According to The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, research into acupuncture as a medical treatment has grown wildly over the past 20 years, increasing at twice the rate of research into conventional biomedicine. A wide variety of clinical areas have been studied, including pain, cancer, pregnancy, stroke, mood disorders, sleep disorders and inflammation of muscles and joints. As the studies continue to be published and more people have a better understanding of what acupuncture is, the practice is subsequently evolving into one of the most utilized forms of complementary medical intervention in the United States. In fact, more than 10 million acupuncture treatments were administered last year alone.
Shannon Caperton, owner of Shine Acupuncture & Wellness in Medina, radiates with excitement and energy when she talks about her passion for helping people through the increasingly popular practices of holistic healing and acupuncture.
“Everything I do is customized for whatever is going on with you right now in the moment. There is no one specific treatment for a specific condition. Everyone is different. I have to put you in balance; that’s my job. I help figure out what’s out of balance and then get you back in balance so that you feel better,” she says.
To achieve this healing balance, Shannon uses a variety of holistic methods to treat her patients, some of those being herbal medicine, meditation, acupuncture, food therapy, stress management techniques, yoga and massage.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the terms “holistic healing” or “holistic practices,” they are simply terms used to describe a wide array of healing practices that fall outside purely pharmaceutical or surgical treatments.
“Holistic is really just understanding your patient and what they need and then talking to them about the things in their lifestyle that may be causing problems,” says Shannon.
Other terms such as alternative medicine, complementary therapies, natural healthcare, and integrative medicine are also commonly used to describe holistic practices.
Caperton says that when new patients come in for treatment, many aren’t sure what to expect or how many times they will need treatment before they feel better. To this, she says there is no clear-cut answer because everyone is different, but as a general guideline it is pretty typical for patients to schedule one appointment per week for four to six weeks and then re-access the plan of action. Most times, a once-a-month visit for basic health and body maintenance is enough to keep her patients feeling better and balanced.
Acupuncture and other Eastern medicine practices are slowly starting to work their way into the Western medicine world. Twenty or 30 years ago, acupuncture was a very misunderstood and unconventional practice. Today it is recognized as a valid and approved treatment and practice, and is covered on numerous insurance plans, including BlueCross BlueShield government employee plans.
“We have a contract with the Veterans Administration that allows veterans to come here for no out-of-pocket expense with a referral,” Shannon explains. “I see a lot of veterans for pain management, PTSD and a variety of other things.”
Scientifically and physiologically, acupuncture works by triggering the brain to manufacture pain killers for a given area. Shannon adds, “I’m breaking the skin and that causes a well understood reaction within the body that Western medicine totally understands. Your body is releasing serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and endorphins. That is part of the normal healing cascade within the body that is well understood.”
Besides helping and healing her patients naturally, without pills and invasive procedures, demystifying acupuncture and holistic healing practices is part of the bigger picture for Shannon.
“Physical Therapists have done a very good job of adding and promoting dry needling–which is similar, but not the same as acupuncture–to the healing process. We see this being promoted more across the board in Western medicine, which has in turn helped to demystify what it is that I do here for my patients."
Shine Acupuncture & Wellness is located at 805 E. Washington St., Ste. #230 in the Washington Park office complex. To learn more about the holistic healing services provided at Shine, visit ShineAcupuncture.com or call 330.242.5633 for information or to set up an appointment.
When you come to Shine Acupuncture & Wellness in Medina, you enter a calm, relaxing atmosphere where you are greeted with a warm smile. Easy listening music fills the waiting area with soothing sounds before you head back to the well decorated and peaceful treatment rooms.
