Frequently Asked Questions - Acupuncture
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a medical procedure with medical effects and is one of the cornerstones of Chinese Medicine. It is the use of thin, sterile needles, inserted at specific points on the body in order to treat disease. It has been practiced with great success for thousands of years and can be used to treat an incredibly wide range of conditions.How can I benefit from Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has a success rate of about 80%. It can help you avoid surgery, reduce or eliminate the need for medications, treat your symptoms and prevent them from reoccurring. It can stop pain, boost your energy, improve your digestion, enhance sleep, balance emotions, strengthen the functioning of your internal organs, and much more. There are many reasons why this is so. First, every symptoms, no matter how mild or vague, has an indication, so all conditions are diagnosable. This offers options for those who have been unable to find answers through other channels, even when test results have been inconclusive. There is also an understanding that symptoms typically come in groups and occur together in common patterns. By addressing your main patterns of imbalance many different, seemingly unrelated symptoms can simultaneously clear up. Acupuncture can also treat the root cause of your condition, not just the outward symptoms. Treating both can help prevent your symptoms from reoccurring. Furthermore, in Acupuncture the diagnosis indicates the nature of your condition as well as its cause. Because of this, a proper diagnosis will dictate a specific course of treatment, meaning that there is always a treatment option and possible cure.What is so different about the theory of Acupuncture?
First, Acupuncture looks at the body as a whole, as a group of interconnecting, coordinated systems. There is an understanding that when one system is out of balance it can drain the energy of other systems or cause them to have to overwork to compensate for the under functioning system. By balancing and harmonizing the body overall, instead of focusing on one particular isolated symptom, a higher state of wellness can be achieved. Second, it is understood that there is a clear connection between our physical state and our emotional state. In other words, physical symptoms can cause emotional symptoms and vice-versa, so both are treated simultaneously. Third, as far as treatments go, Acupuncture is always individualized and considers your specific constitutional strengths and weaknesses. This means that the treatments are highly effective, specifically targeted, and fine-tuned to to address your unique presentation. Fourth, Acupuncture is also preventive. Because every symptom has an indication, no mater how mild or vague, conditions can be treated in their infancy, before they have time to advance and take root. Coming in periodically for evaluations and preventive treatments can improve your overall level of wellness and save you from pain and discomfort down the road. Finally, as far as medical procedures go Acupuncture is very non-invasive. For example, it causes none of the permanent tissue damage associated with surgery, like the scar formation and restricted circulation that can inhibit healing.How are Acupuncture needles different from hypodermic needles?
Acupuncture needles are not at all like the hypodermics used to give vaccinations or draw blood. They are solid and hair-thin, not thick and hollow like hypodermics. In fact, they are so thin that dozens of acupuncture needles could fit inside the tip of a hypodermic! Hypodermics are also razor sharp at the tip and cut into your skin. Acupuncture needles come to a point but it is a rounded point. They puncture the tissue, pushing between the cells, causing no permanent damage and typically don't even bleed when they are withdrawn. Most people do not feel them when they are inserted, with the most common sensation being a small tap or a tiny prick, like a mosquito bite. The Acupuncture needles we use are surgical grade stainless steel and are used only once.What is a treatment like?
Acupuncture treatments begin with a thorough health history, followed by traditional methods of diagnosis like tongue and pulse analysis. Sometimes the practitioner will also do palpation, especially if there is pain. Treatments are done with the patient lying on a massage table and an average of ten Acupuncture points are selected, fewer for the children and elderly. Once the needles are in you may get various sensations around the points such as tingling, warmth, itching, numbness, or soreness. The needles are usually retained for 20 to 30 minutes. While the needles are in the Acupuncturist will leave the room, allowing you to experience the profound sense of peace and relaxation that Acupuncture can bring. Many describe this as a feeling of floating or gentle rocking. Some patients even fall asleep! Afterwards you may feel a little groggy, like you just woke from a nap, but this will soon pass. The full results of the treatment will unfold over the next 24 to 48 hours. About 10% of the time, usually in the case of pain, symptoms may worsen slightly at first. This is normal and is an indication that things are working themselves out of your system.What other sort of therapies do Acupuncturists use?
When you see an Acupuncturist you are really seeing a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture is just one of the many tools used by these practitioners and it combines well with other therapies for a synergistic effect. Some of the other therapies that may be utilized include:- plasters: medicated herbal patches
- dietary and lifestyle recommendations
- cupping: glass orbs suctioned to the skin
- herbal medicine: taken in tea or pill form
- tui na: traditional chinese medical massage
- liniments: medicated herbal oils applied topically
- estim: mild electrodes attached to acupuncture needles
- guasha: rubbing the skin with a special tool made of jade or bone
- moxibustion: smoldering herbs used to warm acupuncture points
- acupressure: applying manual pressure to the acupuncture points
- plum blossom: a small hammer-like tool used to stimulate the skin
How does Acupuncture work?
Acupuncture works with your chi. Like gravity and magnetism chi is a force, sometimes translated as "life force" or "motive force." Chi is the thing that makes everything in the universe go and it runs through our limbs and internal organs in specific channels called meridians. Acupuncture points are places on these meridians where the chi comes to the surface and can be more easily accessed. These points have many different indications. They can stop pain, treat disease, boost your energy, counter stress, eliminate pathogens, reduce fevers and inflammation, calm emotions, harmonize and improve the overall functioning of your internal organs, and much, much more. For example, some Acupuncture points can promote bowel movements, stop sweating, or even induce labor.How is a diagnosis made?
Diagnosis begins with your chief complaint. The practitioner gains an understanding of the nature of this condition by asking questions about its history as well as questions about your general health. Tongue and pulse analysis are other methods that are used, and they help the Acupuncturist to understand how your internal organs are functioning and what role they play in your condition. The Acupuncturist may also do palpation, especially if there is pain, feeling for such things as temperature, swelling, and muscle knots. A diagnosis is made by gathering all of this information together and looking at the big picture. This allows the Acupuncturist to put your chief complaint into the context of your overall health, and to understand the unique nature of your condition. By looking at the whole person the Acupuncturist can identify the main patterns of imbalance in your system and treat a large class of symptoms all at once.What kind of education does an Acupuncturist have?
Acupuncturists have premedical degrees and attain a Master's degree in Chinese Medicine, typically a three to four year course of schooling. After this they must pass four different medical boards. Licensure is granted by state and, in North Carolina, requires 40 credits of continuing education every two years. Like Physicians, Acupuncturists have a License to Practice Medicine. This grants them the legal right to diagnose disease (according to Chinese Medicine principles) and prescribe medicine (herbs). In the United States only Physicians and Licensed Acupuncturists can obtain such a license.How many treatments will I need?
Like Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage and other treatments, Acupuncture is typically done in a series. Each treatment builds on the next, allowing time to get to the root of the issue, resulting in lasting benefits and more permanent change. For chronic conditions that have been present for months or years, treatments are usually given once per week, with frequency declining as symptoms improve. Most patients see some kind of positive change after the first treatment, with more obvious change over the next few treatments, and significant improvement in six to ten. Conditions that have only be present for days, like the common cold or acute back pain, are treated more frequently and typically clear up in one or two sessions.How can I prepare for my treatment?
It is helpful to wear loose clothing to your appointment. This way the acupuncture points can be easily accessed and you can usually remain comfortably clothed. Treatments are more effective if you are neither too hungry nor too full so it is advisable to eat something light an hour or two before, especially if it is in the morning. It is best if you avoid doing anything strenuous or very physical any time on the day of your appointment so we recommend going to bed at a reasonable hour and generally taking it easy.What are the qualifications of your Acupuncturist?
Our Acupuncturist completed pre-medical undergraduate training then went on to attended a four year, 4,000 hour graduate program in Chinese Medicine. This education included classes on Chinese Medicine Theory, Differentiation of Syndromes, Chinese Medicine Diagnosis, Treatment of Disease, Tuina (Chinese Medical Massage), Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Herbal Formulation, Botany, Pathology, Pharmacology, Psychology, Nutrition, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Orthopedics, and more. After completing her Master's degree, she passed all four required federal Medical Boards on the first attempt with above average marks, earning her a License to Practice Medicine. In order to maintain licensure, she completes 40 credits of continuing education every two years. Our Acupuncturist also has a Master's in Philosophy, is certified in western herbal medicine, and has over 15 years experience working in the health food market. She did internships at both the National Center for the Preservation of Medicinal Herbs and United Plant Savers and has taught at the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism and the Mountain Area Health Education Network (MAHEC).What are your rates for Acupuncture?
All acupuncture appointments include tongue and pulse analysis, herbal consultation, dietary analysis, lifestyle recommendations, and traditional Chinese bodywork therapies. When needed, herbs are additional and run about $10 per week.- Initial Appointment: $70, 60-75 minutes
- Follow-up Appointment: $55, 45-60 minutes
- Package of 2 Follow-ups: $95, save $20. For mild to moderate conditions or regular preventive treatments.
- Package of 5 Follow-ups: $225, save $50. For chronic or complicated conditions or regular preventive treatments.
- Pediatric Acupuncture: $35, Initial Appointments and Follow-ups
- Senior Acupuncture: $35, Initial Appointments and Follow-ups
- Stop Smoking Acupuncture: $35. Stop cravings, reduce irritability, facilitate detox. Short treatments done every day or every other day as needed. Appointments are 30-45 minutes. Typically 2-5 treatments are adequate.
- Wellness Package: 30 minute Massage + 30 minute Acupuncture session for $70. A great way to sample some of our offerings and learn first-hand the synergistic benefits of combining two different treatments.
How can I make an appointment for Acupuncture?
Call (828) 505-3174 or book on line at any time by clicking on the button below.
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