How exactly acupuncture works depends on who you ask. The medical community has accepted that the human body is a complex, integrated system that usually best treats the body as a whole. For example, giving a patient medicine for a stomach ulcer may alleviate the pain symptoms, but it’s not a cure for the cause, which could be stress. Your outlook, emotions, physical self, and spirit all affect your health.

Acupuncture accomplishes this rebalancing by inserting fine, hair-thin needles into the body at specific points. Biochemical and neurological research has shown that the technique works by signaling the centers in the brain that control systems and organ functions.

Similarly, acupuncture has also been shown to stimulate and strengthen the body’s immune system and organ function through this feedback mechanism. Acupuncture affects glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and hormone levels in the blood. It balances gastrointestinal, endocrine, and nervous system functions in the body. Acupuncture can also improve circulation and reduce inflammation.

Yes, acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in China. Acupuncture is the treatment of choice for one-fourth of the world’s population!

No, the needles are pre-sterilized and disposed of after one single use. After the needles are extracted, they are put in a medical sharps container. When the container is full, professionals dispose of the needles correctly.

If your practitioner has obtained the correct needle stimulus, the patient should feel some cramping, numbness, distention, tingling, or electric sensation either around the needle or traveling up or down the affected meridian. Some Western cultures may categorize these sensations as types of pain. In any case, if you experience any discomfort, it is usually mild and temporary.

Acupuncture will not conflict with any of your medications. Acupuncture is used to complement and supplement your physician’s treatments, not to replace them. You should discuss this issue with your physician and acupuncturist.

It is impossible to predict up front how quickly your body will respond to acupuncture. We must wait until you have had your first treatment, and according to your body’s response, we may have a better idea. Since every person is unique in their condition, the number of treatments will vary. The nature, severity, and history of each patient’s problem, as well as the individual’s, are all factors that determine how many treatments will be necessary.

One course of treatment is typically considered to be ten treatments. Ideally, this is scheduled in close succession, usually 2-3 treatments per week at the beginning, then fall to 1 treatment per week. Although some patients respond favorably after only one or two treatments for an acute condition, some may only improve after the eighth or ninth visit. In general, acute conditions require less treatment than chronic ones as they are usually of recent onset rather than long-standing ones.

Patients often experience the most dramatic results in the first treatment. Some patients experience immediate total or partial relief of their pain or other symptoms. This relief may last, or some pain may return. In a few cases, there may be no immediate relief, only to notice the pain diminish over the next couple of days. Generally, you should expect to feel better.