Acupuncture

Health * Harmony * Balance

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a primary healthcare treatment modality that has flourished in China for over 3,000 years. Because of its proven clinical effectiveness, Acupuncture has been embraced throughout the United States as a viable healthcare option. Far more than a technique of inserting needles in specific anatomic points, Acupuncture is a complex system of harmonizing the body’s flow of vital energy, or qi (pronounced “chee”). When qi is in ample supply and circulates freely through the body’s pathways, called meridians, health is maintained. When energy flow is blocked or imbalanced, pain or disease results. By stimulating Acupuncture points along the meridians, energy flow is harmonized and health is restored.

How does Acupuncture work?

From a biomedical perspective, Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscle layer, spinal cord, and brain. This chemical response will either change the experience of the patient’s pain or will trigger the release of other chemicals or hormones, influencing the body’s own internal regulating system.

What are the side-effects of Acupuncture and does it hurt?

One of the great advantages of Acupuncture is the absence of serious side-effects. Needles generally cause no bleeding on entry or removal and are sterile and disposed of after each use. Acupuncture needles bear no resemblance to the larger hypodermic needles associated with shots and injections. By contrast, Acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, about the diameter of a human hair. In most cases there is no discomfort. The patient may experience a sense of heaviness in the area of insertion. Often patients find the experience very relaxing and may fall asleep during the treatment.

What is involved in an Acupuncture treatment?

After interview and exam, we design a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan. Threadlike, sterile and disposable stainless steel needles are inserted at specific Acupuncture points to stimulate the flow of qi, facilitating the body’s self-healing process. In most cases, the patient is pleasantly surprised to find that the needles are hardly felt at all. Occasionally one may feel a slight initial pricking or tingling followed by a sensation of numbness, heaviness or warmth. Patients typically describe a deep feeling of calm, while others experience an enhanced sense of energy. Needles are removed after 10 to 45 minutes. Most people leave our Acupuncture treatment with a feeling of relaxation, restfulness, and balance.

Can Acupuncture be used with my standard Western medicine treatment?

Yes! In fact, Acupuncture and conventional western medicine complement each other and are frequently used synergistically for optimal health benefits.

Please Note: To take full advantage of your time at your acupuncture session, please click on the following links to download, print and fill out the appropriate forms. Remember to bring them with you to your appointment!

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