Welcome to the home page of Arlington Acupuncture and James C. Butler, Licensed Acupuncturist. This page provides information about our practice, and about acupuncture and Chinese medicine generally.

Specialties:
Chronic and acute pain relief. Headaches and migraines. Stiff neck, tight shoulders, sore back. Arthritis. Fibromyalgia. Carpal tunnel. Sciatica. Shingles. All varieties of muscle, joint and nerve pain.
Rehabilitation, post-stroke and injury. Improvement of healing and relief of pain. Sprains, sports injuries. Post-polio syndrome.
Stress, fatigue, insomnia. General "tune-up" and health maintenance.
Digestive problems. Nausea, gastric reflux, pain, irritable bowel symptoms.
Women s health. Irregular menstruation, pain, PMS symptoms; infertility. Healthy pregnancy, nausea and morning sickness; breastfeeding, post-partum health.

As is obvious from the list above, acupuncture excels at the treatment of pain. It is particularly effective for muscle, joint and nerve pain. One of my specialties is treating what might be called "office stress syndrome:" the pattern of general stress along with stiff, sore neck and shoulders that afflicts a large number of people working desk or computer jobs, as well as jobs that involve combined physical and emotional stresses of some kind (such as childcare). The stress and physical tension feed off each other and grow worse over time. Massage or chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation often help, but the pain soon returns. Acupuncture has the unique ability to break this cycle. As a rule, even patients who have suffered chronically for a number years are delighted to experience nearly complete relief within a few treatments. One's neck and shoulders feel normal and flexible again, and the stress level is reduced. This consitutes a virtually complete cure; some patients find that a periodic "tune-up" keeps symptoms from recurring.

Acupuncture can eliminate some types of pain, and play a major part in controlling others. For example, many fibromyalgia patients experience significant improvement with acupuncture, but also find that other modalities such as massage are indicated. (Please consult your doctor if you are unsure of what is causing your pain.)

For a more complete list of conditions commonly treated by acupuncture, please click here.

James C. Butler, L.Ac.:
A gifted scholar and clinician, Jim sees acupuncture as an enormously helpful complement to Western biomedicine. He has obtained remarkable results treating patients who have been unable to find relief with conventional treatment.

Jim received his acupuncture training at the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MITCM) in Bethesda, MD, studying under Chinese-trained doctors. He is Nationally Board Certified in Acupuncture and is licensed to practice acupuncture by the Virginia Board of Medicine. An active member of the acupuncture profession, Jim served on the Acupuncture Advisory Board of the Virginia Board of Medicine (2001-2002), which regulates the practice of acupuncture in Virginia. He is also a member of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance, and a past board member and Vice-President of the Acupuncture Society of Virginia.

Prior to becoming an acupuncturist, Jim earned a Master's degree in Chemistry at Harvard University. Working in the private sector as a medicinal chemist, he led a pharmaceutical research group dedicated to developing more effective (and less harmful) forms of cancer chemotherapy. The author of several papers and patents, Jim most recently coauthored a medical textbook chapter on acupuncture, published in Contemporary Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (2001).

As the proud parent of an autistic child, Jim is an active parent in the disabilities-rights community, and networks with other parents interested in safe, effective treatments for children with special needs. He serves on the Advisory Committee of Commonwealth Autism Services and has served as a member of the Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee, which advises the Arlington County School Board. Jim takes a special interest in helping developmentally delayed children reach their full potential, and, where appropriate, will recommend acupuncture, offer referrals or suggest other forms of treatment.