Does Acupuncture Hurt?
Usually not much at all. Most people are deeply relaxed and/or fall asleep once all the points are placed.
Should I Wear Special Clothing So You Can Put Needles In My Shoulder/Back/Hip??
Nope, just wear loose, comfortable clothes that roll up to your elbows and knees. We are able to treat all kinds of conditions (even your shoulder/back/hip pain) by using a style of acupuncture that uses points primarily below the knees and elbows and above the neck. While some acupuncturists tend to favor lots of points on the torso this is usually a matter of personal preference and style, not a necessity to get effective results from acupuncture. There are literally thousands of different ways to do acupuncture, and all of them seem to work, and as far as we can tell, no one way seems to work substantially better than any other.
Why Did You Put That Needle There??
Probably the most frequently asked question in any acupuncture clinic, anywhere. A fellow community acupuncturist, Andy Wegman, wrote an entire book with this title! You can listen to him read his book, download it for free, or buy a copy from Amazon.
Can I Address More Than One Health Issue At A Time With Acupuncture??
Absolutely. Though we don't know exactly how acupuncture works, we do know that it often acts like a re-set button for the entire body. Often, patients who come in for one issue will notice an improvement in something apparently unrelated. This can happen even when the patient doesn't tell the acupuncturist about the apparently unrelated problem. Acupuncture also seems to have the "side effects" of reducing stress and promoting better sleep and more energy.
How Many Treatments Will It Take??
Traditionally a course of acupuncture treatment in China is treatment daily, 10 days in a row. We realize that most people can’t come get treatment almost every day, so we have designed our clinic systems and pricing to help people come as frequently as possible for each person’s unique situation. Do what works for you. If you can only come once a week or once every 2 weeks, then that’s great, please do that. You will still see results, just maybe a bit slower. Most commonly we start people off with a recommended 2 times a week for 3 weeks. After completing 6 treatments we will reassess how things are going with you and either suggest that you continue to come at about this same frequency for a bit longer, or at that time you might decrease frequency to maintain the benefits you’ve received. At your first visit we will give you an overall treatment plan for your main complaint. Any time you come in for treatment feel free to check in about your treatment plan with one of the acupuncturists. In some cases, like with very acute pain, labor induction, unrelenting migraines, nausea, etc. we recommend daily treatments until things change more significantly.