What are your qualifications?
I am licensed with the Acupuncture State Board of California and The National Certification forAcupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most common medical therapies in the world. Due to its efficacy it is becoming more and more popular here, in the United States. It consists of the insertion of very fine needles at specific points to heal and relieve pain.
Does acupuncture hurt?
Most people barely feel a thing when needles are inserted. It might feel like a bug bite or a light pinch. This is because acupuncture needles are extremely thin compared to hypodermic needles used for injections or to draw blood. Forty acupuncture needles can fit into a standard hypodermic needle.
Is acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture is very safe when preformed by a qualified practitioner. Acupuncture needles are pre-sterilized, individually packaged, and disposable. Every practitioner gets extensive training in anatomy as to avoid accidentally inserting a needle in a place that can cause damage.
The World Health Organization (WHO) comments that unlike many drugs, acupuncture is non-toxic and adverse reactions or side effects are minimal. For instance, acupuncture and morphine have similar rates of effectiveness when used for chronic pain, but with acupuncture, a patient does not run the risk of chemical dependency. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that relatively few complications have been reported,versus the millions of people who suffer negative side effects from drugs.
Do I have to believe in it for it to work? Does acupuncture always work?
Acupuncture and herbs work whether you believe in them or not. Good results are seen in the majority of cases. When all other treatment methods have failed, this can indicate a systemic imbalance. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic approach that can effectively treat these tough cases.
How often would I need to come in for treatment?
Typically acupuncture treatments are given 1-3 times per week. The exact duration of treatment depends on the condition, your basic level of health, and how well you respond to acupuncture. Usually frequent treatments are done for the first few weeks; after that, the frequency of treatment may be reduced as your health is restored.
Acupuncture is the insertion of hair-thin needles into the body along meridians. The purpose is to create a balance within the body. Acupuncture needles are much thinner than the hollow needles used for injections, so they can be inserted quickly and painlessly.
What are Meridians?
Meridians are channels, similar to highways, that run up and down the entire body. They connect the upper and lower parts of the body, internal and external, organs to muscles to skin…etc. There are acupuncture points along these meridians that allow us to access and affect the energy/Qi of the body. Each acupuncture point has specific functions and symptoms that it treats.
What is Qi?
It is usually described as an universal “energy” or “life force”. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Qi is considered a substance. When the Qi is out of balance due to improper diet, trauma, stress…acupuncture is utilized to access and re-balance the Qi.
What conditions does Acupuncture treat?
Simply put, everything. Acupuncture is used to treat virtually every condition. As a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, I look at every condition from different angles – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I find that when a patient experiences a physical problem, there is often a mental, emotional and/or spiritual component as well. I believe this holistic approach is what makes Traditional Chinese Medicine so effective.
