Frequently asked questions
What are some of the health benefits of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is founded on a holistic, preventative and energy-based health concept rather than a disease-oriented diagnostic and treatment model. This means that acupuncture and oriental medicine is more concerned with keeping you healthy and fixing the root cause of your disease than in covering up your symptoms. Unlike allopathic medicines and procedures, you are not in danger of any dangerous side effects or the need to add further medications and therefore further upset the natural balance of your body.
Most disease benefits from the addition of acupuncture and oriental medicine and the World Health Organization recognizes its positive role in the successful treatment of: Acute and chronic pain, headache, insomnia, fibromyalgia, anxiety, osteoarthritis, respiratory and digestive problems, poor circulation, gynecological disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, among many others diseases and conditions.
Many individuals receive the health and wellness benefits of acupuncture without experiencing any particular health condition. The roots of this medicine in China use acupuncture in this manner. Acupuncture strengthens the general constitution, enhancing the immune system or balancing excessive immunity. It is often used to reduce dependency on pain medication by significantly decreasing both the sensation of pain as well as reducing the cause of pain, inflammation.
Western medicine is now discovering the role of excessive stress and poor stress coping techniques in the process of aging as well as in the progression of chronic degenerative disease. Acupuncture reduces the effects of excessive stress by turning off the “fight or flight” mechanism, the sympathetic nervous system and the overall production of cortisol, the stress and aging hormone. When this happens, the parasympathetic nervous system can function more freely and that is how acupuncture can be beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes and other internal diseases and is not just useful for local pain.
There is also validity to the fact that accidents happen more frequently to people who are overstressed.
Acupuncture has been successfully used in the treatment of addictions and eating disorders and is frequently integrated into smoking cessation and weight loss programs.
Acupuncture can enhance the benefits of western medical treatments and can be used as a complementary therapy to conventional medicine in the treatment of both acute and chronic disease.
You can maintain your health and sense of well being by choosing acupuncture. Research indicates the positive effects of acupuncture on the health of individuals. For most people, the acupuncture experience is very relaxing and often changes your perspective to a more positive one, a reason why acupuncture is often helpful in the treatment of psychological issues, such as anxiety, depression and insomnia.
In conclusion, acupuncture is much more than just needles in the body used in China. It is part of a healthy lifestyle, used for prevention of disease, ease of symptoms, balance of all of the body’s systems, anti-aging, drug/cigarrette/alcohol addictions and mental health.
Do the needles hurt?
Most people are pleasantly surprised at how painless acupuncture can be. The needles (“healing filaments” if you prefer) are extremely thin, and flexible and often there is no noticeable sensation at all. Other times there is a slight sting, similar to a mosquito bite. It helps to know that there is never any damage done by such fine needles and that it is completely safe. And best of all, you are going to feel better.
In addition to acupuncture, patients are often treated with massage or acupressure, moxibustion (an herbal warming method), acupressure, and cupping. Customized herbal formulations are often recommended as well. Patients are given suggestions for self-care between appointments.
How many types of massage exist?
Dozens of massage styles exist. The exact style is not as important as the intention of the massage therapist. Know what results you want (relaxation, pain relief, injury treatment, better posture, etc.) and choose a massage therapist who intends to get those results.
How does a massage feel?
Massage on healthy tissue usually feels good. Massage around injured, painful, or tense areas can cause discomfort. Tell your massage therapist how much discomfort you are willing to tolerate. NEVER let a massage therapist work deeper than you are comfortable with.
Deep tissue or injury treatment massage may leave you feeling sore for a day or two. Always let your massage therapist know how you felt, so he or she can adjust the massage as needed.
During a massage, you may notice that your muscles are sore, even though you had not noticed soreness before the massage. Here's why: Each cell in your body, including muscle cells, is a tiny factory that takes in nutrition, produces energy, and outputs waste products. For example, contracting muscle cells require an energy source called ATP, which produces lactic acid. Muscles also burn oxygen, which produces carbonic acid, and protein, which produces uric acid.
If your body and circulatory system are working at peak efficiency, these waste products are flushed out of your body. However, often things aren’t working as well as they could because of stress, tension, too little exercise, too much exercise, medical conditions, and other factors. Then waste products (all that acid!) build up in your muscles, creating congestion that causes pain on touch. Massage, of course, helps clear out that congestion.