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faq.

What are the main objectives of acupuncture treatment?

There are three main objectives
     A. Relieve pain and other symptoms
     B. Strengthen the immune system
     C. Balance, harmonize and integrate functions of organs with each other, making for a unified health person.l

What are the needle treatments like? Are they painful?

Patients who have received inoculations or other medical injections from a hypodermic needle are sometimes fearful that acupuncture treatments will be as painful. But such is not the case. Medical hypodermic needles are stiff, hollow and thick for forcing liquid into the patient;'s flesh, usually an uncomfortable, if not painful procedure.

Typically, acupuncture needles are fine and flexible, no bigger than a human hair or piece of thread. Deftly inserted into an acupoint be a skilled acupuncturist, the slender needle produces little or no sensation at all. When the needle makes contact with the Chi, the energy, most patients experience a slight tingling sensation. First-time patients are usually amazed at how comfortable they are during treatment.

Call us and we will show you that acupuncture needles are not painful as you thought l

How widely is acupuncture used in the United States?

In the past two decades, acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States. The report from a Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997 stated that acupuncture is being "widely" practiced--by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners--for relief or prevention of pain and for various other health conditions. According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey--the largest and most comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by American adults to date--an estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults had ever used acupuncture, and an estimated 2.1 million U.S. adults had used acupuncture in the previous year.l

Is acupuncture safe?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they be labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only. Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of treatments. Practitioners should use a new set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient and should swab treatment sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles. l

How might acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them.

Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is commonly practiced in the United States. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.

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What should I expect during my first visit?

During your first office visit, the practitioner may ask you at length about your health condition, lifestyle, and behavior. The practitioner will want to obtain a complete picture of your treatment needs and behaviors that may contribute to your condition. Inform the acupuncturist about all treatments or medications you are taking and all medical conditions you have.l

Terminology Commonly Associated with Acupuncture?

Meridian: A traditional Chinese medicine term for each of the 20 pathways throughout the body for the flow of qi, or vital energy, accessed through acupuncture points.;

Auricular Acupuncture: Auricular (or ear) acupuncture targets points on the outer ear, using either needles or electro acupunctoscopes to help relieve the complaint. Each acupoint on the ear, when treated, triggers electrical impulses, from the ear, via the brain, to the specific area of the body that is being treated.;

Electroacupuncture: Like regular acupuncture, electro-acupuncture uses needles inserted by hand. The difference is that in electro-acupuncture, these needles are connected to electrodes that provide electrical stimulation. Electro-acupuncture is considered quicker than traditional acupuncture, and has a stronger effect. It also allows the acupuncturist to more finely control the amount of stimulus given to a patient. People with cardiac problems should consult their physicians before using this treatment.l

Shoinshin: More commonly known as pediatric acupuncture, Shonishin literally translated means sho for little, ni for children, and shin for needle (though typically no needles are used and nothing actually penetrates the skin). Shonishin techniques involve rhythmic stroking, rubbing, tapping, and pressing the skin to give different kinds of gentle stimulation. These techniques harmonize and fortify the child's vital energy, and strengthen the child's constitution.

 

 

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