Pain Medicine, Auriculotherapy, Medical Acupuncture
Dr. Stanton offers medical acupuncture and ear acupuncture to patients for a great variety of conditions. Acupuncture was developed as a whole health system at least 2,500 years ago in China. It has since spread worldwide and is now practiced in major medical centers and university teaching hospitals. Acupuncture offers a generally safe, conservative alternative and complementary therapy to more conventional biomedical treatments that commonly involve drug therapy or surgery.
Medical acupuncture is traditional acupuncture as practiced by physicians. It consists most often of the placement of sterile, single-use needles in points on the skin involving various parts of the body. Sometimes the points are also stimulated using modern technology, such as low level electrical stimulation. Treatment sessions typically last about one hour. Needles are removed at the end of the treatment session. It should be noted that non-needling acupuncture techniques are also available. Treatments are usually initiated on a weekly basis. Generally, a trial of medical acupuncture consists of 3 to 6 weekly treatments.
Auriculotherapy is the name given to ear (auricular) acupuncture. This is a microsystem of acupuncture that was developed in France in the 1950s by Paul Nogier, M.D., a physician who was also trained in acupuncture. In this form of acupuncture, small sterile, single-use needles are placed in points in the skin of the ear (not inside the ear canal). Treatment sessions typically last 30 minutes. Most commonly, the very small "semi-permanent" needles that are placed in the ear are not removed at the end of the treatment session. A patient leaves with these needles still in place, and they fall out on their own after a few days or even a few weeks! Non-needling techniques are also available for auricular acupuncture. The treatments are typically initiated on a monthly basis. In general, a trial of auriculotherapy consists of 3 to 4 monthly treatments.
​
In the United States at this time, an increasing number of insurance companies are covering acupuncture services. However, not all insurance provides this coverage, even if the acupuncture is given by a physician. Patients who are interested in acupuncture are encouraged to contact their insurance providers to see if acupuncture is covered under their plans.
Video of Dr. Gary Stanton discussing acupuncture.