Lead by Dr. Aylee Thierfelder, with years of experience when it comes to chronic and seemingly hopeless cases, Whitefish Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine provides a healing environment to treat and support your recovery from Acute and Chronic Pain.
Living Life Pain-Free
We see all kinds of patients come in, the chief driver for many is living a life free from pain, and getting out there to live their best life. Whether it’s hitting the back 9 at the Whitefish Golf Club, paddling to the far end of Tally Lake, or biking all 36 miles (or just part) of the Whitefish Trail, everybody wants to take advantage of the great outdoors here in Montana.
Does it Work? and How…
Acupuncture may sound like an exotic—maybe even improbable—treatment for chronic pain, but it’s really been around for centuries and recently been clinically proven by several studies to provide long term relief from pain (up to 12 months in many cases).
It works by applying needles, heat, and pressure to specific points on the body. A review article that appeared in Practical Pain Management found that pain relief with acupuncture comes from inactivating the source of pain by modulating endorphin levels, regulating the nervous system, immune system and endocrine/hormonal system.
According to the National Institute of Health, a number of studies suggest that acupuncture works particularly well on chronic pain such as back and neck pain; osteoarthritis/knee pain; and headaches. It often reduces the incidence and severity of tension headaches and may prevent migraines. “Therefore,” the NIH concludes, “acupuncture appears to be a reasonable option for people with chronic pain to consider.”
Long Term Relief
Routinely, we see great improvements with both chronic pain from known injuries, and from pain unrelated to a specific incident. Some common things we treat and the sports they relate to are:
Golf: rotator cuff, knee pain, carpal tunnel
Kayaking: rotator cuff, elbow pain
Mountain Biking: neck/back pain, knee/ankle pain
Hiking & Skiing: knee pain, hip pain, plantar fasciitis, sciatica
For everyone that comes in with a specific goal in mind, we always focus the treatment plan to get the results they need. We lay out the exact plan from the beginning so patients know what to expect, how long recovery will likely take, and when they should start to see results.
Pins & Needles
If you’ve been thinking about trying acupuncture, there are many reasons why you should. Acupuncture is clinically-proven to reduce pain and inflammation. This means more pain-free days and ultimately the freedom to get off the sidelines and actively live your life.
Acupuncture works when other treatments fail. Many (if not all) of our patients started acupuncture as a last resort for dealing with stubborn chronic pain or illness. Compared to physical therapy, surgery and pharmaceutical therapies, acupuncture is gentle and effective without negative side-effects. We often tell patients the most noticeable side-effect is better sleep!
(Side Effects May Include...)
The most common and surprising side-effects of acupuncture are…
Better sleep: Acupuncture balances your body’s nervous system to attune with circadian rhythms and promotes falling into deep and restorative sleep cycles.
Better sex: Acupuncture increases libido by balancing hormones (male and female), boosting blood flow to the genitals, and relaxing the mind with a flood of feel-good neurotransmitters including dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, and serotonin.
Better mood and relationships: Acupuncture relieves stress which allows for easy-going relationships with your friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances. It literally shifts the brain into a baseline state of relaxation so the daily annoyances, interruptions, and stresses of dealing with other people will bounce right off of you while you transform your mindset into cultivating healthy relationships at work, school, and (most importantly) home.
TREATMENTS WE OFFER
Acupuncture
While acupuncture is amazing at treating any type of pain condition, in the hands of a well trained practitioner like Aylee Thierfelder LAc., it has many broader applications.
FSM BioTherapy™
ATP Resonance BioTherapy™ is a non-invasive and painless technique for treating pain by using low-level electrical currents. ATP’s various frequencies can be used to potentially reduce inflammation (swelling), repair tissue, and reduce pain.
Dry Needling
Dry needling is a technique used to treat trigger point pain and myofascial pain. Dry needling can and often results in a complete absence of symptoms, even in severe pain conditions that have been present for years.