Brett Wise

The predominant style of acupuncture that I do practice here, other than the others that I mentioned I do use, it’s a traditional Chinese style, but with a spin. It’s called electroacupuncture. So, it’s using a microcurrent. Way back in time, they didn’t have these devices. So, they would insert the needles and then there are specific ways of turning or twisting or thrusting the needle to get a desired sensation and/or effect. So, you’d be [lying] there with five, ten, fifteen needles in you. It’s all stimulated separately to get a sensation and then you’re left for five minutes, ten minutes, then the stimulation is applied again. So, for a lot of people, it’s not a nice sensation. You’re after the end result. With the electroacupuncture, what I like about that is that you pop the needles in, you don’t generally have to stimulate the needle and thrust it. To minimize discomfort is the goal. Then we pop the electrodes on, and I like to get the patient to set the setting of intensity to their level. So, I use a continuous pulse wavelength. So, it’s just a regular pulse, pulse, pulse. [It] usually sits around one to two hertz. That just sends a stimulation through the needle into the body, for whatever you want to utilize it for. You can utilize it for digestive issues, for emotional [issues], but [it’s] really good with musculoskeletal issues. With the research on electroacupuncture, they’ve worked out that, aside from your traditional acupuncture, the effects of the likes of the endorphins and neurotransmitters that are released are that they have a prolonged or more sustained effect than the traditional type of stimulation has. So many people now are after a quick fix, and it does delve into that realm of helping people a lot quicker, particularly with musculoskeletal issues. So yeah, it’s a fantastic part of the practice, utilizing it.