Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

Lauren Breau is a Bowdoin College alumnus who recently returned to Maine after living in Portland, Oregon for the past nine years. While in Oregon, Lauren received a 4 year Master's degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Lauren chose to study at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) because of its focus on collaboration between Chinese medicine and Western biomedicine; she is a firm believer in the science of medicine as well as in the art of healing.

Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine is a complete system of medicine that utilizes modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, body work, qi gong, cupping, and moxibustion. These procedures have been used effectively to treat disease for thousands of years and served as the main system of medicine in China before the advent of biomedicine less than a century ago. Though the system of Chinese medicine is distinctly different from the system of Western biomedicine, the majority of Lauren's patients are under the primary care of a physician or nurse practitioner. Patients who seek the help of both Western and Eastern medicine truly benefit from these different, yet complementary perspectives on health.
Chinese medicine is commonly used for: acute and chronic pain, hypertension, headaches and migraines, menstrual pain and irregularity, menopausal symptoms, poor circulation, immune support, cold and flu, allergies and asthma, arthritis, digestive problems, skin problems, stress/anxiety/depression, insomnia, chronic fatigue, post-operative pain, sciatica, addictions, peripheral neuropathy, infertility, male and female reproductive health, adjunctive cancer support, and post-stroke recovery.

Acupuncture
 Acupuncture involves the stimulation of selected anatomical locations, called "acupoints". These points can be affected in a variety of ways using intradermal penetration or surface stimulation.  From a biomedical perspective, it is proposed that acupuncture stimulates the body to release natural painkillers, endorphins, and immunity-enhancing cells. Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health as a useful complementary treatment to be included in a comprehensive health management program.
 
Treatment
To make an appointment, please schedule by calling Santini Family Chiropractic. Lauren does accept some insurance plans; if you are unsure if your plan covers acupuncture, please call the office and we will find out whether you are covered.