ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is one part of a complete medical system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture involves the stimulation of certain points on the human body with very thin needles. Just as you connect a keyboard to a computer, acupuncture needles act as signals to the body. These signals produce the healing effects by regulating natural body function. This is why acupuncture can effectively treat such a wide variety of symptoms with no side effects!
FAQ about Acupuncture
How does
Acupuncture Work?
Western Medical Understanding of Acupuncture:
It has been said that Western Science simply cannot explain how and why acupuncture works. I think that we can do better then that. The human body has 2 primary methods of controlling and regulating itself. These are the nervous system and the endocrine system. The brain, spine, and other nerves make up the nervous system, an electrical system similar to the wiring in a home or computer. The endocrine system is a system of chemical signals that uses hormones and neurotransmitters to send signals instead of electrical impulses. Both of these systems give the brain information about how the body is functioning. They also allow the brain to then control the rest of the body and do things like digest food, breathe, and move.
Various studies and tests (blood tests, MRI, etc.) indicate that acupuncture stimulates these chemical and electrical controls of the body. This is how acupuncture is able to alleviate pain, balance the emotions
(neurotransmitter levels), relax muscles, stimulate the immune system, etc. Because acupuncture works with these control systems by stimulating them rather then directly altering their function or adding a pharmaceutical agent, the body is actually retrained or balanced, and the healing is done by and in concert with the natural flow of human function.
Traditional Understanding of Acupuncture
Rather then identify the millions of individual chemicals and thousands of nerve connections and pathways, Traditional Chinese Medicine considers the body as one unit. The body functions are carried out by Qi (energy, nerve signals, etc.), and Blood (including all body fluids). The Qi and Blood nourish and fill the organs, bones, and muscles. All of the bodies functions are understood in terms of 12 organ systems or meridians. Each of these 12 include not only a specific organ but also particular body functions, emotions, and physical regions of the body as well. For example the Lung system includes the Lung organ, the sense of smell, the emotion of grief, the skin in general, and its physical region is a portion of the inner arm beginning near the nipple and extending along the arm to the thumb. These 12 systems or meridians have numerous specific interconnections and relationships that define all phenomena of the human body. It is the understanding of these 12 systems and their interrelationships that forms the theoretical basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.
By treating the meridians with acupuncture, pain and other dysfunctions are balanced and eliminated. Because the meridians are electrical channels, the acupuncture needles act as conductors of Qi (energy) and redirect the bodies’ energy.
What Can I Expect During a Treatment?
During the initial consultation,
the practitioner takes a comprehensive history of health and illness. This
provides a diagram of the overall state of the body, not just a particular
symptom. The practitioner asks questions, takes your pulse, examines your
tongue, and sometimes palpates your abdomen. The initial visit usually lasts 1
1/2 hours including the treatment. Subsequent visits usually last about 1 hour.
and are done on a weekly basis depending on the patients need for treatment.
The course of treatments can vary widely. Problems that have been around for a
long time usually take more treatments to resolve than ones that have come
about recently. Your treatment course will be determined after the initial
consultation and re-assessed after each visit.
It is best to wear
shorts or loose clothing so that the arms and legs below the elbows and knees,
as well as the abdomen are accessible. It
is also best not to eat a heavy meal or engage in strenuous activity just
before or after your treatment. It
is important, however, that you have eaten something the day of your treatment
so that your body has energy to work with.
Many people are uncomfortable with acupuncture because of a fear of needles.
However, acupuncture needles bear little resemblance to the needles used for
injections. Acupuncture needles are about as thick as a hair and are quite
flexible, while conventional needles must be thick enough for liquid to move
through. Since acupuncture needles are so thin, the experience of being needled
is totally unique.
Does acupuncture hurt? No, acupuncture is generally pain-free. However, it is not sensation-free. As stated above the feeling of an acupuncture
needle is unique. Patents describe the sensations they feel very differently.
Descriptions range from feeling nothing at all, to a very heavy sensation,
or tingling. Some people describe feeling like a mosquito
bite, sometimes there are sensations throughout the body or in other parts
of the body, or a deep feeling of heat. If
any sensation is uncomfortable, please let us know and we can adjust
the intensity of the sensations and treatment to match your body.
How many sessions do I have to have before I will feel better? The answer to this
depends very heavily on the nature of the problem. To give acupuncture enough
time to build on itself and do its work, often 4- 6visits are required.
Recent problems and new symptoms can usually see improvement within
the first few treatments, while long standing disorders often take longer
for optimal results.
How often do I have to come? The number of treatments neede to fix your problem can only be determined
after we evaluate and treat you. The Chinese rule of thoumb is that it takes
1 month for every year a problem has been there to fix it. The most important
thing is to get treatment now, and not wiat for the problem to get worse or
it will take longer to treat it. In most cases we begin with 1 to 2 treatments
per week for the first 1-3 weeks so that we can achieve momentum.
As the condition improves, the treatments are done less frequently. In many cases symptoms may go away after only
1 or 2 visits, but it is vital to do continue with follow up care to be sure
that the underlying disease or problem is actually fixed and not just have
your symptoms temporarily aleviated..
Where
do the needles go? The
places most needled are from your elbows down to your hands, and from your
knees down to your feet. Extra needles may be placed on your abdomen, back
and ears, depending on your treatment.
How Safe is Acupuncture? The Safety record of Acupuncture is outstanding with minor adverse events (usually local bruising) being reported in about 0.1% (1 in 1000) treatments.
Are
the needles sterile or are they reused? Every needle
used in our clinics is a sterile, single use needle. Each needle is used one
time and then immediately placed in a biohazard container. We do NOT reuse
needles.
Are
there any side effects to Acupuncture? Basically the
answer is no. Some people feel really energized after a treatment, others
feel so relaxed they are ready for a nap. The most common side effect from
Acupuncture is an occasional hematoma (bruise). The needles are so thin that
even if they were placed right at an artery or vein, they often go around
them wihtout injury.
Is Acupuncture Tax Deductable? The short answer is Yes! So keep track of your treatments. The costs of acupuncture and prescribed herbal medicine are indeed deductible as a medical expense. For More information read this article. IMPORTANT! We are a health care company, not accountants, please consult your Accountant if you need additional information about this topic.
What
are the acupoints?
The acupoints are the major areas on a meridian where the energy flows closer
to the surface and can therefore be more easily manipulated by the use of
needle or pressure.
What
are the meridians?
There are 12 major meridians in the body and many extras. Each of the 12 main
meridians are connected to an internal organ and provides its respective organ
with energy and blood. When the energy in the meridians are not moving properly,
they can in turn effect the proper functioning of the organs. This is what
we are treating by using TCM.
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