Frequently Asked Questions
- You do massage therapy?
- What is acupuncture?
- How does acupuncture work?
- What is Qi?
- What should I expect at an acupuncture treatment?
- Does acupuncture hurt?
- How many treatments will I need?
- What is cupping?
- What is moxibustion?
- What is electroacupuncture?
- What is auricular acupuncture?
- What is acutonics?
My sessions are focused on relaxation, pain relief, and stress reduction. The modalities that I practice are Swedish/Relaxation, Injury Treatment, Deep Tissue, Reflexology, and Pregnancy Massage.
Acupuncture is an effective form of medical treatment that has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Acupuncture is one component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM. Acupuncture is a safe, natural, drug-free and effective way to realign and rebalance the energy systems in your body. Acupuncture stimulates your body's own healing abilities and promotes natural healing. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete holistic approach; therefore, it can be used to treat the entire person. Mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional imbalances can be addressed to improve overall health and well being.
Acupuncture is based on the belief that living beings have Qi that circulates through twelve invisible energy lines known as meridians. An imbalance in the flow of qi throughout a meridian is how disease begins.
There are numerous theories about how acupuncture works. Some of them are:
- acupuncture stimulates the release of pain-relieving endorphins
- acupuncture influences the release of neurotransmitters, substances that transmit nerve impulses to the brain
- acupuncture influences the autonomic nervous system
- acupuncture stimulates circulation
- acupuncture influences the electrical currents of the body
When needles are inserted into acupuncture point, energy flows through the meridians to the areas of the body that are in need of healing. These points also stimulate the Central Nervous System (CNS) to help release your own natural chemicals into the body. These chemicals help to reduce pain and trigger your body's hormones to regulate your body and bring it back into balance.
At the core of this ancient medicine is the philosophy that Qi or vital (life) energy flows through out your body. Qi stimulates the body and protects it from illness, pain and disease. A person's health is influenced by the balance and quality of Qi. When Qi is out of balance, your body will send out distress signals (headaches, body pains, depression, etc.). Many things influence Qi; physical and emotional trauma, stress, lack of exercise, diet, and seasonal changes are just a few.
What should I expect at an acupuncture treatment?
During the initial treatment, the acupuncturist will talk to you about your health history. This is usually an in depth process with questions ranging from childhood, lifestyle, symptoms, to current concern for treatment. All treatments are kept in the strictest of confidence and will not be discussed with anyone else. Depending on your primary compliant, some physical exams may be preformed. After the information is gathered, the practitioner will feel your pulse on both wrists and look at your tongue. The information that is gathered about the patient helps the practitioner effectively give a TCM diagnosis and detect any imbalances. The acupuncturist will then place fine, sterile disposable needles at specific acupuncture points along meridians to influence and restore balance to the flow of Qi.
Many people feel no pain at all from acupuncture; however you may feel a small prick on insertion. After insertion, a natural reaction is to feel a vague numbness, dull ache, tingling, or heaviness at the acupuncture point or in your whole body. All of these reactions are called feeling the “Qi” sensation. Feeling the sensation of energy moving around the needle and/or throughout the body is another typical reaction to acupuncture.
After the treatment, your overall feeling may vary from energized to deeply relaxed. Each person's reaction will differ.
How many treatments will I need?
This question varies from person to person depending on their primary concern. Acupuncture is a very individualized form of medicine and each treatment is catered to you. The course of treatment depends on numerous factors such as how long, whether acute or chronic, your lifestyle, your symptoms, and your body's reaction to acupuncture. Some people will have immediate relief while others take months or even years to achieve results. Chronic conditions usually take longer to resolve than acute ones.
Cupping is a modality of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that uses specifically designed glass, plastic, or bamboo cups on the skin to create a vacuum. This is achieved by using either fire or suction to create a vacuum and applying the cup to the surface of the skin. This allows the underlying soft tissue to be drawn to the cup creating a negative pressure. Cupping is primarily used to treat back pain, but treats all type of musculoskeletal pain.
Moxibustion, commonly called moxa is a TCM modality that involves the therapeutic application of heat from the burning herb mugwort. Moxa is used to warm regions of the body as well as acupuncture points with the intention of stimulating circulation.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that uses a device to generate a continuous electric pulse. Needles are inserted in the same manner as acupuncture, but then are attached to the electro machine using small clips. These devices are used to adjust the frequency and intensity of the impulse being delivered, depending on the condition being treated. This method is extremely useful for treating pain symptoms.
What is auricular acupuncture?
Auricular acupuncture is both an adjunctive technique to enhance your treatment and a specialty. Auricular acupuncture involves using needles in yours ears. The ears are portrayed very similarly to reflexology; it represents your entire body. Auricular is used extensively for drug and alcohol detoxification where the NADA protocol is used to help people with addictions. NADA, National Acupuncture Detoxification Association. http://www.acudetox.com/
Acutonics is an energy-based non-invasive treatment that is similar to acupuncture. Precision calibrated tuning forks are applied to specific acupuncture points. The tuning forks represent a natural harmonic series based on the orbital properties of the Earth, Moon, Sun and planets. Their rich resonance and vibration connects with and supports the body's natural frequencies. The sound waves of the forks vibrate and travel deeply into the body along energy pathways. Applying the forks stimulates and balances the body's physical and subtle energy field to promote healing and inner harmony. Listening to the forks speaks to us deeply by accessing our sense of motion, balance, space, memory, and healing.