Acupuncture, Herbs and Qigong for Health
Online and Office Treatments
Effective Care — with or without Needles
Acupuncture, Herbs and Qigong for Health
Online and Office Treatments
Effective Care — with or without Needles
“Dr. Greg is ... amazing, amazing!!! I’ve gone from asthma inhalers two puffs twice a day and rescue inhaler four times a week to just one puff each day. I was feeling fat, unhealthy and miserable. I now feel great, am happy and have no attacks or allergy flare-ups. I’m so at peace. He’s helped me to feel safe again to share and express what I have held onto for years. The light at the end of the tunnel is shining very bright and so close.”
we listen
Tired of telling your story and not having the doctor really take the time to listen to you or what you have to say?
It's a common frustration for patients of modern healthcare. We're different. We actually take the time to listen to you and all the details. Being fully heard is essential for true healing to occur.
In fact, scientists have now verified what Chinese Doctors of Oriental Medicine have said for thousands of years: what you think and feel directly affects your health—both in the short term and in the long run. Your Acupuncture Physician here has extensive training and practical experience in both Chinese Oriental Medicine and counseling. So, you get healing of your particular medical concern but also a more thorough and lasting improvement since body, heart and mind are all attended to during treatment.
“Greg is highly skilled. I came to him with depression and back pain. After a single session my symptoms were relieved. I completely trust his immense depth of knowledge in alternative medicine. He is a true healer in every sense of the word.”
Acupuncture
More than 14 million Americans have tried acupuncture. And for good reason: acupuncture works! The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as being proven effective for more than twenty conditions including chronic pain, anxiety, stress, digestive disorders and neurological conditions.
Acupuncture
More than 14 million Americans have tried acupuncture. And for good reason: acupuncture works! The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as being proven effective for more than twenty conditions including chronic pain, anxiety, stress, digestive disorders and neurological conditions.
More than 14 million Americans have tried acupuncture according to recent statistics.
This represents about six percent of all adults. When you realize that only one percent of folks had discovered this therapy a decade ago, you begin to understand that acupuncture is becoming more mainstream in US medicine. In fact, it is one of the few complementary medicine approaches covered by most health insurance plans.
Why this increased interest?
Quite simply, acupuncture works, is affordable and has practically no side-effects. Extensive research shows that the insertion of tiny, sterile needles—a practice that has been around for over two thousand years—helps to alleviate many conditions and improve overall well-being.
Scientists now know that several useful effects occur when a needle is inserted: endorphins are released in the brain (this reduces pain and causes a sense of well-being), blood flow increases, connective tissue relaxes, the immune system is stimulated and the brain is activated (this helps to re-educate the brain and body physiology towards greater health).
What about chronic pain?
An important government agency, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, reports that:
“Results from a number of studies suggest that acupuncture may help ease types of pain that are often chronic such as low-back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis/knee pain. It also may help reduce the frequency of tension headaches and prevent migraine headaches. Therefore, acupuncture appears to be a reasonable option for people with chronic pain to consider.”
The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as being proven effective for more than twenty conditions
including chronic pain of many kinds, anxiety, stress, digestive disorders, neurological conditions such as stroke, physical trauma and injury, nausea, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue and hypertension. Furthermore, it asserts that acupuncture has positive effects on over seventy other medical conditions including the common cold, premenstrual discomfort, infertility, menopause and mood disorders.
“I had excruciating pain in my arm which had bothered me for more than a year. Several visits to doctors had not helped. Within two sessions with Greg, the pain began to lessen and after a month I made a full recovery. His warm, comforting manner never failed to make me feel welcome and relaxed.”
Herbs
Although not so well known in the west, herbs are a key part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many TCM doctors would, in fact, say that herbs are the MAIN part of their medicine. What this means for you is that there are many powerful and yet safe herbs and herbal combinations that can provide an excellent complement to your current nutritional and medical program. Herbs are especially useful for treating systemic health issues such as circulation, mood, vitality, digestion and sleep. Nutritional lifestyle choices are also very important and discussed as part of every treatment here at Palm Beach Oriental Medicine.
Herbs
Although not so well known in the west, herbs are a key part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many TCM doctors would, in fact, say that herbs are the MAIN part of their medicine. What this means for you is that there are many powerful and yet safe herbs and herbal combinations that can provide an excellent complement to your current nutritional and medical program. Herbs are especially useful for treating systemic health issues such as circulation, mood, vitality, digestion and sleep. Nutritional lifestyle choices are also very important and discussed as part of every treatment here at Palm Beach Oriental Medicine.
Herbs deliver lasting healing support.
They provide essential and profound support for your improved health. In traditional Chinese practice, an acupuncturist utilized three key tools to help improve a patient’s health and well-being:
needles
moxa (herbs placed on or near the body and heated)
blood-letting (bleeding a small amount from specific points)
These three methods addressed the three main aspects of health: needles regulate the physiology, moxa strengthens the body and blood-letting removes stagnation throughout the body. In today’s modern world, it’s often not possible to apply these three tools as traditionally practiced—either due to physical restraints (building codes, etc.) or social norms (not many folks in western countries like to get punctured by an acupuncture needle much less get bled). Because of these clinical realities, it’s doubly important that you get appropriate care via the use of herbs since they can be used to achieve these same three goals (regulate, strengthen and disperse/remove stagnation).
Herbs also provide on-going therapy outside of your clinical visit and thereby serve to deepen and consolidate the positive benefits of your treatment.
How long will you need to take herbs? It depends but a rule of thumb says the duration of both acupuncture and herbal treatment matches the length of the illness or condition being addressed. So, typically herbs are taken for several weeks for an acute condition and can be taken for several months, or longer, for more chronic situations.
“I suffered from RSI for over 15 years and consulted two separate surgeons, had an MRI, had physiotherapy for many sessions and the outcome remained unsatisfactory. So, I decided to seek alternative therapy. Why did I choose Dr. Curtiss? Honestly, what impressed me most were his engineering degrees. I knew that as a rational person in a concrete profession, he would not buy into and dedicate so many years to a health discipline that isn’t substantiated with sound medical proof. He can actually explain how it works!
I began treatment and immediately felt a sense of relief after my first session. His ability to zone in on not only your physical issues but also related mental issues really felt like this was more of a complete healing. I continued for 6 sessions, am now pretty much cured and can truly credit Dr. Curtiss. His ability to heal not only the injury but also related physical and emotional factors is a skill that is missing in Western Medicine today.”
Qigong
Qigong has been around for thousands of years. The first recorded evidence to show that the practice was alive and part of Chinese culture dates from the Zhou dynasty in the fourth century B.C.E. Qigong is a form of gentle exercise that can be used for self-health, medical treatment and even spiritual development.
Qigong
Qigong has been around for thousands of years. The first recorded evidence to show that the practice was alive and part of Chinese culture dates from the Zhou dynasty in the fourth century B.C.E. Qigong is a form of gentle exercise that can be used for self-health, medical treatment and even spiritual development.
self-health
Flexibility and Vitality
Qigong consists of two words: qi (energy) and gong (skill). Taken together these words suggest a practice oriented towards regulating physiology. And, in fact, qigong is just such an exercise.
It consists of gentle movements alternating with some periods of stillness. There are hundreds of styles but they all aim to integrate body movement, breath and thought leading to improved health.
medical treatment
Adjunct/Primary Treatment
The roots of qigong reach back five thousand years to ancient China. This form originated primarily from early attempts to preserve health and prevent illness.
Over the centuries, it evolved as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In modern times, western research has validated many of its medical benefits. So much so that this approach is now called Chinese Medical Qigong, a branch of medicine that receives government sponsorship and much research.
spiritual development
Personal/Spiritual Growth
Although qigong had some relation to ancient shamanism, it was first clearly applied for spiritual pursuits in the form of Daoist Qigong which can be traced back to the Qin dynasty (about 220 B.C.E.). The Dao De Jing written during this period laid the foundation for this form of qigong.
The aim of Daoist Qigong is the cultivation of health, longevity and spirituality. The most famous exercise from this approach is known in the west as the microcosmic orbit and is a circulation of qi along the midline of both the front and back of the body.