You can enhance the chiropractic adjustment work you already do by introducing some time-tested modalities from Oriental medicine: acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies.
You already know chiropractic care is an effective first-line intervention for pain, that it reduces patients’ reliance on pain medication and often helps them avoid more invasive treatments such as surgery. If you want your patients to benefit even more from your treatments, consider another system that will complement the work you already do: acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies, Oriental medicine staples that assist the body in healing itself.
How acupuncture can enhance chiropractic adjustments
Acupuncture, one of the best-known Oriental medicine treatments, uses fine needles to stimulate specific points along the body’s meridians to balance the flow of Qi (vital energy). For DCs, acupuncture can be an effective adjunct to traditional chiropractic adjustments because it helps relax tight muscles, reduce inflammation, ease pain and promote overall systemic balance.
Acupuncture sessions can help chiropractic spinal adjustments hold longer and reduce the likelihood of recurring misalignments by addressing underlying tension patterns.
A 2017 systematic review1 found moderate evidence that acupuncture can significantly reduce chronic pain compared to sham treatment or no treatment at all. The study, which reviewed data on more than 20,000 patients across several studies and pain conditions, noted that patients experienced improved function and less pain intensity after acupuncture treatments and that the effects persisted over time.
If you are considering adding acupuncture to the treatments you currently offer, know that most US states require you to be certified in the procedure, or to employ a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) to provide it. Check with your state licensing board for complete details about what you need to do to offer it legally alongside chiropractic care.
It’s all about balance: Yin, yang and Chinese herbals
Chinese herbal medicine is another enhancement to chiropractic care that your patients will love and that will make your job a little easier. It uses natural, plant-based formulas tailored to each patient’s unique constitution and health condition. These remedies can address internal imbalances that contribute to musculoskeletal pain, inflammation and poor healing. By supporting the body’s natural repair processes, Chinese herbs can enhance the results of chiropractic adjustments, help manage pain between visits and reduce patients’ need for painkilling medicines.
The quality of formal research into the efficacy of traditional Chinese herbals for pain varies widely, so it is difficult to draw widespread conclusions about how well these remedies may work for various types of pain, but individual studies support the use of these formulas in specific areas. For example, one 2019 study2 investigated a Chinese herbal remedy, Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (HGWD), for patients with diabetic neuropathy pain that had not been successfully addressed with standard medication. The HGWD intervention helped ease the pain and numbness in their limbs and did not adversely impact their blood glucose levels.
Another key area to balance with Chinese herbals is patients’ yin and yang, one of the most important concepts in Oriental medicine.
You may be a little familiar with or at least aware of the meridian system that forms the essential basis for acupuncture: 12 primary channels, plus eight that are referred to as extraordinary vessels. An acupuncturist regulates the flow of vital energy in the body using this system of channels. There may be excess or deficiency or congestion in the meridian system that can be brought back into balance so the body can heal itself. The 12 primary channels are named for the organ systems they are most directly connected to. For example, the kidney channel, or foot shao yin, is considered the root of yin and yang in the body. Yin and yang express polar complements, which exist in relationship to each other and represent essential parts of the whole. Neither yin nor yang can exist in isolation; each supports the other and depends upon the other for existence. Everything in the cosmos has both yin and yang aspects, in constant motion.
This symbol (Figure 1) is called Taiji or the Great Polarity. The black represents yin and the white represents yang. Note that yang always includes a seed of yin, and yin always includes a seed of yang.
In ideal health, yin and yang are balanced and in harmony. Because of the ever-changing influence upon us from things inside and around us, the balance of yin and yang can and will shift. Disease or disharmony occurs when the balance skews toward excess or deficiency of yin or yang. For example, excess yang as seen in a fever leads to deficiency of yin, resulting in a dry mouth and thirst. The treatment goal is to restore the equilibrium of yin and yang.
Another important channel, the Duo or Governing Channel, originates at the base of the spine, travels up the spine and goes internal at the base of the nose.
The Duo or Governing Vessel regulates all yang energy. Because it traverses the spine, supporting the energy of the Duo or Governing Vessel is important to stabilize the spine. Whenever you have a patient whose body is unable to hold an adjustment, it is likely due to a lack of yang Qi or energy.
This is where Chinese herbal formulas that support the yang of the body are essential. These patients may feel cold or chilly most of the time and have low vitality, a pale complexion, low libido, edema or urinary incontinence. In cases of scoliosis, the yang energy is insufficient to keep the spine straight. Supporting the yang will help patients with scoliosis even when the spine may be rigid in the learned position. Whatever their yang-related issue, your patients will be pleased to experience greater stability in their structure and will be grateful for your care.
If you already offer nutritional supplements for sale in your practice, you can look into adding some Chinese herbal formulas designed for various common conditions, or you can work with an herbalist with expertise in this area. In states with a separate board governing Oriental medicine, it’s best to check with that board for specific rules about how to integrate and dispense these supplements, and how to market them.
Final thoughts
As someone who entered acupuncture practice in 1982, I have found chiropractic adjustments plus acupuncture and Chinese herbs to be a marvelous combination of therapies for maintaining patients’ health.
John Scott, DOM, is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine previously in practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He started his private practice in 1982. He is the founder and president of Golden Flower Chinese Herbs Inc. Scott has promoted Oriental medicine on a local, state, national and international level, has taught classes in the field and has been active in research. He was named Acupuncturist of the Year by the American Association of Oriental Medicine in 1997, has sat on the boards of the New Mexico Board of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the Neuroacupuncture Institute, and served on the Volunteer National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) Taskforce for Public Awareness.
References
Vickers AJ, et al. Acupuncture trialists’ collaboration. Acupuncture for chronic pain: Update of an individual patient data meta-analysis. J Pain. 2018;19(5):455-474. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29198932/. Accessed July 10, 2025.
Zheng Y, et al. Efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of moderate-severe painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A retrospective study. J Diabetes Res. 2019;2019:4035861. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6948321/. Accessed July 10, 2025.
