Acupuncture is a comprehensive healing system that dates back over 4,000 years. Acupuncture works with the natural energy of your body. Periodically, we develop blockages and imbalances in the body caused by physical or emotional trauma. If the physical or emotional traumas are not dealt with, they can manifest into disease. Once the acupuncturist determines the root of the problem, whether physical or emotional, the treatment will be customized to balance that patient’s health. Acupuncture treatment encourages the body to restore its own balance on all levels.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years as a medicine that addresses the entire body. It is highly effective at addressing not only acute illness or injury, but chronic conditions and symptoms that are a result of multiple systems being imbalanced or ill. While it is currently renowned for treating pain and recovery from injury, it is also used to treat or help with the following.  The following is a partial list of symptoms, diseases and conditions that are recognized by the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) and World Health Organization (WHO) to be treated effectively by acupuncture and Chinese herbs:

• Musculo-Skeletal Disorders: arthritis, low back pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, TMJ, carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia, tendonitis
• Gynecological Disorders: PMS, menstural irregularities, menopausal syndrome, infertility
• Gastro-Intestinal Disorders: indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, acid reflux, ulcers, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome
• Respiratory Disorders: allergies, asthma, common cold, flu, and sinusitis
• Neurological Disorders: headache, migraine, dizziness, Bell’s palsy, post-stoke paralysis, neuralgia
• Circulatory Disorders: high cholesterol, hypertension
• Psycho-Emotional Disorders: stress, anxiety, depression, nervousness, insomnia
• Uro-Gential Disorders: urinary tract infection, incontinence, impotence
• Addictions: smoking, alcohol, street drugs, prescription drugs

Acupuncture is generally painless. The needles are called “filiform” meaning “hairlike.” You may feel a slight sensation upon insertion of the needles and throughout the treatment you may have different sensations like dullness, achiness, heaviness or warmth. Most patients fall asleep during their treatments, so clearly none of the sensations are uncomfortable.

This depends on the condition that you are coming in for and the rate in which your body responds to the treatments. It also may depend on how long you’ve had the condition. Acute conditions will generally respond faster, while chronic conditions may take several weeks or longer to respond. In general, we recommend that any new patient expect to come in once a week for at least a month or two. It is not uncommon to begin seeing changes in your overall health within your first couple of treatments. We work with each patient individually to find a treatment plan that works for him or her. We also work together with other healthcare providers to co-manage the patient’s overall health.