In recent years, the centuries-old Chinese healing art of acupuncture has grown in popularity in the U.S. An increasing number of American hospitals and medical practices are offering acupuncture as an integrative treatment modality. Yet many people who have never experienced the benefits of acupuncture still have misconceptions about this ancient practice.
In this podcast, Dr. Camille Loveman shares her expertise as an acupuncturist and herbal therapist at MarinHealth Integrative Wellness Center. Find out how acupuncture works and learn about its many uses, from pain management, to symptom relief, to stress reduction.
All About Acupuncture
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Dr. Camille Loveman, DACM, LA-C
Camille Loveman, DACM, LA-C
Dr. Camille Loveman, DACM, LA-C is a California State Board Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbal Therapist with more than 15 years of experience in healthcare settings. She began her career with a focus on western medicine, completing a pre-med program through University of California, Berkeley, and later working on addiction medicine and pediatric hepatology in a clinical research setting at the University of California San Francisco. Camille later transitioned to traditional Chinese medicine after studying at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco and the Zhejiang Chinese Medical University in Hangzhou, China. Camille has extensive training in pain and stress management, as well as women's health, sleep, and digestive disorders. She also continues to advance clinical acupuncture research, working on a low back pain protocol in the hopes of discovering new benefits, applications, and more effective treatment programs.Learn more about Dr. Camille Loveman, DACM, LA-C
Transcription:
All About Acupuncture
Bill Klaproth: Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that has been practiced for centuries. So let's talk about the many benefits, conditions treated and what a typical appointment might look like with Dr. Camille Loveman, an acupuncturist and herbal therapist at MarinHealth Integrative Wellness Center.
This is The healing Podcast brought to you by MarinHealth. I'm Bill Klaproth. Dr. Loveman, thank you so much for your time. It is great to talk with you. So as mentioned, acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that has been practiced for centuries. And today, it is commonly practiced in Western medicine to complement medical treatment. So first off, how does acupuncture work?
Dr. Camille Loveman: So basically, we use the body's natural sense of balance to help it achieve optimal health. We work with the meridian system. There's 12 meridians that are associated with each organ. And we place needles along the pathway of the meridian to correspond with each organ pathway. Many people have thought of it as chi, the vital life force or vital energy. And we use this energy system to help the body restore natural balance and relieve pain.
How it actually works, there's been some studies done looking at the mechanism so placing needles along the pathway. There's been MRI imaging done to see exactly the mechanism of how each acupuncture needle works along the meridian pathway.
Bill Klaproth: So you're basically using the body to heal itself.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes.
Bill Klaproth: So in fact, the World Health Organization, the WHO, acknowledges acupuncture to be effective for managing pain relief; managing discomfort of neurological conditions such as headaches and migraines; reducing stress and anxiety; managing digestive disorders, such as nausea and vomiting; preventing allergic rhinitis and the common cold and increasing energy. That's a long list of benefits. Is that right, Dr. Loveman?
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes, this is correct. We work with the body's natural system. And depending on the condition, we can treat all of that and then some.
Bill Klaproth: So for people that do have migraines and things like that, obviously a lot of people live in pain, but this also can be effective for reducing stress and anxiety.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yeah, this is correct, which is wonderful right now during the pandemic, because there is a lot of stress and anxiety. And stress and anxiety can often be linked to other issues.
Bill Klaproth: Tell us about the process. How does this work?
Dr. Camille Loveman: We treat a comprehensive list of symptoms. We're often looking for the root cause. Someone will come in with a cold, with stress, with insomnia. And we'd look at that as a pattern. So we treat based on patterns. So multiple symptoms can be part of one pattern in terms of Chinese medicine.
Bill Klaproth: What does a typical session look like and how long do people have to come for sessions?
Dr. Camille Loveman: A typical session is usually about an hour. And we'll do a comprehensive intake on all of the symptoms. And that will usually be between 15 minutes of conversation time. And then the acupuncture needles will be inserted along the meridian pathway. And we usually use between 10 and 15 needles depending on the symptoms that we're treating. And then with the needles, they'll be in for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
And followup for pain conditions can be anywhere once a week for a month or once a week for two months. It varies between patients because we treat based on the individual.
Bill Klaproth: So generally once a week to relieve that condition. So then do people come in for regular maintenance after that? Do they love it so much that they just keep coming back and back because it keeps them feeling good?
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes, they will. People will come in once a month just for maintenance treatment. Because it's so good at reducing stress, it often can help with preventative medicine. It can help to boost your immune system and to relieve fatigue. So yeah, people will come in definitely for maintenance treatments.
Bill Klaproth: So I have heard people say, "I like the idea of acupuncture, but I don't want to get stuck with a needle because it's going to hurt." That is a common misconception, right? This isn't really painful.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Most people will come in with the anticipation of the needles causing the pain. And they're surprised by how relaxing it can actually feel. Our acupuncture needles can fit inside of a hypodermic needle. It is very painless. And if people have fear of needles, they often leave feeling relieved.
Bill Klaproth: So your advice to someone who has or someone who is suffering from, let's say, pain or stress and anxiety or headaches or even digestive disorders or somebody that has allergies, come on in and try it, right? That would be a good message.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes, definitely.
Bill Klaproth: Yeah, it seems like the benefits certainly are there for you to at least try this. Okay, is there anything else we should know about acupuncture as we wrap up, Dr. Loveman?
Dr. Camille Loveman: Just that it is a complementary service and we will often work with other doctors to coordinate care to optimize each patient's experience.
Bill Klaproth: Hmm. That's good to know. All right. Well, this has really been interesting and I hope everybody tries acupuncture. I know I've had it done and it does feel great. People do think of the needles, but you're right, when it's happening and even afterwards, the relief that you can feel is terrific and I would recommend it to anybody. So thank you so much for your time, Dr. Loveman. We appreciate it.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Thank you so much.
Bill Klaproth: That's Dr. Camille Loveman. And you can call (415) 925-7620 to schedule an acupuncture appointment at the MarinHealth Integrative Wellness Center. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is The Healing Podcast brought to you by MarinHealth. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
All About Acupuncture
Bill Klaproth: Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that has been practiced for centuries. So let's talk about the many benefits, conditions treated and what a typical appointment might look like with Dr. Camille Loveman, an acupuncturist and herbal therapist at MarinHealth Integrative Wellness Center.
This is The healing Podcast brought to you by MarinHealth. I'm Bill Klaproth. Dr. Loveman, thank you so much for your time. It is great to talk with you. So as mentioned, acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that has been practiced for centuries. And today, it is commonly practiced in Western medicine to complement medical treatment. So first off, how does acupuncture work?
Dr. Camille Loveman: So basically, we use the body's natural sense of balance to help it achieve optimal health. We work with the meridian system. There's 12 meridians that are associated with each organ. And we place needles along the pathway of the meridian to correspond with each organ pathway. Many people have thought of it as chi, the vital life force or vital energy. And we use this energy system to help the body restore natural balance and relieve pain.
How it actually works, there's been some studies done looking at the mechanism so placing needles along the pathway. There's been MRI imaging done to see exactly the mechanism of how each acupuncture needle works along the meridian pathway.
Bill Klaproth: So you're basically using the body to heal itself.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes.
Bill Klaproth: So in fact, the World Health Organization, the WHO, acknowledges acupuncture to be effective for managing pain relief; managing discomfort of neurological conditions such as headaches and migraines; reducing stress and anxiety; managing digestive disorders, such as nausea and vomiting; preventing allergic rhinitis and the common cold and increasing energy. That's a long list of benefits. Is that right, Dr. Loveman?
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes, this is correct. We work with the body's natural system. And depending on the condition, we can treat all of that and then some.
Bill Klaproth: So for people that do have migraines and things like that, obviously a lot of people live in pain, but this also can be effective for reducing stress and anxiety.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yeah, this is correct, which is wonderful right now during the pandemic, because there is a lot of stress and anxiety. And stress and anxiety can often be linked to other issues.
Bill Klaproth: Tell us about the process. How does this work?
Dr. Camille Loveman: We treat a comprehensive list of symptoms. We're often looking for the root cause. Someone will come in with a cold, with stress, with insomnia. And we'd look at that as a pattern. So we treat based on patterns. So multiple symptoms can be part of one pattern in terms of Chinese medicine.
Bill Klaproth: What does a typical session look like and how long do people have to come for sessions?
Dr. Camille Loveman: A typical session is usually about an hour. And we'll do a comprehensive intake on all of the symptoms. And that will usually be between 15 minutes of conversation time. And then the acupuncture needles will be inserted along the meridian pathway. And we usually use between 10 and 15 needles depending on the symptoms that we're treating. And then with the needles, they'll be in for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
And followup for pain conditions can be anywhere once a week for a month or once a week for two months. It varies between patients because we treat based on the individual.
Bill Klaproth: So generally once a week to relieve that condition. So then do people come in for regular maintenance after that? Do they love it so much that they just keep coming back and back because it keeps them feeling good?
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes, they will. People will come in once a month just for maintenance treatment. Because it's so good at reducing stress, it often can help with preventative medicine. It can help to boost your immune system and to relieve fatigue. So yeah, people will come in definitely for maintenance treatments.
Bill Klaproth: So I have heard people say, "I like the idea of acupuncture, but I don't want to get stuck with a needle because it's going to hurt." That is a common misconception, right? This isn't really painful.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Most people will come in with the anticipation of the needles causing the pain. And they're surprised by how relaxing it can actually feel. Our acupuncture needles can fit inside of a hypodermic needle. It is very painless. And if people have fear of needles, they often leave feeling relieved.
Bill Klaproth: So your advice to someone who has or someone who is suffering from, let's say, pain or stress and anxiety or headaches or even digestive disorders or somebody that has allergies, come on in and try it, right? That would be a good message.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Yes, definitely.
Bill Klaproth: Yeah, it seems like the benefits certainly are there for you to at least try this. Okay, is there anything else we should know about acupuncture as we wrap up, Dr. Loveman?
Dr. Camille Loveman: Just that it is a complementary service and we will often work with other doctors to coordinate care to optimize each patient's experience.
Bill Klaproth: Hmm. That's good to know. All right. Well, this has really been interesting and I hope everybody tries acupuncture. I know I've had it done and it does feel great. People do think of the needles, but you're right, when it's happening and even afterwards, the relief that you can feel is terrific and I would recommend it to anybody. So thank you so much for your time, Dr. Loveman. We appreciate it.
Dr. Camille Loveman: Thank you so much.
Bill Klaproth: That's Dr. Camille Loveman. And you can call (415) 925-7620 to schedule an acupuncture appointment at the MarinHealth Integrative Wellness Center. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is The Healing Podcast brought to you by MarinHealth. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.