by Dr. A. Jerry Simon M.D
August 2 2026 | Health
One day a young man frantically walked into my office complaining of hiccups. He explained that he had the same every day, around the clock, for over a week, tried all he could, from holding his breath, drinking water, physical manoeuvres, medication, but no relief at all.
After I quickly examined him, I was thinking about a prescription medication that has been shown to help relieve hiccups, but I did not necessarily like the other side effects. So, I decided to try acupuncture. I use two needles, inserted on the stipulated points, and then asked him to drink a cup of water. Within a minute the hiccups were gone. I continue to monitor him for about half an hour, and in the subsequent days he reported that they did not come back.
Now, is acupuncture a magic bullet? Certainly, it is not. However, I have seen many patients benefit from it for over the 15 years I have incorporated it into my medical practice.
I learnt it when I first started to treat patients with addiction problems. Along with their addictions, many of these patients had anxiety disorders, depression and insomnia. As a result, they would seek treatment for those conditions, and as addicts, “their solution” would most often be a synthetic chemical to replace whatever drug they were taking. What I found is that acupuncture had a calming effect and reduced, to a significant extent, the symptoms of anxiety, depression and sleep disorders.
Later I started to use it for patients with physical pain, especially musculo-skeletal. As I saw the results adding up, I then tried it for patients with movement disorder such as Parkinson’s and stroke, athletes recovering from injuries and even elderly patients with nerve-related pain and mobility conditions. Working with my colleagues at NSA, we even incorporate the use of acupuncture with the electro-stim machine and the results were even more notable. Additionally, people using acupuncture have relief with nausea, upset stomach, menstrual cramps, headaches and even migraines.
What I have noticed, there are very little adverse side effects. There is little chance of infection once the hygienic protocols are followed. The needles are single use, and I have not had any patient that have complained of any skin infections or other skin issues. In patients with severe psychological trauma, acupuncture can evoke strong emotions, but that is usually a step on the way to healing.
Another good thing about acupuncture is that hardly rules out the use of other modalities of treatment simultaneously. Therefore, patients can continue the use of medications and supplements for the same or conditions for which they seek treatment. I can also add music, aroma and sound wave therapy, physiotherapy and various forms of electro-stimulation.
Dose acupuncture always work? Not always. However, I of the good things I have noticed is that during the sessions almost every patient gets a good half an hour sleep. And perhaps that is the key, it relaxes the body, improves rest and allows for cellular growth and regeneration.
Remember to consult your physician before you embark on any treatment, including acupuncture, for any medical condition. However, you do not have to be Asian to enjoy the Oriental Experience.
Dr. Simon can be contacted at NSA Medical Centre at (268) 462 0631 or (268) 779 2176.