most of the time, herbs and pharmaceuticals mix okay,
sometimes they don't. If you're taking prescription meds, make sure to bring a list that includes drug name, strength, and dose so your acupuncturist is aware.

Best regards,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

One of the things acupuncture has been fairly well proven to help is pain, including headache/migraine. It's definitely worth giving acupuncture a try.

Yes, acupuncture is excellent for anxiety. Probably 30%-40% of my practice consists of treating anxiety/PTSD/depression and I usually get great results for folks.

Yes, acupuncture will probably help you. Acupuncture and oriental medicine are good, in general, for a wide variety of conditions. There are, however, a few places where acupuncture really shines and you're asking about 2 of them: stress and insomnia/sleeplessness. Multiple studies have shown acupuncture to be superior to most drug therapies for insomnia. When it comes to stress management, there are some things you can do on your own: exercise and meditation. Adding acupuncture to those approaches will often calm things down pretty quickly. Menopause is also something acupuncturists often help folks manage - particularly hot flashes/night sweats.

Best,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

First off, I'd encourage you to look into the current research around dietary fat, cholesterol and heart disease. This subject is a tangled mess and it's always a good idea to read through the available information to form your own opinion.

That being said, diet modification combined with exercise are often more effective in reducing LDL cholesterol. What acupuncture can do is help reduce the body inflammation which is likely the source of your elevated LDL levels.

Absolutely! Acupuncture is excellent for relieving headache and reducing headache/migraine occurrence. In oriental medicine, we have about 5 different causes of headache. Your practitioner will need to differentiate among these to arrive at the proper treatment. Don't be surprised if they ask you a lot of questions regarding headache location, how they start, how they progress and what they feel like to you.

Best,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

The length of time acupuncture effects can persist varies from patient to patient. Sometimes we can get complete remission of an issue and sometimes there's a transition to maintenance that has to occur. The maintenance window can vary from weeks to months to years - there really isn't any good way to predict what maintenance is going to look like for any given individual.

The good news is you received what sounds like excellent results and those results persisted for somewhere around 2 years. You might need a few sessions in a row to reestablish a healthy pattern for you and then you could probably go to twice a year or yearly "tune ups" to maintain.

Yes, acupuncture can be quite effective in the treatment of joint pain. There is a dose dependency in play; sometimes we hit the nail on the head and get great results on the first treatment. Other times it can take a few visits to get things moving in the correct direction. Most acupuncturists are pretty good at estimating what a course of treatment might look like, so don't be afraid to have this conversation with your provider.

If you've had any imaging (X-ray, CT scan, MRI, etc.) make sure you bring those results along to your first appointment. An acupuncturist is going to diagnose from the perspective of Chinese medicine, but having that information available can often help them figure out a treatment approach.

In my experience, using acupuncture for weight loss really only works when the patient can get their diet right. By "right," I mean the diet should be in alignment with principles of Chinese medicine for the patient's particular presentation.

There are lots of reasons why a person might find it difficult to lose weight. Those reasons all have a corresponding diagnosis in the Chinese medical system, and there are dietary adjustments that can be made as part of the treatment plan to remedy the situation. If those dietary changes are made and acupuncture is used to support the body as a whole, then yes, it can work quite well.

Best,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

The best answer to your question is "it depends." The average acupuncture needle is many times smaller than the average hypodermic (like for a flu shot), so any discomfort will be much less than for an injection or a blood draw.

Some acupuncture points can be fairly sensitive no matter how good the acupuncturist is. If a patient has been in chronic pain for a long period of time, sometimes any amount of pressure anywhere is painful.

Even though some will claim it, no one can guarantee a pain-free needle insertion. Here's what you could reasonably expect: There may be a pinching sensation on initial insertion. This should go away in a second or two. If the needle is inserted and a sharp, stinging sensation persists, you should tell your acupuncturist. They can often back the needle out a bit or re-position slightly so the sensation subsides or goes away entirely.

Feeling a dull ache, short-lived electrical sensation, or distention around the point after the needle is inserted is a good thing. We call it "de qi" and it means we're in the right spot for treatment.

That being said, *most* of the time, with *most* patients, needle insertion is painless.

Yes, acupuncture can usually help with vertigo. I've gotten good results in more than a few cases.

Best,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

Acupuncture is actually an excellent treatment for hypertension. Most studies show that it can at least match pharmaceuticals in terms of its BP-lowering effects.

The only time there *might* be an issue is if you have a fear of needles or anxiety about acupuncture in general. Make sure you've discussed any concerns with your acupuncturist prior to treatment. So long as your blood pressure is currently controlled, and your acupuncturist is aware of your hypertensive status and is checking your blood pressure before treatment, you should be just fine. Since acupuncture can lower blood pressure, when your treatment is over and the needles have been removed, get up slowly and allow yourself time to adjust.

In terms of side effects, you might see some lowering of your blood pressure over time. This, in combination with any pharmaceuticals you may be taking, could lead to some hypotension (lower than normal blood pressure). You'll be most likely to notice lowered blood pressure when going from seated or laying to standing (orthostatic hypotension). This type of hypotension is often associated with some dizziness, so move slowly and make sure there's something nearby you can grab for support if
necessary. It's also a good idea to make sure your primary care physician is aware you're getting acupuncture so they can work with you to adjust medication dosage when appropriate.

Best of luck!

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

Unfortunately, this is an "it depends" answer. Without knowing your Chinese medical diagnosis and what points your provider is using, it can be difficult to evaluate what's going on post-treatment.

Generally speaking, some fatigue/sleepiness after a treatment is normal. Acupuncture treatments can be very relaxing and sometimes it's difficult to pull yourself out so you can complete your day. A few things you might try:

1. Have a little something to eat either right before or just after your acupuncture treatment
2. Set your appointment for later in the day so you're not returning to work or other activities while still feeling the effects
3. Talk to your acupuncture provider and see if this is something they expect or if they have specific suggestions to manage the sleepiness

Best regards,

Jeff Rippey, M.S. Ac., Dipl Ac. (NCCAOM), L.Ac.

Acupuncture works quite well for digestive complaints. However, I'd suggest he start with either an elimination diet or some food allergy testing. The big three in terms of food sensitivity are: eggs, milk and, wheat. I offer a dried blood spot test that looks at 90+ food components and can help folks refactor their diet to something easier on their system.

Best regards,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

I think the best answer here is: it depends. For a good many health issues, acupuncture can be a stand-alone treatment. For some things, like cancer, acupuncture is better as a complementary or integrative treatment along with other interventions.

In general, acupuncture pairs well with lots of other treatment options. We're not using drugs, and acupuncture needles are solid, not hollow (we're not injecting any substances), so there isn't much to be concerned about with potential drug interactions. Other therapeutic approaches like physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic work extremely well with acupuncture.

If you'd like to discuss your particular situation, whether a stand-alone or integrated approach might be best for you, please give me a call: 719-297-7121

Best regards,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

Thanks for asking! I'm going to attach some study links below so that you have some information to review. From a bio-medical perspective, acupuncture is doing several things, all of which can potentially benefit someone experiencing infertility. It can increase blood flow, alter endocrine function, and is generally relaxing.

There are lots of different reasons why a woman may be experiencing infertility: PCOS, endometriosis, structural issues with the fallopian tubes, and so on. It's best to have some idea, from the perspective of western medicine, where the problem lies before coming to an acupuncturist for assistance.

I've done a bit of work with menstrual issues, PCOS, and infertility. I'm usually pretty successful, unfortunately correcting the underlying issues takes some time. Usually, we're looking at 3 months or so to get the hormones regulated. If your sister is in or near Woodland Park, CO, I offer a free 30-minute consult. If she's somewhere else (even out of state), I can usually come up with a referral.

Studies:
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1817-acupuncture-enhances-fertility-treatment-lowers-adverse-effects

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1716-acupuncture-outperforms-drugs-for-infertility-promotes-pregnancy

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=154059

Best regards,

Jeff Rippey, L.Ac.

Honestly, I'd recommend both acupuncture and physical therapy. I'd start with acupuncture to bring your pain levels down and increase range of motion in your shoulder. This should make PT more tolerable.