FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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How does acupuncture work?
Chinese Medicine teaches that in the body a network of channels or meridians carries Qi (or Chi) or Life Force energy to all parts of the body in a healthy free flow. When the Qi is blocked, the body will experience pain or dysfunction. Acupuncture, addressing specific points along the channels, opens the channels allowing Qi, to flow freely, enabling the body to move in a way that is natural, more energy efficient, and pain-free. Over time, Acupuncture strengthens the natural healing power of the body.
How long does it take to work?
The effects of acupuncture are cumulative. After the first treatment, you may experience a noticeable improvement. You may feel better right away and then, later, the pain or discomfort you came in with may creep back. Why? Some issues or patterns have been in place a long time and take time to correct. The increments of improvement can be small or they can feel like huge leaps ahead, then leveling off with subsequent treatments. Often, after a course of treatment, I will remind people about their initial complaints and find they are amazed at how much they have improved.
Does acupuncture hurt?
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Acupuncture needles are very fine gauged. You may feel a sensation as the needle goes through the skin at the specific acupuncture point. I will usually feel the sensation of the energy when holding the needle. You may also feel a movement of energy along the channel in your body, a sensation running down a limb or around the insertion point. Is this good? Yes! You may feel a heaviness around the place where the needle is inserted. This is good, because it’s the sensation of something that was stuck and is trying to move. While unlikely, it is possible that, at the insertion of the needle, a point may feel hot and sharp. If that sensation does not let up, it could be that a superficial vessel has been punctured. Should this happen, I simply remove the needle and place a new needle at another point. A slight soreness in the affected point may last for a couple days, but then disappears.
How often do I need to have acupuncture?
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Because acupuncture treatments are cumulative, it is helpful at first to make a series of appointments. While the treatment itself aims to condition the body to heal, the body may have a tendency to revert back to its habitual patterns, especially in the case of a long-standing pain or disease where a system has built up around pain and response to pain. The repetitive acupuncture treatments form consistent reminders to the body which, combined with suggestions I give you for practices you can do at home, will support the healing process and create a more lasting outcome. So, how often? When there is an acute illness or pain, treatments twice a week are helpful. As you improve, we can then spread treatments out with longer time intervals between, until treatment is no longer needed. As we all deal with stress and the pressures of life, so some people choose to make a monthly treatment for a “tune-up”.
How do I know it’s time to discontinue treatment?
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Sometimes issues can be addressed in one or two sessions. Occasionally, it seems that nothing has changed after a few sessions. I recommend that people give acupuncture at least three sessions to see how things go. If it seems that nothing has improved I advise clients not to give up on acupuncture, but to try another practitioner. But isn't all acupuncture all the same? Part of the healing in any therapy comes about through the connection between the client and the practitioner and so it is important that both the practitioner and the client should feel safe and relaxed to allow the body to be able to heal.
What is cupping? What is it good for? How does it work?
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Cupping is a healing technique that uses small plastic or glass jars on the surface of the skin to create suction that brings the blood flow to a congested area. It helps relieve congestion and create a better energy flow. Cupping can release painful areas that have been stuck for a long time. It can help to get rid of wind and help to detox the system. Cupping can help move stagnation in the chest for asthma, cough and allergies. Does cupping leave a mark? The suction leaves a small bruise that goes away like a normal bruise. Cupping may not be best for people who are weak or anemic, but for others it can be the best way to relieve congestion.
What is moxibustion? What is it good for? How does it work?
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Moxibustion is the application of heat that comes from burning a stick of the herb, mugwort, to warm, move, and release energy from deep in the body. The moxibustion stick looks like and is burned like a cigar. As the moxa burns, we fan its smoke over the surface of the skin to warm the skin and let the herb penetrate deep into the channels that carry the body’s energy to the organs. In this way, moxibustion helps the organ systems to function better. A pinch of the powdered moxa can be applied as a small ball to various acupuncture points and then, the instant it becomes warm, extinguished. Why not just use a heating pad? Because of the nature of the herb, moxibustion penetrates deeper than placing a heating pad on the surface of the skin. Its benefits are numerous. It can help strengthen immunity, move the menses, help with pain and ear infections, soothe digestive issues and even help to turn a breech baby!
Are there things I can do on my own to further the acupuncture treatment?
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There are many helpful lifestyle recommendations for better health including qi gong exercises and tools for at home care and improvement. I give tips and "homework" for my clients on an individual basis, as appropriate for their condition. Contact me if you have questions.
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