Jeff Rippey

Acupuncturist

1011 E St Maartens Drive A St Joseph MO, 64506 Show map

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About

I'm a nationally board certified and state licensed doctor of acupuncture. I run a solo clinic in St. Joseph, MO. I specialize primarily in pain management, but also work with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and digestive disorders. I work across the spectrum of pain, from acute injury to neuropathy - any type pain, at any location on the body, for any reason.

Education and Training

Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine M.S. Acupuncture 2016

PCHS D.Ac. 2020

Board Certification

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Provider Details

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Jeff Rippey

Why It's Hard To Tell Patients Where Needles Might Be Placed
I've been answering questions on this site for a couple of years now. There's been a recent trend towards acupressure questions which I addressed in my first blog post. Generally, though, I've noticed that questions tend to fall into a few buckets:...
Why It's Difficult to Answer Acupressure/Pressure Point Questions
As part of this site, patients have the capability of asking questions of practitioners and subject matter experts. Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of questions that take the form, “Please tell me x pressure point for treating y health condition”. I generally try to help these folks understand...

Can acupuncture help with asthma?
I have several asthmatic patients who are using acupuncture in conjunction with other treatments to manage their asthma. In my experience, acupuncture can at least reduce the dependence on rescue inhalers. READ MORE
Can you help with ear ringing?
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) is the acupuncture holy grail. I've spoken to some colleagues who've gotten good results for patients, but my experience is that it takes a lot of treatment in order to make improvements. It also seems like mechanical damage (long term exposure to loud noise without ear protection resulting in hearing damage) is much more difficult to treat. READ MORE
Does Chinese acupuncture raise collagen levels?
I also practice mainly Tung acupuncture and I'm struggling to envision a way in which acupuncture, of any kind, by itself, is going to correct your issue. Can acupuncture help? Certainly. Collagen is part and parcel of almost all connective tissues in the body. It's a protein and is thus composed of amino acids. The human body requires sufficient vitamin C to catalyze the reactions that result in the creation of new collagen. So, from the most basic level, you're going to need to supplement protein and vitamin C at a minimum. Sustained inflammation/inflammatory processes can damage tissues - including collagen. Just based on the information provided, it looks like there is either something genetic going on with you or you have some nutritional deficiencies combined with long term inflammatory processes. Acupuncture can help lower the systemic inflammation and get you off the tissue damage treadmill. A decent practitioner of Chinese medicine can also help adjust your diet or provide supplement guidance to address any nutritional shortfall. READ MORE
Relief from sciatica?
If the stenosis is mild to moderate then, yes, acupuncture can usually help. Treatment frequency can vary, some providers like to start with 2 treatments per week and others like to start with 1. Unless your pain levels are consistently over 7-8/10, once a week is usually good to get the ball rolling. Statistically, a course of treatment tends to be in the 8-10 range. Unfortunately, statistics do not tell us how any given individual will respond. Some people go longer and some go shorter - it's impossible to predict in advance. Cost is going to be highly variable. Depending on where you're located, insurance may cover all or part of the cost. Some acupuncture providers do not take insurance, so you'd be out of pocket. Generally speaking, if you're located in a larger city or higher cost of living area, acupuncture is going to be more expensive. National median cost for a treatment session, the last time I looked (which was years ago), was $70. Again, that's median, depending on where you are and who you're seeing you could pay more or you could pay less. READ MORE
Treating chronic muscle pain?
Acupuncture can probably help relieve your husband's pain. By how much and for how long is going to depend on the exact nature of all the spinal procedures he's undergone. At a minimum, a good acupuncturist should be able to get your husband sleeping better in the lift chair. READ MORE
Can you have acupuncture for fatigue?
Yes. Acupuncture typically works very well in cases of chronic fatigue. READ MORE
Can acupuncture cause blood infection?
Something would have to go seriously off the rails in order for acupuncture to cause sepsis. I've never even heard of this happening and I've been studying and practicing acupuncture for more than 20 years. Acupuncture needles are solid, not hollow. From a legal perspective, most states require the use of single-use, factory sterilized needles which are then discarded after being utilized in treatment. An NCCAOM nationally board certified and state licensed acupuncturist should know better than to re-use a needle or needle a patient through clothing. On top of all this, we are deliberately trying NOT to hit veins or arteries when applying needles for your issue. So, no, acupuncture isn't going to cause a blood infection. READ MORE
Is acupuncture safe for 12 years old?
There's nothing specifically prohibiting a 12 year old from receiving acupuncture. As long as you're seeing an NCCAOM nationally board certified and state licensed acupuncturist, there aren't any safety concerns. I've used needles on patients as young as 6 without any problems. Whether or not your daughter will tolerate the needles is another question. There's always more than one way to treat an issue and acupuncturists typically have more in their scope of practice than just needles. Tuina (Chinese massage), cupping, or guasha (a scraping technique) may work just as well for your daughter's neck issue and would keep needles out of the equation. READ MORE
Is acupuncture safe for treating headaches?
In the hands of an NCCAOM nationally board certified and state licensed acupuncturist, yes, acupuncture is safe. If you're seeing any other kind of provider, maybe. READ MORE
Can acupuncture help nerve pain?
Yes, acupuncture can usually help with nerve pain. I see patients with this issue all the time. READ MORE
Is acupuncture treatment safe?
The answer to the safety question is: it depends. Acupuncture in the west is currently in a very weird position. Unlike most of the rest of modern medicine where folks specialize and, while there is some overlap in scope of practice, most providers understand where the lines are and at least make some effort to make sure patients are getting the best possible provider for any given service, everyone but acupuncturists seems to think acupuncture is so easy anyone can do it. It's a classic example of the Dunning-Kruger cognitive bias, but it's the lay of the land at the present moment. An NCCAOM nationally board certified and state licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac. or R.Ac.) is required to have a minimum of 1900 hours of education - usually this is a master's degree or better (many of us have doctorates and most of us have well over the 1900 minimum hours). We have to sit for and pass at least 3 psychometrically evaluated board exams, take and pass a clean needle technique course, and then maintain all these credentials with recurring continuing education (at minimum 60 hours every 4 years, some states have more rigorous requirements). Part of this education includes at least 500 hours, sometimes 750 hours or more of documented, supervised patient contact - usually in the context of a student clinic. The crossover between Chinese medicine and other modalities (like PT, chiropractic, or even and MD) is difficult to understand at best. I've worked in both worlds as a provider and I can say with some experience that Chinese medicine doesn't work like the conventional system. Understanding the conventional system can help some, but it doesn't get you all the way home. In almost every state an MD can practice 'acupuncture' with no extra training. In most states a chiropractor can practice 'acupuncture' with about 100 hours of extra training. In some states a PT can practice 'acupuncture' (dry needling) with about 65 extra hours. None of these providers have acupuncture or Chinese medicine as part of their core curriculum. None of them undergo the same training in Chinese theory and diagnostics (which is probably the more important part of practicing Chinese medicine - if you don't know what's gone wrong then. how are you going to fix it?). None of them undergo a clean needle class or have to maintain a clean needle certificate. None of them participate in any structured, documented supervised practice. Finally, none of them have any continuing education requirement around acupuncture or Chinese medicine since it's not technically part of their core licensure. So, is acupuncture safe? In the hands of an NCCAOM board certified and state licensed acupuncturist, yes. If you're seeing any other kind of provider, maybe. READ MORE
Can you help with chronic leg pain?
The scientific evidence for acupuncture in pain management, including chronic pain, is nearly overwhelming at this point. So, yes, acupuncture can probably help your leg pain. READ MORE
Can you help with chronic fatigue?
Usually, yes, acupuncture is a very good treatment choice for chronic fatigue. READ MORE
Is acupuncture good for nerve pain?
Usually, yes, acupuncture can improve nerve pain. Situations like this can sometimes require a bit of treatment to get things headed in the correct direction, so be prepared to attend at least 3-4 treatment sessions. Also, it's important to make sure whoever is treating you has an L.Ac or R.Ac. credential issue by your state. READ MORE
Is acupuncture good for restless leg syndrome?
Usually, yes, acupuncture is an excellent treatment for restless legs. I work with this issue quite a bit and I'm generally able to make people more comfortable. Please make sure whoever treats you has an L.Ac. or R.Ac. credential issued by your state. READ MORE
Can acupuncture help disc hernia pain?
Yes, acupuncture can generally improve pain from a herniated disc. READ MORE
Can acupuncture help lower back pain?
Yes, low back pain is a condition for which we have nearly overwhelming scientific evidence for acupuncture's effectiveness. READ MORE
Where is the acupuncture point for migraine?
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine do not work as conventional medicine does. Chinese medicine recognizes 6 or 7 different kinds of headaches and without knowing specifically which one *you* are experiencing, I cannot give you any points that might prove useful. Acupuncture is generally a very good treatment choice for headache and migraine. If you'd like to try acupuncture for your issue, go see a local board-certified and state licensed acupuncturist. You can start with NCCAOM.org's 'Find a Practitioner' lookup if you need help finding someone local. READ MORE
Does acupuncture help shoulder bursitis?
Usually, yes. Acupuncture can help with any pain or discomfort you may be experiencing. Over several treatments acupuncture can often lower the inflammation and return the shoulder to normal function. READ MORE
What can I do for anemia?
There are lots of different kinds of anemia; the causes can range from nutrient deficiency to auto-immune disorders. The methods for treating anemia will vary based on what kind of anemia you have. Your question doesn't specify the type of anemia, so it's difficult for me to provide any particular course of action. The diagnosing clinician should have outlined a set of treatment options that typically work in cases similar to yours. My first suggestion would be to follow that advice. READ MORE