FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ACUPUNCTURE SERVICES NOW:
OFFERED AT THE BELLEVUE HOSPITAL
June 3, 2004
The Bellevue Hospital is pleased to
announce that Susan Graham, M.D., will begin offering
services of Integrative Medicine in the form of acupuncture,
beginning Monday, June 7, at the Clyde Services Building,
402 W. McPherson Highway
“We are very pleased that Dr. Graham
will be bringing her professional skills and experience to
offer a variety of exciting new services to our area,
starting with acupuncture,” said Patricia Semer, Vice
President of Ancillary Services at TBH.
Dr. Graham will begin
offering acupuncture treatments for the public on Monday,
June 7, with appointments being scheduled on Mondays from
1-4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at
the Clyde location.
Dating back over 2,000
years in China, acupuncture therapy has been used to provide
relief and help treat many ailments such as asthma, anxiety,
depression, and acute and chronic pain, to name a few.
According to the National Institute of Health, the classical
Chinese explanation of acupuncture is treating disorders by
inserting needles into the skin where they unblock
obstructed pathways of the body’s natural energy flow.
However, modern explanations have since supplanted many of
these theories in Western medicine.
Some scientists believe the needles trigger the release of
chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These
chemicals either change the experience of pain or trigger
other chemicals or hormones that alter the body’s
biochemistry.
“Integrative medicine seems to be the wave of the future,”
commented Dr. Graham, a native of Toronto, Canada. “My
patients are telling me that modern medicine can – at times
– be expensive and require the use of many types of drugs.
Acupuncture works from within the body, using the body’s
natural energy. However, I always tell all of my patients,
acupuncture should always be used in combination with what
the family doctor recommends. I will not diagnose an injury
or ailment. I will only attempt treatment using
acupuncture.”
Dr. Graham will be offering acupuncture treatments for the
following: acute and chronic pain, fibromyalgia, tinnitus
(ringing in the ears), depression, post-operative pain,
weight loss, smoke cessation, anxiety, nausea & vomiting,
asthma, arthritis, and nerve problems (pain and numbness)
associated with diabetes. She noted that many cancer
patients may also find pain relief and benefit from
acupuncture therapy.
Acupuncture incorporates
the use of tiny, sterile needles, most of them just a little
thicker than the average human hair. “They are extremely
thin and flexible, and all are sterile and pre-packaged.
They are used once and discarded and cannot, when used
properly, transmit diseases,” added Dr. Graham. “Most
patients will feel just a mild prickling sensation when the
needles are inserted into the skin, but after that,
nothing.”
Continued Dr. Graham, “Treatments last
about 30 minutes on average. The number of needles used
varies with what is being treated and the responsiveness of
the patient. Some patients and some conditions require as
few as 5-6 needles while others may require 25-30.”
According to Dr. Graham,
the benefits of acupuncture add up with each successive
treatment. “It is a cumulative effect. The benefits add up
over time, and it might take four or five treatments to see
the initial benefit, especially with a chronic problem. Some
of my patients may get some type of relief from the pain or
ailment almost instantaneously, which to me is so
rewarding.”
Dr. Graham notes that some
insurance plans will cover acupuncture treatments while
others will not, and Workers’ Compensation covers about half
of the requests for acupuncture. “Medicare and Medicaid do
not currently cover acupuncture treatments. That will
probably change as more and more patients demand acupuncture
as an alternative.”
While recognition of acupuncture as a
legitimate form of patient treatment or healing has been
slow in the U.S., it is a procedure taught in medical
schools and practiced by physicians and non-physician
practitioners elsewhere in European countries such as
Germany, Italy, and France.
After receiving a Physical
Therapy degree in Toronto, Dr. Graham earned her Medical
Degree in General Practice from McMaster University in
Hamilton, Ontario in 1983. In 1995, she moved to the Willard
and worked for Mercy Hospital until 2002 when she took a
year off to complete her acupuncture training.
For additional information
or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Graham, phone (419)
483-4040 in Bellevue; (419) 547-0074 in Clyde; or (419)
639-2065 in Fremont, Old Fort, Green Springs, or Republic.
Dial or ask for Extension 4285.
