Option For Veterans: Acupuncture Can Treat Pain And PTSD

Area Vietnam veteran John Reid suffered from back pain caused by injuries he received while serving with the 82nd Airborne.

Like other military veterans, the Bedford man, 62, who also suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, found relief from acupuncture, an ancient practice from China.

Silver and gold acupuncture needles that date as far back as 4,000 years have been found, said Michael Cregger, who treated Reid.

Cregger, who also incorporates massage, nutrition and Chinese herbal medicine into services, is a licensed acupuncturist and owner of Lifeworks Health Center in Altoona.

The needles used in acupuncture are called filiforms and are as thin as a strand of hair.

"The filiform or hair-fine needle moves the electrical current in the body that's responsible for muscle activity and organ function," Cregger said. "The body's entire function is based on this electrical current we call chi, and where the chi isn't moving, there's pain and when it's congested or deficient, there'll be sickness or fatigue."