Frequently Asked Questions

Acupuncture is an eastern form of medicine, the most well-known traditional Chinese medical procedure, acupuncture is the practice of inserting sterilized, stainless-steel needles (that are often as fine as a human hair) into the body at specific points to relieve pain or treat a disease. The insertion of the needles produces natural chemicals in the body called endorphins, which help decrease your perception of pain and treat diseases. Acupuncture points are areas of designated electrical sensitivity. Stimulation of these points has been shown to be effective in the treatment of specific health problems. They have been mapped out by the Chinese over a period of more than 2,000 years.

The philosophy behind acupuncture is achieving balance throughout your body. Practitioners believe that if you’re in pain or have a disease, your body is not in balance. In treating the pain or a disease, acupuncturists try to find the specific acupuncture point that will address your physical problem, thereby putting your body back in balance.

The most common concern about acupuncture is the fear of the needles. However, the needles used are very thin compared to needles used for injections of medicine. You’ll feel a little pressure as the needle pierces the skin. Once the needle is in the muscle, there should be no pain.

Both acute and chronic illnesses can be treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture is particularly effective for pain relief and for post-surgery and chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. In addition, both the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health recognize that acupuncture can be a helpful part of a treatment plan for many illnesses. A partial list includes: addiction (such as alcoholism), asthma, bronchitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, facial tics, fibromyalgia, headaches, irregular periods, low back pain, menopausal symptoms, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, sinusitis, spastic colon (often called irritable bowel syndrome), stroke rehabilitation, tendonitis, tennis elbow, and urinary problems such as incontinence. You can safely combine acupuncture with prescription drugs and other conventional treatments.

Typically, the longer the patient has the condition, the longer the course of treatment before they experience substantial or lasting results. Acupuncture can be done as often as five times a week, or as little as once a month. Because everyone responds differently, the number of treatment sessions can vary for each individual.

In the hands of a licensed practitioner acupuncture is a very safe, pain-free, effective, treatment for many acute and chronic conditions that has been used for thousands of years.

Acupuncture treatments are not painful. Acupuncture is performed with hair-thin needles that do not resemble the pain felt from a hypodermic needle. Patients often fall asleep and are in deep relaxation on the table.

One of the great advantages of acupuncture is that it is very safe. Other than an occasional bruise, there are no side effects.

Sixteenth century Chinese doctors believed that illness was due to an imbalance of energy in the body. In acupuncture, disposable, stainless steel needles are used to stimulate the body's 14 major meridians, or energy-carrying channels, to resist or overcome illnesses by correcting these imbalances.

There is increasing scientific evidence proving the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of medical ailments, including chemotherapy-induced nausea, autoimmune disorders, chronic back pain, hypertension, and allergic rhinitis. The World Health Organization recognizes almost one hundred diseases, symptoms, or conditions for which acupuncture is effective. Much of the research on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is being conducted by universities, research institutions, and the National Institutes of Health.

Needles are placed at specific acupuncture points on the body. Depending on the specific condition the needles commonly are placed at or below the elbows, and at or below the knees. Other common areas are on the back, abdomen and ears.

During the first treatment the practitioner will take a complete health history and establish a complete evaluation of the condition you are seeking treatment for and ask you questions about lifestyle, not only for the condition you are being treated. The practitioner will feel your pulse, look at your tongue and may palpate specific meridians to look for tender areas. The initial treatment may last between 1.5 and 2 hours, and all subsequent treatment is for 1 hour.

Acupuncture is safe during pregnancy and can help relieve many pregnancy and postpartum conditions. Because there are some acupuncture points that are contraindicated during pregnancy it is important to inform the practitioner if you are pregnant. We highly recommend acupuncture during through your first trimester to help assist embryo development, prevent miscarriage, and address any other symptoms that may arise.

The best way to prepare is to eat a snack or a light meal before treatment so the body has sufficient energy to work with. If possible it is best to wear loose clothing so that your arms and legs are accessible for treatment. After treatment we recommend you drink a glass of water to help stabilize your energy.

One benefit to acupuncture is that it is a drug-free way to optimize health. With drugs, people often develop a tolerance, or the need for an increased dosage to achieve the same required effect. However, this does not happen with acupuncture. In addition, acupuncture allows the doctor to immediately examine a person's response to the treatment and adjust it if necessary.

Yes. There are approximately 6,500 licensed acupuncturists in the U.S. In addition, the World Health Organization currently recognizes more than 100 medical problems which can be helped by acupuncture treatment. The FDA regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices.

Acupuncture is currently covered by many major insurance companies in the United States; however, acupuncture coverage varies greatly depending on the company and individual plan. There are also many components to an acupuncture treatment which an insurance company may only cover partly or not at all. It is important to check with your insurance company to see what coverage your plan offers.

Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world. The literate tradition of case histories extends back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Therapeutic categories include digestives, materials that improve circulation, nervous system calming agents, antimicrobials and more.

Herbal Therapy treats the full range of human disease such as acute illness--like flu and the common cold--to chronic disease, such as allergies, gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic viral diseases, and degenerative diseases due to aging. Herbal medicine can also help to maintain or create balance and health before disease sets in.