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What
happens during an acupuncture treatment?
What happens during an acupuncture
treatment?
Many people may be unfamiliar with what
exactly takes place in an acupuncture session. Wondering what happens during
treatment, how many visits may be needed and whether health insurance covers
it are all common concerns. In a typical first visit, a practitioner will
take a detailed health history, fully investigate your chief complaint and
provide acupuncture for you. This may take up to an hour and a half but is
necessary to create an individualized treatment plan that takes into account
your present physical, emotional, and nutritional condition, while focusing
on your main health concern. Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine
needles (the width of two human hairs) into specific anatomical points.
Return visits to an acupuncturist may also introduce the option of Chinese
herbal therapy. Chinese herbal therapy reinforces acupuncture in a natural
way without side-effects. The two are often used together to strengthen the
effects of treatment and to achieve longer-lasting results in a shorter
amount of time.
Currently, the NIH has determined that
acupuncture is effective in treating over 40 different disease categories.
Following is a list of illnesses and conditions for which acupuncture has
been proven to be effective. It is possible to treat these and many other
conditions with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Addictions
Allergies
Ankle Swelling
Arm and Shoulder Pain
Arthritis
Attention Deficit Disorder
Back Pain
Bed Wetting
Blood Pressure
Bronchial Conditions
Bursitis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Circulatory Issues
Colds
Colitis
Constipation
Cough
Depression
Detox
Diarrhea
Diverticulitis
Dizziness
Emphysema
Fatigue
Feet
Fibromyalgia
Flu
Gall Bladder Disorders
Gas
Gynecological Concerns
Hay Fever
Headache
Heart Problems
Hemorrhoids
Hip Pain
Immune System Deficiency
Indigestion
Infertility
Injuries
Insomnia
Joint Pain
Kidney Problems
Knee Pain
Leg Pain, Cramps
Liver Problems
Neck Pain, Stiffness
Nervousness
Neuralgia
Pain
Pleurisy
PMS
Pregnancy Symptoms
Prostate Problems
Rheumatism
Sciatica
Shingles
Shoulder Pain
Sinus Trouble
Skin Problems
Sports Injuries
Stomach Problems
Sore Throat
Thyroid Conditions
Ulcers
Urinary Problems
Whiplash
If you are wondering if acupuncture can
help you with a different or specific condition, you can call our clinic to
speak with one of the acupuncturists directly.
Currently, there are a number of theories as to how exactly acupuncture works. It was once thought that inserting needles into specific parts of the body affected nerves and could inhibit their signal transmission. This was thought to explain why acupuncture could treat pain so well. But when doctors mapped the acupuncture points over the known nerve network they found that there was some correlation, but not nearly enough to explain most of its effects. Another theory stated that acupuncture stimulates the release of opioids and endorphins in the central nervous system. Although this could explain certain analgesic effects, it could not explain many others. The most current theory speculates that acupuncture points are actually strategic conductors of electromagnetic signals throughout the body. Stimulating points along these pathways influences neurotransmitter rates and resets the polarity of different parts of the body. This latest theory is by far the most comprehensive and most promising explanation for why acupuncture works in Western medical terminology.
Acupuncture in general is not painful.
The needles are extremely thin (about the width of 2 human hairs), solid,
disposable and flexible. Sensations that patients normally experience are a
dull ache or tingling which is associated with the movement of energy
stimulated by the insertion of the needles. This is a desired affect and
should not feel painful.
The number of visits you will need
depends on several factors. One is how long you have had your current
condition. Acute conditions, like a cold or flu will generally only require
one or two treatments. Conditions that are more recent, like sudden pain
from an injury or seasonal allergies may require 3 or 4 treatments before
symptoms are reduced. Chronic conditions like PMS, asthma, back pain or
other problems that you have had for many years may take anywhere from 4 to
10 treatments until you notice significant changes. At your first visit,
your acupuncturist will take a detailed health history and will determine an
appropriate treatment plan based on your signs and symptoms and the findings
of that visit.
