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Associates in Rehabilitation Medicine offers the following Complementary Medicine Modalities:
Acupuncture through Dr. Won and Dr. Cotter and holistic medicine including herbal medicine and nutritional and orthomolecular medicine through Dr. Cotter. Acupuncture is administered at the Atlantic Mind Body Center.
 is the use of fine needles placed at varied distances into the tissue at specific points for the purpose of stimulating acupuncture points located along meridians. The NIH consensus statement on acupuncture in 1997 states that there is convincing evidence that acupuncture is effective for post chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, post operative surgical and dental pain, and that there was reasonable evidence that acupuncture is effective for addiction, osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, menstrual cramps, and stroke recovery. Since then, there has been research pointing to acupuncture's effectiveness in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, muscle pain, infertility, sinusitis, and multiple other conditions. Acupuncture may also be used for general well-being and maintenance of one's vitality.
Acupuncture is offered by Ann Cotter M.D. and Peter Won M.D. at the Atlantic Mind Body Center.
During an acupuncture session, the practitioner assesses the patient's health using both Western and Chinese techniques. Needles were placed in the appropriate points and left for between 15 and 45 minutes. Pain may be experienced at some acupuncture points depending on tissue sensitivity, degree of patient relaxation, and sensitivity of the body area. Once the needles are in place, the patient is comfortable and feels a sense of relaxation. Because of the release of endorphins, (the body natural painkillers) during a session, most patients feel progressively more and more relaxed during a session, often falling asleep. A session usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes.
Risks include infection, puncture of a vital organ, and bleeding. Infection is rare, because sterile disposable needles are used. An acupuncturist is trained to be aware of all anatomical structures in the area of acupuncture point. Bleeding, when it occurs, it is usually minimal. Relative contraindications to acupuncture include use of blood thinning medication and pregnancy.
In order to practice acupuncture in New Jersey, physicians must have a current medical license and complete at least 300 hours of additional training in acupuncture. Both Dr Cotter and Dr Won are trained to provide acupuncture and both have taught acupuncture to other physicians at the national level.
Holistic Medicine is the term used for the approach to medical treatment addressing the many levels of human functioning: physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. Many practitioners of CAM, as well as many medical doctors, use a holistic approach. You don't have to be a CAM doctor to be a holistic doctor. Any doctor who pays attention to "all of you" may be considered a holistic doctor. The field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is considered more holistic than many other specialties because of its focus on function and quality of life. Dr Cotter is a member of the American Holistic Medical Association.
Nutritional and Orthomolecular medicine is the use of food, vitamins, and supplements to improve health, enhance performance and support healing of disease. Almost any condition can benefit from appropriate nutrition and intelligent supplementation: arthritis, fatigue, digestive distress, immune dysfunction, menopause, mental and emotional stress, PMS, headaches, infertility, and sinusitis, among others. Nutrition is receiving considerably more attention as an aid to disease treatment than it has in the past. Proper eating and judicious supplementation can greatly enhance the rehabilitation process.
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