Finalized CMS Rule Provides Medicare Coverage for Acupuncture Back Pain Treatment
CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has finalized a proposed rule to provide Medicare coverage to chronic lower back pain patients who access acupuncture. This is partly due to an effort to reduce the dependency on opioids in treating contract pain. Medicare will now cover up to 12 acupuncture sessions in 90 days with an additional eight sessions for patients with chronic lower back pain that show improvement. In announcing their decision, CMS highlighted a study that showed patients 65 years or older who received acupuncture...
read moreMigraines and Acupuncture
Do you suffer from migraines? If so you’re not alone. Migraine sufferers number more than 38 million people in the US alone. Most people plagued by migraines experience one or two attacks per month and according to the Migraine Research Foundation, there are more than 4 million people that have at least 15 days of migraine-suffering each month. This makes migraines extremely debilitating and intrusive — hampering a person’s ability to function normally at work, school and in other areas of life — and it’s also why migraines are...
read moreAcupuncture in the Emergency Room
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine practice originating in ancient China that treats patients by manipulating thin, solid needles, which are inserted into acupuncture points in the skin. Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain, but can be used to treat a wide variety of disorders such as digestive disorders, headaches, and anxiety. According the StarTribune, a Minneapolis hospital is blazing trails as the first hospital in the nation to have an acupuncturist on staff in the Emergency Room. The hospital reports this alternative...
read moreAcupuncture for Menopause
Did you know that acupuncture can be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of menopause? Recent research indicates that acupuncture treatment can be effective in helping women through this time of their lives. In a study published in Menopause, researchers completed a meta- analysis of 104 studies in order to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture on menopausal symptoms. The researchers found that acupuncture reduced both the frequency and severity of hot flashes. These findings suggest that acupuncture could be an effective alternative...
read moreWays to Manage Stress
Stress can have many negative effects towards our health. Not only can it affect how we interact with others, but it also weakens our immune system, causes skin breakouts, affects our mood and our appetite. Stress can also affect our heart health and hormone levels in our body. The effects of unmanaged stress can be quite serious. April is National Stress Awareness Month and if you haven’t already, it’s time to start thinking about ways to manage your stress. 1. Acupuncture treatments Studies have shown that acupuncture lowers stress...
read moreAcupuncture for Arthritis
Acupuncture has become an increasingly utilized method of treatment for a variety of ailments and diseases. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of treatment, which aims to balance the energy flow in your body. The energy flows through pathways called meridians, which can become blocked. Acupuncture needles are placed at certain points on the body in order to reestablish balance. Acupuncture may also be a beneficial treatment for those suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic and progressive disease that...
read moreResearch Shows Acupuncture Can Provide Headache Relief
Headaches can both frustrating and debilitating. Tension headaches are the most common headache and can range from mild to moderate in intensity. Symptoms of tension headaches often include dull, aching head pain or tightness that is generally felt across the forehead, sides and back of the head. Pain from tension headaches can also radiate to the neck and shoulder muscles. Tension headaches can range from a single episode to chronic, in which headaches may last for hours and continue for more than 15 days in a month’s time. Migraines and...
read moreAcupuncture Safety and other Common Misunderstandings
There are many misconceptions about acupuncture — misunderstandings and misinformation that unfortunately make some people hesitate to seek treatment that could really help them. Acupuncture can be a safe, effective treatment for many conditions and the World Health Organization along with the National Institutes for Health recognize acupuncture as being effective for pain, anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, respiratory problems and more. Many of my patients initially come to me with questions or concerns about acupuncture so I’d...
read moreAcupuncture Can Relieve Stress
A new study published in the Journal of Endocrinology indicates that acupuncture can help to relieve stress and points to the reasons why. The new study explores the biological reasons behind acupuncture’s stress-relieving abilities. The researchers discovered that stress hormones were lower in subjects that received electronic acupuncture. Using rats for their study, they designed a series of tests with electronic acupuncture to ensure that each rat received the exact same dose of pressure. The targeted point was below the knee, or the...
read moreAllergy Treatment with Acupuncture
This spring’s allergy season has been a severe one and here in Florida it can be a a problem all year round as various tropical trees and shrubs bloom and thrive in any season. Acupuncture has already been seen to help relieve pain in patients and a new study indicates that it might relieve allergies as well. Many patients plagued with allergy symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes and a scratchy throat use over-the-counter antihistamines for relief, but now more and more are turning to acupuncture and herbal treatments when they find that...
read moreAbout Me
My name is Stefanie Woods and I am a Board Certified and Licensed Acupuncture Physician. I received a Master in Oriental Medicine from the Acupuncture and Massage College in Miami, FL.
-- Stefanie Woods, AP, LMT
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