Adding acupuncture as a way to ease chronic pain

NORTH CANAAN — Despite success in alleviating the pains of his patients through chiropractic, Dr. Peter Markowicz wanted to be able to do more to help them. 

And so after 15 years as a chiropractor (and seven years at the Chiropractic Center of Canaan, which he bought from Dr. David Godwin in 2010, with his business partner at the time, Dr. Monica Nowak), he decided it was time to add some new tools to his healing kit — specifically, the needles of an acupuncture practitioner. 

“Chiropractic and acupuncture are very different and each has its own benefits, but they can work synergistically,” he said. 

By approaching problems such as chronic back pain with  two different healing protocols, he said, “You’re coming at it from two angles, using two remedies. That can lead to better healing at a faster pace. Patients who have done both together report that it’s helped them more than just doing one or the other.”

There’s also a cost savings if the two are done in one session. 

“Instead of paying for two visits, they pay an additional fee of $10 for the acupuncture after the chiropractic session.”

His patients haven’t required a lot of explanation or coaxing to try acupuncture, he said. 

“People have been very open to it, it’s very well accepted. Some people have said they’re nervous about the needle but it’s a very thin needle.”

The most compelling sales tool for either practice, he noted, is the word of mouth from friend to friend.

“A lot of my patients come in because someone has told them that I helped them,” he said. “Ninety percent of my patients are referrals from someone who’s been here, or from doctors in the area.”

Not all pains are completely curable with either acupuncture or chiropractic or the combination. But many of his patients with crippling ongoing pain, especially in the lower back or neck, have experienced as much as an 80 percent improvement.

Naturally, the best results come from continued treatment.

“Some patients really need to come in two or three times a week for several weeks at a time, but many people aren’t really able to commit to that kind of schedule,” he said. 

The hope is that treatments with the two techniques will reduce the amount of times patients need to come in. Some of the most common symptoms he treats are lower back pain, neck pain, muscle spasms, chronic headaches and digestive disorders.

“Sometimes you don’t know what the problem is,” he added. “To help make better-informed decisions about a patient’s condition, I use a computerized tool to analyze and document the energetic status of the acupuncture meridians. This system allows me to locate where there is a blockage or an excess of the ‘qi’ that acupuncture seeks to free up and to track a patient’s progress.” 

Also helpful is Markowicz’s familiarity with his patients and the issues that have plagued them through the years.

“A lot of patients have been coming to me for years, I know where the problem is.” 

The Chiropractic Center of Canaan is at 35 Church St. and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 pm. To call Markowicz and get an appointment or get information  on treatments or insurance, call 860-824-0748.

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