Can we call it "chiropuncture"? It just rolls off the tongue.

Chiropractic and acupuncture are the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of integrative medicine.

Chiropractic treatments focus on adjusting the spine to correct vertebral misalignments based within the nervous system.  If a vertebra is impinging on a nerve, it can cause disorders much further than just numbness or tingling. Think digestive issues, chronic headaches, even sinus issues. A chiropractor is able to adjust the spine and alleviate these obstructions.

Acupuncture comes in to help in two ways. First, acupuncture easily manipulates the soft tissues surrounding the spine to allow for an easier and longer lasting chiropractic adjustment. Secondly, it improves the function of the nerves that are now working properly after an adjustment. 

In other words, the acupuncturist gets the muscles to release their grip on the affected bones and joints. Once there’s room for the bone to go back to its proper place, the chiropractor places it there. Now that the nerve is able to function again, the needles get it to do so quickly.

That’s just the most basic of care that we can provide you. There’s also gua sha/graston and fire cupping which further releases the soft tissues and breaks up stagnation. Active Release Technique is a movement based massage that treats problems of muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. Electrical stimulation attaches to an acupuncture needle inserted into a muscle’s trigger point, which acts as a defibrillator (of sorts) for the muscle, getting it to “restart” and stop causing discomfort. Herbal medicine is personalized to each patient’s constitution and continues the healing while between treatments.

And this is why I am so excited to be seeing patients at Grow Chiropractic every Monday, Wednesday through Friday in Rancho Bernardo. I’m able to work alongside both Dr. Marc Grow and Dr. Ian Cooke to provide my patients with the most thorough treatments for their optimal health. Call (858) 433-5588 to schedule your appointments today!

Aches and pains, grunts and groans, oh boy!

Orthopedic acupuncture isn't exclusively just for athletes. I've treated knee pain on an avid gardener. There's also chronic tendinitis on a barista's forearm. Or how about the shoulder pain from the military man pulling people into helicopters. Orthopedic acupuncture supports their bodies during their most loved hobbies but as well as their careers. I would never ask the gardener to completely stop her weekends full of walking garden tours or pruning her veggie garden. The barista can't just up and quit her job, and you can't retire from the military because of shoulder pain. 

Orthopedic acupuncture allows you to continue doing what you love without pain or restricted movement. I'm here to support you!

So what exactly is 'orthopedic', anyway? Let's say you have a pinched nerve, your sciatic nerve for example. Nine times out of ten it's your piriformis muscle (located in your glute) constricting and pinching that sciatic nerve. That's where you get the shooting pain down to your butt cheek or even all the way down to your foot. My job is to go into that muscle and get it to release and relax... and that gives your sciatic nerve a break. This is true for all the nerves pinched by muscles! I go in, get it to back off, and your nerve can breathe. There are also trigger points for every muscle in your body. When I hit those trigger points (painless to you!) I get tight or knotted muscles to release. This is great for you yoginis or body builders.

Any questions? Don't hesitate to email Brittany at OpenChannelAcu@gmail.com

The Acupuncturist

Brittany Plummer

Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist

Or let's say you have a bulging disk that's pressing down on a nerve and giving you back or neck pain. I have those muscles surrounding your vertebrae release and create more room for that bulging disk. We're not talking about inches of space though, all you need is a few millimeters in order to stop the nerve from being pinched. I can't put a disc back into place but I can definitely help alleviate the pain it causes.

Prescribing you herbal formulas is also immensely helpful. For the athletes,  you'll experience better endurance and recovery time, less joints locking up and muscles knotting, and less soreness from an intense workout. The gardener gets an increase in blood flow and synovial fluid in her knee joint. The barista's forearm tendons let her work a full eight hour shift now. And the man on active duty has better range of motion in his shoulder. Orthopedic acupuncture is for every body.

And hey look, there's a study to back this up! http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1512-acupuncture-frees-movement-from-sports-injuries

Have you been treated with acupuncture for your aches and pains? Comment below about your experience!