FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?

Scientific perspective...

Acupuncture points are specific areas on the body just beyond the surface of the skin. They have high concentrations of nerve endings, mast cells, lymphatic vessels, and capillaries. When an acupuncture needle is inserted into an acupuncture point, it stimulates the sensory receptor, which in turn stimulates the nerve, which then transmits impulses to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. This complex system of interactions (often called a “feedback loop”) between the brain, hormones, and glands is responsible for regulating a number of bodily processes. Because acupuncture helps to regulate the various feedback loops in your body, it actually allows your body to heal itself of whatever is wrong. This amazing trait is unique to nearly every other medical system, and has sustained acupuncture as a complete system of medicine for over 5,000 years.

WHAT CAN ACUPUNCTURE TREAT?

Acupuncture can treat a wide variety of acute and chronic issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) has compiled a list of symptoms, syndromes, disease processes, pathologies, traumas and conditions that have definitely been proven as effectively treated by acupuncture. See a comprehensive here. https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/who-official-position/

Musculoskeletal pain including tendonitis, arthritis, bursitis, sprains, muscle spasms and pain of the low back, neck, knees, tennis elbow,
Neurologic

WHAT CAN I EXPECT AT MY FIRST VISIT?

During your initial visit to the clinic, a comprehensive medical history is taken.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL I NEED?

The effects of acupuncture treatments are cumulative- one session builds on the next. For this reason, at the beginning of a course of treatment

The number of treatments is hard to predict but in general and is based on ach person's response to treatments varies according to several factors including severity and duration of the condition being treated and the state of the person's overall health.

This depends on how long you have had the problem. Every case is different. Problems take time to develop, and they also take time to un-develop.
A problem that has been around for a few weeks may require 1-3 treatments. Problems that have existed for months or years may need more treatment before the benefits of treatment become apparent.

Generally, treatments are spaced further and further apart based on how the condition is improving.