FAQ

WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON THE FIRST VISIT?

Your initial visit includes a comprehensive health history and intake using traditional Chinese medicine techniques. This includes feeling the pulse on both wrists, observing the tongue, and palpating pressure points on the abdomen and along the meridians of the body, as well as areas of pain. You will typically change into shorts and a tee shirt or a treatment robe for acupuncture, enabling access to acupuncture points anywhere on the body.

Based on the initial evaluation, acupuncture needles will be placed at selected locations and left in place for approximately 20 minutes, the traditional length of time needed for the body to assimilate the changes that are set in motion by acupuncture. During this time people usually become very relaxed. You may receive treatment on the front or back of the body, or both in turn, depending on your needs.

For your initial visit it’s best to plan a full 90 minutes in your schedule. Follow up visits may take approximately 60 minutes.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into the body at specific points known to be effective in restoring balance and resolving different health problems. Modern Western science can not yet explain how acupuncture works, and yet it has been empirically shown to be effective over thousands of years in restoring and maintaining health. As acupuncture grows in popularity, an increasing number of scientific studies are underway to provide evidence of its effectiveness and elucidate its mechanisms in Western scientific terms.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is said that there is a subtle energy that vitalizes the body and is known as Qi (pronounced “chee”). Acupuncture adjusts the flow of this vital energy, clearing areas where there is blockage, reducing it where it is in excess, and drawing it into areas where it is insufficient. In this way, acupuncture reestablishes balance throughout the body, and through this balance, the body is able to heal itself.

Who can benefit from acupuncture treatment?

Acupuncture is beneficial to people of all ages and all stages of wellness or disease. At any stage of life the human body is able to move towards a state of greater balance and harmony, providing improved health and well-being. People suffering from a wide range of disorders can gain relief from their suffering very readily using acupuncture.

Many people receive acupuncture treatment as a way to ensure that their body will continue to maintain good health and balance. It is absolutely not necessary to wait until you have a complaint before receiving acupuncture. One of the great strengths of this approach is its ability to ward off disease by resolving the effects of everyday stress that pulls the body gradually out of balance. A symptom generally arises as a last-stage of a long term accumulation of stresses and imbalances in the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, elimination of the symptom is just one piece of the overall approach. The greatest value is in using acupuncture to bring the body to optimal wellness and keeping it there.

Can children be treated with acupuncture?

Children are often treated with acupuncture, massage and herbs. Many children are comfortable with acupuncture needles, which are very fine and painlessly inserted. In the treatment of children a small number of needles are used and sometimes only massage or moxibustion techniques are used. Children are often treated with herbal therapy, in conjunction with acupuncture or on its own. Children respond very well to Traditional Chinese Medicine and it can help them through the common childhood illnesses in a way that supports their ongoing growth and health. Typical childhood ailments that respond well to acupuncture include colic, pediatric eczema, allergies, colds & flu, bronchitis, asthma, ear infections, bedwetting, restless sleep, hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorders, among others.

Is acupuncture good for seniors?

Using acupuncture, senior patients are able to gain tremendous support, increased vitality, and reduction or elimination of unwanted symptoms. Very often senior patients experience not being taken seriously when presenting with physical or mental/emotional conditions that are common at this stage of life. They are told it is normal to have these conditions as they age. Using acupuncture, many of these so-called “normal” conditions can be alleviated in the elderly. A body at any age can be brought to greater balance and harmony, and this is no less true as we grow older. Many common ailments in the elderly that respond effectively to acupuncture include arthritis, fatigue, back, neck, limb, foot, hand and joint pain, sciatica, anxiety, insomnia, depression, headache, migraine, digestive disorders, low libido, frequency of urination, prostate problems in men, mental fogginess, and sinusitis, among others.

Can pregnant and lactating women receive Chinese herbal medicine?

Acupuncture and herbs have been used for over 2,000 years to treat pregnant and lactating women. There are a small number acupuncture points and selected herbs that are contraindicated during pregnancy. Acupuncture and herbs can help relieve various symptoms occurring during pregnancy, including morning sickness, and provide benefit to the developing fetus. Post-partum mothers are often treated to promote restoration of energy after childbirth, to support healthy lactation, and to balance hormones that commonly lead to post-partum depression and other disorders. Lactating mothers can also take herbal medicine safely. In fact, small babies are sometimes treated with herbs by supplying those herbs to the mother, who then makes them available to the baby through her breast milk.

Is acupuncture safe?

When performed by a licensed acupuncturist, acupuncture is extremely safe. All needles used are sterile, disposable and used only once. There is virtually no chance of infection occurring as a result of acupuncture treatment. The needles are generally inserted from one quarter to one half inch in depth and retained in position for 20-30 minutes. Needles never touch the organs but work within the superficial layers of skin, fascia and musculature of the body. Blood vessels are flexible and tend to move aside when the fine needles are inserted. In some cases a small blood vessel may be punctured and a small bruise may appear for a few days after treatment. Occasionally, patients experience a slight light-headedness immediately after treatment which resolves within minutes.

Is acupuncture painful?

Acupuncture needles are extremely thin, and their insertion is virtually painless. In many cases you will not even know that the needles are in place. (Most commonly heard after the initial needle insertion is the phrase, “Is it in?”) Once the needles are inserted, they are manipulated gently and at this time there may be a characteristic sensation of tingling, heaviness, or movement of energy along the meridian. When needles are left in position for 20 minutes or longer (depending on your needs) they are typically not felt at all.

Trigger point release is a special form of needling that involves the stimulation of muscles to relieve painful tension and spasm. It is extremely effective in clearing muscle tension, whether from stress, strain, injury, or surgery. The sensations associated with this type of needling are unique and more pronounced. A trigger point is associated with a tight band within a muscle and it is stimulated to cause the muscle to relax. In the process, the muscle will “twitch” as it’s releasing. This is a very unusual sensation and it can be momentarily painful, as you feel a transient “cramp” in the muscle. The muscle will also have a characteristic mild “soreness” for about 24 hours after trigger point release.

How many treatments will I need?

The number of treatments required depends on the nature of your complaint. For an acute condition, a single treatment may be sufficient to resolve it. A series of four to ten treatments is found to be effective for many common complaints. Some chronic conditions may require many treatments over time.

Adjunct therapies and self-care techniques can be used to accelerate your progress and reduce the number of treatments required. This may include herbs, dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, specific exercises, meditation and relaxation techniques, as well as self- massage or home administration of moxibustion.

Unlike conventional Western medical treatment which primarily treats illness after it arises, Chinese medicine excels in its ability to keep you in balance so that you do not get sick in the first place. It is recommended that you consider including regular acupuncture “maintenance” in your health care program. By receiving periodic treatments to maintain balance in the body, you can avoid developing serious and debilitating symptoms in the future and sustain greater vitality. Some people receive a monthly treatment to stay in balance. At minimum, four treatments a year at the change of seasons are very effective in supporting the immune system and keeping you healthy.

Are there different styles of acupuncture?

There are many different styles of acupuncture. Over time, as acupuncture spread throughout Asia, the styles diverged based on different cultures and experiences. Also, it was very common in China and throughout Asia to have family lineages. These families typically developed an emphasis on one approach over another, and specific approaches to treatment were more fully developed within that lineage. All of this knowledge and experience is becoming available to us in the West. Therefore, different practitioners may utilize very different styles. Ideally, any of these approaches will have the capacity to treat your body, mind and spirit, and restore balance.

What do I need to do to prepare for acupuncture treatment?

The best thing to do is to make sure you have eaten within 2-4 hours prior to your treatment. Do not come for treatment on an empty stomach. It’s also best to avoid treatment immediately after a heavy meal. Also, do not drink alcohol prior to treatment.

Please wear or bring comfortable, loose-fitting clothes.

What is Chinese herbal medicine used for?

Chinese herbal formulas are used for a wide range of disorders, from the common cold and flu to allergies, indigestion, morning sickness, insomnia, anxiety, depression and hot flashes. Herbal formulas are often recommended in combination with your acupuncture treatment to increase effectiveness and accelerate progress. They can be taken at home and help to reduce the number of treatments required to resolve a condition.

Do you accept insurance?

We do not participate in- or out-of-network with health insurance plans.