What is acupuncture?
Modern clinical acupuncture is based on a thousands year old holistic Chinese medicine practice of needling specially selected points on the outside of the body to influence the various systems and structures inside the body in hopes of restoring homeostasis, and relieving uncomfortable symptoms of disease.

How does it work?
When an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin or muscle layer of the body, certain nerve fibers are stimulated to send chemical messages to the brain and back to the needled area to promote relief from an uncomfortable symptom. For example, if you are experiencing back pain and a needle is inserted into acupoints in the area, the pain could be reduced or disappear for a period of time or even permanently.

What can acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture is very successful in treating a wide variety of illnesses. Some Chinese medicine theorists claim acupucture can treat any illness that has a symptom, which is why acupuncture is able to prevent some serious diseases from developing. It rebalances the body's systems, relieving symptoms, and reversing the process of disease before it reaches an advanced state.

Acupuncture is commonly prescribed for any chronic or acute pain, allergies and asthma, anxiety and depression, and headaches and migraine. Certain points are effective in regulating hormone production and distribution and are therefore useful in treating conditions such as menopause, diabetes, acne, irregularities of blood pressure and stress.

How will the practitioner know which points to choose for me?
Your practitioner will select the points for your treatment based on your group of symptoms using the Chinese medicine method of diagnosis, which will include a verbal consultation, pulse taking, and tongue inspection. After careful consideration a group of points will be chosen to address your individual treatment needs.

Does acupuncture hurt?
A small percentage of patients will experience pain when the needle is being inserted. However, if the pain persists the needle will be repositioned or removed. The
most commonly felt sensations are a dull ache, pressure or distension in the local area or along the length of a nearby extremity. Tell your practitioner if you're nervous about being needled and special precautions can be taken.

Will I notice results from treatment right away?
You will most likely feel a change in your condition immediately although it may take a few treatments to feel a marked improvement, depending on how long you have had your symptoms.

How many treatments will I need?
Normally it's a good idea to participate in a series of five to ten treatments to get full benefit even though you may feel much better from one or two visits. it's not often necessary to have more than ten treatments for any one illness unless it's chronic or persistent, in which case a manageable schedule can be arranged with your practitioner.

» back to top