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What does acupuncture feel like?
There is no one way to answer this question.
Acupuncture can feel different for different people. It can vary for
the same person from treatment to treatment. The amount of sleep you’ve
had or the amount of caffeine recently consumed can alter one’s sensitivity.
Or the part of the body where the needle is being inserted can tend
to be more or less sensitive. My style of acupuncture is gentle and
attentive to each persons needs. I continually check in with patients
throughout treatment, and at the end, my patients regularly report
feeling deeply relaxed, grounded and often experience a diminishment
of their symptoms. Technically speaking, acupuncture needles are single-use
and are usually 32-40 gauge in size (about the diameter of one or
two human hairs). The sensation of inserting the needle is often noted
as either “I didn’t feel anything”, to a mild prick. The sensation
of connecting with the Qi or energy varies as well… dull and achey,
tingling, warm, heavy and distending, a little zing, etc. If acupuncture
sounds intriguing to you, but the use of needles gives you pause,
know that you have options: request that only the thinnest needles
be used, ask for relaxation and breathing techniques to be incorporated,
or inquire about using acupressure, moxa or tuning forks, instead
of needles.
What are acupuncture appointments like?
The initial appointment focuses largely on
information gathering – reviewing your paperwork, asking questions,
observing the tongue, the pulse at the wrists, and sometimes tender
areas of the abdomen or other specific areas of concern. If the patient
wears loose fitting clothing the treatment can often be done with
just the removal of shoes and socks, and limbs exposed up to the elbows
and knees. Occasionally a gown is needed to allow better access to
a particular area, i.e. the back. Needle retention time is usually
around 20 minutes. Additional techniques may also be performed at
this time (moxa, cupping, gua sha, electro-stimulation, ion pumping
cords). Patients will usually have some time alone to take in and
integrate the treatment effects, yet I will also check in regularly
to confirm you remain comfortable and relaxed. Follow-up appointments
track progress of the condition and new developments, but the amount
of information gathering is less. Specific treatments may stay the
same for a while or change according to how one’s body is responding.
Lastly, a Chinese herbal formula may be prescribed and/or additional
lifestyle/nutritional suggestions offered to help support the overall
treatment plan.
How long before I can expect results?
In the traditional style of giving acupuncture
in China, a patient would receive daily treatments for 10 days and
then be re-evaluated. In the States, it is customary to receive treatment
1-2x/week. Because acupuncture works best on a cumulative basis, frequency
and consistency play a significant role in the medicine’s overall
effectiveness. Some people experience instant relief. Many experience
a change during the days following treatment. Two people with the
same condition may respond at different rates, and people with chronic
conditions often require a longer course of treatment. In general,
patients are encouraged to try a course of 3-6 treatments, at an interval
of at least 1x/week. This allows time to best assess how YOUR body
responds, and to determine the most effective treatment strategy for
your health concerns.
Why would I choose acupuncture over other
forms of complementary healthcare?
My simple answer to this question is that
I believe most all forms of complementary healthcare have value, and
it is often the type of condition and/or the state of one’s mental
well-being that determine whether a certain modality seems to work
or not. Of course, I am a strong believer in what Chinese medicine
has to offer, and my experience says it is an extremely effective
form of treatment. Similarly, I support trying different modalities
or using more than one form of treatment at a time to address your
health concerns. Most healthcare practitioners seek to resolve pain
and restore balance, and it is ultimately the patients choice to decide
in which form that healing should come.
How are Chinese Herbs different than prescriptions
medications?
The biggest difference is that Chinese herbs
are rarely used individually. There are some exceptions, but for the
most part, Chinese herbs are prescribed in the context of an herbal
formula. The combining of several herbs does two things: 1) desired
effects can be enhanced or reinforced by other similarly acting herbs,
2) undesirable effects or toxicities can be offset or significantly
diminished by using herbs with opposite or countering properties.
Prescriptions medications are developed based on a single molecule
or active ingredient found to produce a desired effect. Additional
balancing ingredients are not emphasized, but instead high dosages
of these single active molecules are used to produce relatively fast
and effective results. Unfortunately there are often unwanted side
effects which also accompany these results. Stories in which Chinese
herbs have been used, resulting in health problems or even death are
almost always due to improper prescribing. Ephedra or Ma Huang is
an example of this. It is an extremely effective herb for treating
colds, asthma and other lung problems. However, when used in a study
for weight loss in dosages well above safe and reasonable levels,
heart problems and even fatalities occurred. This is an unfortunate
story that did not need to happen if only sound dosing guidelines
had been used. For this reason, it is always advised that one see
a Licensed Chinese Medicine practitioner when choosing to use Chinese
medicinal herbs as part of their healthcare.
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