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Acupuncture/Questions Answered by Expert Tamsen Staniford, L.Ac.
| Subject | Date Asked |
| scoliosis | 2/7/2012 |
| Q: I recently saw a video on youtube by which a person was cured of mild scoliosis by acupuncture. I ... A: I have to start by saying this question is a little out of my expertise level as I've never worked ... | |
| accupuncture from itching | 10/27/2011 |
| Q: My 89 year old mother started Korean acupuncture and teas to help give her more energy. Her energy ... A: Good morning. No, the itching you're describing is not a normal reaction (or a reaction I've ever ... | |
| Pain 3 weeks after treatment | 3/21/2011 |
| Q: I am very worried about a pain I have in my right forearm (ulnar area) after a treatment I had 3 ... A: Since I don't know from your message exactly where the needle was placed I don't have any idea what ... | |
| Muscle stiffness and joints | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: I was hit by a car and fell on my might right side specifically my right shoulder. The shoulder was ... A: Yes, acupuncture should really help that. The sooner after the accident the better (within a day or ... | |
| Treatments for thinning hair | 12/23/2010 |
| Q: A good friend of mine has told me that acupuncture can regrow thinning hair. Is this true? If so, ... A: I have not seen acupuncture to be beneficial for thinning hair. However, if the hair is thinning ... | |
| could this help impinged root nerves? | 10/21/2010 |
| Q: I have reached a desperate stage. Many years ago I broke my neck in a car accident. It took about ... A: Good day, Acupuncture can be helpful for some people with this condition to relieve irritation of ... | |
| acupuncture for depression/anxiety | 9/18/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering if there is a school of acupuncture that's best for treating depression/anxiety. I ... A: Good afternoon, In my experience any style of acupuncture is good for treating depression as well ... | |
| BACK PAIN/SPASMS/ACUPUNCTURE | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: THIS WAS THE ONLY SECTION I COULD FIND THAT HAS TO DO WITH MY PROBLEM. I WILL TRY TO EXPLAIN IT AS ... A: I think a combination of acupuncture and massage would help you a lot by the symptoms you describe. ... | |
| acupuncture and wrist fractures | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: I am a physio just embarking on acupuncture. I am very interested in using it for pain relief (and ... A: This question brings up a passion of mine which is acupuncture training and certification. I ... | |
| Bilateral testicular pain | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: I am suffering from chronic testicular pain since last 3 years,due to which I undergo through ... A: It should be able to help you, depending on the specific circumstances of your condition. ... | |
| back problems | 6/6/2010 |
| Q: I have had 2, soon to be 3, vertebroplasty operations. I have degenerative discs and osteoporosis. ... A: I saw your question in the pool and hopefully I can help answer your question. I have not seen ... | |
| can acupuncture help paralyzed | 6/4/2010 |
| Q: I met my Boyfriend 2 months. He got into a car accident between 10-12 yrs ago. He broke his neck and ... A: Unfortunately, paralysis from a physical severing of the nerves would not reversed by acupuncture. ... | |
| Nerve pain | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: I broke my back and paralyzed. Can accupuncture relieve me of my nerve pain and could it reverse my ... A: I saw your question in the pool and I hope I can help answer it for you. Acupuncture can not ... | |
| chinese herbs and possible ibs | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: Some months ago I was having loose malodorous stools with some mucus. I always have heartburn. I ... A: Sasha, First of all I commend you for working to understand your condition through researching TCM, ... | |
| hashimoto thyroiitis | 3/12/2010 |
| Q: Can accupunture help my thyroid become normal after being treated with synthroid for 6 months. I am ... A: Acupuncture alone will not help this particular autoimmune disorder to your satisfaction. Along ... | |
| torn rotator cuff | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: Can acupunture help with the pain from a torn rotator cuff? The timing is such that I can't afford ... A: Peggy, I'm not exactly clear what you mean when you say "I can't afford the recovery time...must ... | |
| Exacerbation of symptoms after acupuncture | 2/26/2010 |
| Q: I have neck pain and facial pain. After the 2nd session, My pain has exacerbated; I cannot walk ... A: Meena, I would love to answer your question as best I can; and if you feel your situation is an ... | |
| TCM and Medication | 2/14/2010 |
| Q: I would like to know if traditional chinese medicinal herbal preparations are safe to take with ... A: Generally speaking they are safe but you don't want to take them at exactly the same time. Leave a ... | |
| i need a soultion | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: i am a 24 year old jobseeker. For a brief history of my neck/back pain when i was about 10yrs i fell ... A: Victor, Without having more information about your medical diagnosis and what other treatments you ... | |
| severed nerve | 1/18/2010 |
| Q: How do I get relief from chronic pain, so severe it prevents me from sleeping. It began in late ... A: I have two options to help you find a practitioner: first off, please visit ... | |
| severed nerve | 1/17/2010 |
| Q: How do I get relief from chronic pain, so severe it prevents me from sleeping. It began in late ... A: Stathi, It sounds like you're doing everything right to keep yourself healthy; which makes it even ... | |
| L4/L5 Synovial Cyst... | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: I have a Synovial Cyst (L4/L5) that sits on a nerve... I had seen a Chiropractor for a year and a ... A: Dianne, First, for full disclosure, I have never treated a synovial cyst personally. That being ... | |
| tremor | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: I have a familial tremor in my left hand. It is difficult to write neatly and my hand becomes sore ... A: Ruth, I have treated a couple of cases of familial tremor and honestly I did not get good results. ... | |
| groin pain/herbs for allergy | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 issues. I am an active 64 year old female. 1. I have developed pain in my left groin ... A: Acupuncture can be wonderful for relieving inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. And both yoga ... | |
| accupuncture and fever | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: I am a home health/hospice nurse and have been seeing several people with flu like symptoms ... A: Acupuncture would not raise a person's temperature in a fever situation. The only relation I can ... | |
| acupuncture and nerve damage | 9/27/2009 |
| Q: I have suffered with chronic pain due to nerve damage either in the C2 area of the spinal cord or in ... A: Tina, With chronic pain of that length, the condition does become more difficult to change. What ... | |
| headpains | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: i have a question but theirs a bit of a story behind it. thank you for reading. im a 20 year old ... A: The answer to your question is "it depends". Acupuncture may help you, it may not. It should be ... | |
| Acupuncture for severed nerve | 9/20/2009 |
| Q: I had a tumor in my left mandible and had surgery to remove it in Dec 2007. Prior to this I had ... A: Cindy, It's definitely worth a try to see if acupuncture will help your pain. Nerve pain is ... | |
| Brachial plexus injury | 9/18/2009 |
| Q: Can you give me an estimate of how long pain due to brachial plexus injury can be held at bay after ... A: Ouch, sounds painful and frustrating! Unfortunately, without seeing the individual case in person I ... | |
| Pain with Acupuncture treatment | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: I had my first Acupuncture treatment yesterday. After about 15 minutes,the pins on the top of my ... A: No, it's not common at all. Give the antinflammatory cream a few more weeks to work, and get ... | |
| accupuncture and ed? | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: i am a 20 year old male. for the past 4 months ago i noticed a weaker erection, lacking in firmness. ... A: Acupuncture and especially herbs are indeed used to treat this condition in Chinese Medicine. Yang ... | |
| Pain with Acupuncture treatment | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: I had my first Acupuncture treatment yesterday. After about 15 minutes,the pins on the top of my ... A: I found this question in the question pool and I would like to help you find a good answer. First ... | |
| phlegm-heat | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: I have just had acupuncture for a digestive disorder. Basically, stagnant digestion and some ... A: Depending on which state you're in, an acupuncturist may or may not have training in herbal remedies ... | |
| Metabolic Syndrome | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: I dont know if acupuncture is applicable in my case, but I have visited an acupuncturist/natural ... A: One of the best nutritional supplements you can take is a high quality oil such as flax oil or fish ... | |
| Acupuncture on children | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: I am taking my almost 8 year old daughter to see an acupuncturist to help her cope with the loss of ... A: The electrostim you're seeing used is probably what we call "probes", where the child holds a small ... | |
| Meralgia Paresthetica | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: I had back surgery Oct 08. Prior to surgery, I was a weight lifter, and occupation included lifting ... A: Nerve pain can be very difficult to control, either with conventional or natural medicines. I would ... | |
| thigh numbness | 6/20/2009 |
| Q: I had back surgery Oct 08. Prior to surgery, I was a weight lifter, and occupation included lifting ... A: Nerve pain can be very difficult to control, either with conventional or natural medicines. I would ... | |
| Reading and info resources | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: First of all, thanks for providing yourself for questions. I enjoy reading about alternative ... A: Here a few of my favorite sites for alternative health information: www.acupuncture.com ... | |
| Reading and info resources | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: First of all, thanks for providing yourself for questions. I enjoy reading about alternative ... A: There are a few good websites that have that kind of information. Try to be wary of some of the ... | |
| 6 months with little progress | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: i'm writing to ask a second opinion about a condition that i've been seeing an acupuncturist for. ... A: Acupuncture should work; when it doesn't, that's a signal to work with your acupuncturist to learn ... | |
| 6 months with little progress | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: i'm writing to ask a second opinion about a condition that i've been seeing an acupuncturist for. ... A: Acupuncture should work; when it doesn't, that's a signal to work with your acupuncturist to learn ... | |
| Nerve damage | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I had radiation treatment to the neck area 4 yrs ago and I have nerve damage to the C2 and C3 spinal ... A: Nerve damage is very difficult to treat both by pharmaceutical drugs and by herbs/acupuncture. ... | |
| eastern medicine | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: I would like any kind of information you can provide me with of eastern project. I am doing a ... A: Since that is a very broad question with 5,000 years of history, I will point you in the direction ... | |
| Treating Peripheral Neuropathy with Acupuncture | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: My mother has peripheral neuropathy and RA in her hands and feet. Do you think she would benefit ... A: A dual diagnosis can always complicate matters; however, acupuncture can help both of your mother's ... | |
| scar tissue and acupuncture | 3/1/2009 |
| Q: My cheek looks slightly puffed out i was wondering could acupunture help reduce the scar tissue? A: I have seen acupuncture help reduce scar tissue. As with anything, the faster acupuncture is ... | |
| Extreme itching, TCM+Acupuncture | 2/22/2009 |
| Q: Brendon, I frequently get episodes of extreme itching throughout my entire body (scalp, back, chest, ... A: Licensing regulations wary from state to state in the US. There is a national board that offers ... | |
| basal thumb athritis | 2/8/2009 |
| Q: Will acupunture be beneficial for Basal thumb arthritis ? A: Yes. As with any disease process, the length of time and severity of the condition will effect the ... | |
Acupuncture
Answers by Expert:
Tamsen Staniford, L.Ac.
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Please ask me about acupuncture and oriental medicine, nutrition, dietary supplements, and herbs. I am always happy to answer questions about how any of these areas relate to your health and well-being, specific conditions, or simply if you would like some information. I specialize in acupuncture for palliative care, acute injuries, chronic illness, autoimmune disorders, bone health, and western supplements.
Experience
I am a licensed acupuncturist in the state of California and hold a Master's degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine. This degree includes training for acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, exercise and bodywork. I have work for a decade in the natural products industry both at the retail and manufacturing levels. I have worked using acupuncture in private clinics, community clinic settings and in inpatient care facilities; including hospice and supportive housing residences. I currently practice in San Francisco in a private clinic, making house calls for home bound patients, and working on grant funded community acupuncture projects.
Education/Credentials
Master's in Traditional Oriental Medicine, Certified Massage Therapist and Health Educator, Reiki Practitioner.
Past/Present Clients
Everyone from the stressed out worker, to the detoxing substance user, to the dying, to the new mother. Acupuncture can help them all.
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