Your first visit will include a discussion of your health concerns, a review of your medical history and a physical exam. Then your practitioner will formulate a treatment plan that may involve herbs, nutritional counseling and lifestyle modifications in addition to acupuncture. Including the acupuncture treatment, your first visit may last up to two hours. Subsequent appointments are typically one hour to one and a half hours long. Back to top

For most people, the procedure is painless. Some feel a prickle similar to a mosquito bite when the needle is inserted. “Oh. Is that all?” is a common response to the first needle being inserted. Some people feel warmth or heaviness around the points during treatment. Others do not feel anything at all. Many people fall asleep during treatments and all report a deep sense of relaxation. Back to top

Very few side effects have been associated with acupuncture treatments using disposable needles. Occasionally patients may develop a small local bruise or feel light-headed for a few moments. As with any type of treatment, you should always tell your practitioner what medications you are taking and describe adverse health conditions you may have and those you have previously experienced. You also should tell your practitioner if you are or could be pregnant. Providing this information will help your practitioner select the best typ of treatment for you. Back to top

Acupuncture alleviates many typical pregnancy-related complaints, ranging from nausea to sciatica. During each stage of pregnancy, certain points should be used and others avoided. Following these guidelines ensures safety of both the mother and the fetus. Back to top

Central to Chinese medicine is the concept of life energy—qi—flowing through the body along pathways called meridians, bringing vitality to all the organs and tissues. Injury, stress, nutrition and lifestyle choices can block or deplete energy flows, resulting in physical or mental pain, disease or disharmony. The practitioner determines how the patient’s energy flows are out of balance and then creates an individually tailored treatment plan to restore the healthy flows of energy and assist the body in healing itself. Back to top

Although the placebo effect plays a role in all medical treatments (including Western medicine), acupuncture seems to work more from the body to the brain as opposed to the mind down. Positive results are seen not only with highly dubious people, but also in studies of the effects of acupuncture on animals, where it is safe to assume the placebo effect does not come into play. Back to top

This varies tremendously. In general, a recent injury or acute ailment may respond within one to three treatments. Long-term problems take longer to treat, though improvements can be expected within four to six weeks. Back to top

No, Chinese medicine includes a wide range of modalities in addition to acupuncture, all aimed at stimulating and working with the patient’s qi. These include nutritional counseling and herbal remedies, cupping, qigong and tui na (massage). Back to top