What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the insertion of fine, sterile needles at specific points to regulate the body’s energy flow and to treat a wide variety of ailments. Acupuncture and herbal medicine form the cornerstones of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has been practiced for over 2000 years. Acupuncture is based on the theory that the body’s vital energy, or Qi, sustains vitality. (‘Qi’ is a medical, not a spiritual term, and it is useful for diagnosis and treatment.) If this energy flow is disrupted, a person will experience pain or disease.
Acupuncture needles are solid (as opposed to the hollow-bore needles used for injections), made of stainless steel, and extremely flexible. Their tiny diameter and pine-needle shape allow them to be inserted quickly and painlessly just a few millimeters into the various points on the body (deeper in fleshier areas). Most people experience a profound relaxation during treatments.
What can acupuncture treat?
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner views disease as stemming from an imbalance affecting the whole of the body rather than a separate, distinct pathogen to be cut out, irradiated, or bombarded with chemicals that oftentimes carry serious side effects. This “holistic” approach allows the TCM practitioner to treat both the “branch” (the physical manifestations of the disease) while also addressing “root” of the disorder (the imbalance that gave rise to the disease in the first place), simultaneously working to treat the disease and prevent its recurrence.
We commonly treat stress, anxiety and depression, headaches and migraines, PMS and menstrual disorders, digestive disturbances, urinary difficulty, fertility problems, all sorts of bodily aches and pains, among many other symptoms and ailments.(Lower back pain, Knee pain, Sciatic pain, Shoulder pain, Neck pain, Joint pain, Muscle pain, Insomnia, etc..)
How long will my treatment take?
It varies with each patient. Acute conditions tend to respond well and quickly to prompt treatment, while chronic ones may take longer to resolve. Indivisual session will take for about 45 minutes to one hour.
Is acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture is extremely safe. Serious side effects are very rare—less than one incident per 10,000 treatments. The most common side effect of acupuncture, which itself is not terribly common, is minor bruising at the insertion site. We always use sterile, single-use needles to minimize the risk of infection.
Herbal Medicine
The essence of Chinese herbal medicine lies in the skill of the practitioner in modifying and fine tuning the herbal formula in order to match the characteristics and variations in a patient's disharmony-in the same way that an acupuncturist selects an appropriate set of points on the body.
Acupuncture is no doubt that a great many people have acupuncture treatment for neck and shoulder problems, as well as coming along for stress and tension which they themselves recognize are the cause of neck and shoulder problems. On both fronts there is a gathering body of evidence which suggests that acupuncture may be of benefit, as our fact sheets on stress.
Warm meridians and expel colds
Induce smooth flow of Qi and blood
Strengthen Yang
Boost immune system
Emotional disorders (anxiety, depression)
Prevent diseases and maintain the body healthy