STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., May 5, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chiropractor Dr. Angelo DiMaggio of Touch Stone Rehabilitation and Health Center in Staten Island says more and more patients are turning to acupuncture as an alternative to painkillers. He says this ancient Chinese medical treatment is effective for everything from pain relief and stress relief to weight loss and help during pregnancy. According to Dr. DiMaggio, many of his knee, shoulder, wrist and back pain patients are enthusiastic about how the needling, in conjunction with chiropractic care, helps them feel better and more energetic. Dr. DiMaggio works with New York State licensed acupuncturist Anthony Sclafani.
Dr. DiMaggio says he recommends his Staten Island acupuncture practitioner to a wide variety of his patients. "Although it is just starting to catch on here in America, acupuncturists have been resolving difficult health problems for people for millennia. And it's still the first step in healthcare throughout Asia today, simply because it really works. I especially recommend it as an alternative for back pain during pregnancy because it works to balance all the body's systems and relieve pain—without any side-effect producing drugs."
Dr. DiMaggio's acupuncturist, Mr. Sclafani, explains that the National Institutes for Health recently funded a large study of more than 18,000 patients who used the ancient Chinese practice as an alternative form of pain relief. He says the study confirmed what he and millions of patients have already experienced: needling was demonstrably more effective than either placebos or actual painkillers in relieving many kinds of pain, including back pain. Mr. Sclafani says the needles clearly stimulate biochemical and nervous system processes that stimulate the body's own healing and pain management mechanisms.
Mr. Sclafani says he sees a significant increase in the numbers of patients seeking alternative treatments such as chiropractic care, massage and his services as an acupuncturist. He believes the reason is that more people understand that they have to work with their bodies, not against or in spite of them by using artificial painkillers. He says that these holistic treatments try to address the root causes and imbalances behind a person's pain instead of only trying to mask the pain. In the case of needling, he explains that the goal of this ancient practice is to bring the body's entire system of organs into harmony for overall wellness as well as pain relief.
Dr. DiMaggio urges people to try it: "The needles are so thin that most people don't even feel them going in. During treatment, patients usually comment on how relaxing it is—and that it really works to relieve their pain."
Touch Stone Rehabilitation and Health Center provides chiropractic care, massage therapy, physical therapy, nutritional counseling and several other holistic treatments. For more information, please visit the website at http://touchstonerehab.com/.