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Medical ACUPUNCTURE

Dr. Safayan offers medical acupuncture — one of the oldest and most effective healing practices in the world updated with modern, medical and integrative perspectives. Acupuncture is especially helpful for allergies, pain relief, immune support, and balancing mind, body and spirit, whether in daily life, seasonally, or in times of special need.

How does acupuncture work?

The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to nourish the tissues and organs. An obstruction in these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body and restricts it in others.

Acupuncture needles inserted at the correct meridian points unblock the obstructions and reestablish a healthy flow to tissues and organs, potentially correcting digestion, absorption, and energy production in the body.

The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system.

Answer & Questions

Dr. Safayan offers medical acupuncture — one of the oldest and most effective healing practices in the world updated with modern, medical and integrative perspectives. Especially helpful for allergies, pain relief, immune support, and balancing mind, body and spirit, whether in daily life, seasonally, or in times of special need.

While acupuncture is often associated with pain control, in the hands of a well-trained practitioner it has much broader applications, Either on its own or in combination with other treatments, it can promote health and well-being, prevent illness, and treat a variety of medical conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the use of acupuncture in treating disorders including digestive, respiratory, neurological and muscular.

Acupuncture has been found to be particularly useful in resolving physical problems related to tension, stress and emotional conditions.

The number of treatments needed differs from person to person. For complex or long-standing conditions, 1 to 2 treatments per week for several months may suffice. For acute problems, fewer visits are typically required. RH recommends seasonal visits for optimal health and wellness.
Usually, no. As energy is redirected in the body, internal chemicals and hormones are stimulated and healing begins to take place.

Occasionally the original symptoms worsen for a few days or general changes in appetite, sleep, emotions, bowel or urination patterns may occur. These should not be cause for concern, as they are indications that the acupuncture is assisting the body in starting to heal.

People experience acupuncture needling differently. Most patients feel only minimal pain as the needles are inserted, or none at all, and there is no pain once the needles are inserted. Acupuncture needles are hair thin, solid, and made from stainless steel with a smooth point; insertion through the skin is not as painful as injections, which have hollow needles with a cutting edge. The the risk of bruising and skin irritation is less, and the needles are disposable, so there is no risk of infection from the treatments.

Source of information: The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture

Note: Dr. Safayan is one of the leading medical acupuncturists in the United States. He is a senior faculty member and the Preceptor in charge of the Helms Medical Institute, which provides medical acupuncture training for both civilian and military physicians in the use of acupuncture for common medical conditions as well as PTSD and TBI.

To learn more about acupuncture, read Dr. Safayan’s blog post, “Modern Benefits of an Ancient Healing Art“.

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Make an appointment with Dr. Safayan

Dr Safayan
Ali Safayan, MD

Therapies

Our Office Hours

  • Mon – Fri : 8.00 am – 5.00 pm
  • The office is closed for lunch : 1.00pm – 2.30pm
  • Sun : Closed
Testimonials

What Our patients have to say

I was surprised at how soothing the process was. The needles are hair-thin and caused very little discomfort. Lying on the table was a nourishing break, and allowed me time to process grief I had been experiencing. Both the treatment and my discussion with Dr. Safayan afterwards truly helped. I felt invigorated for days! Acupuncture is now a regular part of my care
Acupuncture Patient
Acupuncture Patient
Dr. Threlkel is an incredibly caring, intelligent, and intuitive doctor. She has helped me tremendously with debilitating chronic hormonal and gastrointestinal issues. I feel like I have gotten my life back! I am grateful to have found her and highly recommend her to others.
Alexandra M.
Alexandra M.
I highly recommend Restorative Health, a practice that bridges the knowledge and intricacies of Eastern and Western approaches to health care. In addition to being an excellent internist and preeminent acupuncturist, Dr. Safayan is a masterful teacher who takes your questions seriously. My visits often seem like master classes as he takes time to help you understand what is going on in the body when you are unwell. You are a validated partner in the process of your health care rather than a patient whose health is under the management of an indifferent outsider. I have benefited a great deal from acupuncture and prolotherapy has healed a chronic shoulder problem.
Barbara D.
Barbara D.
I should open by saying Olga Afonsky helped me lose forty pounds. My blood sugar, which was borderline diabetes, and blood pressure, which was borderline hypertension, are both now within normal range with no meds. I can't recommend Olga more highly. Olga's plan helped me lose the weight and it's helping me maintain it.
Jeremy H.
Jeremy H.
Dr. Safayan is a rare breed in today's healthcare system. He actually pays attention, listens to everything you say, and gives you a lot of time. When was the last time you had a doctor sit and talk to you for more than 10-15 minutes? He'll give you his time and has great bedside manner. I would highly recommend him and his team.
Tom C.
Tom C.
I'm very lucky that I found Dr. Safayan about 9 years ago. He does his best at finding out the cause of the problem instead of immediately giving a prescription to treat the symptoms. On my recent visit he successfully diagnosed me with the urological problem, when urologists could not figure out what was going on. He made me a believer in alternative methods too. My torn meniscus was completely cured by prolotherapy. He also treated me for severe fish allergy that I had since I was one-year-old. Every time I eat fish at home or at a restaurant now I'm amazed at the results.
L. G.
L. G.
I’ve been a patient of Dr. Safayan for 6 years. I initially came seeking alternatives to taking drugs that had potential serious side effects for my arthritis. Instead of treating the symptoms, he suggested we look at the “bigger” picture to find out what caused my body’s reaction. Turned out I was allergic to some common foods, and avoiding them cleared my flares up completely. NAET treatments have also helped with my spring allergies and I’m able to go biking and hiking instead of staying indoors. I had a very strong allergy to fish all my life and decided to try NAET for that. I eat salmon quite often now and it still amazes me each time that I can. Also, I was able to avoid a surgery for a torn meniscus, thanks to prolotherapy performed by Dr. Safayan. Thank you for helping me to stay healthy!
Leo G.
Leo G.
Annie not only helped me understand why I wasn’t sleeping well, but provided me with concrete steps to combat the problem. She worked with me to gradually undo negative thought patterns that exacerbated my insomnia and empowered me to make simple lifestyle changes that helped me achieve my goals. The work was not easy but with patience and persistence, my time with Annie was well spent and I feel healthier and better able to tackle sleep challenges in the future.
Patient
I was recently referred to Annie Miller by another therapist for CBT-i (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia). When I called Annie, I was in the middle of the worst bout of insomnia I've ever experienced, trying to function on only a couple of hours of sleep per night for several days at a time and in a bad mental state (described as hanging on by a thread by my other therapist). Annie took the time to soothe my nerves on that first call, explain how CBT-i works, and assure me that it works and that everything would soon be better. We met biweekly for about two months. It was a lifesaving experience. Annie completely changed my relationship with sleep - a lifelong dysfunctional relationship. I'm now sleeping confidently and soundly without the help of Ambien. Annie is both compassionate and skilled, and I highly recommend her to anyone suffering from insomnia.
Patient
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