What is Acupuncture?

The basic idea behind acupuncture is that the insertion of very fine needles into points along the meridians can rebalance bodily disharmony.  The action of the needles affects the “Qi, and Blood” in the substances and organs.  The needles can reduce what is excessive, increase what is deficient, warm what is cold, cool what is hot, circulate what is stagnant, move what is congealed, stabilize what is reckless, raise what is falling, and lower what is rising.  Each acupuncture point has a defined therapeutic action.  The physician choses to work on those points that are most appropriate for treating a particular individual’s pattern of disharmony.  A typical treatment entails the insertion of five to fifteen needles.  Acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel, are hair like thin, and produce relatively little pain when inserted.  Acupuncture treats to strengthen the physical condition, prevent or modify the perception of pain or to normalize physiological functions, including pain control, for the treatment of certain diseases or dysfunction of the body and includes the techniques of electro-acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion.
 
 
 
What are the potential Benefits of Acupuncture

Painless and drugless relief of the presenting symptoms and improved balance of bodily energies which may lead to prevention or elimination of the presenting problem.  Absence of serious side effects.
 
 
Is Acupuncture Safe?

One of the great advantages of acupuncture is the absence of serious side effects.  Needles generally cause no bleeding on entry or removal, and are either the one time disposable kind or sterilized under meticulous conditions.  There is minimal risk of organ or blood vessel penetration.
 
 
What can I expect after an Acupuncture treatment?

Your relief may be immediate, delayed for a few hours or even develop after 1-3 days. The relief may last for a few hours on the first visit and then last longer with each successive treatment. Relief may last from the first treatment until your next visit. It is important to recognize that we are all individuals. Individual response to treatment varies.
 
   
Does it work?

Traditional Chinese medicine can be considered an art, and it can claim to be a science.  The important question to ask about a medical practice is:

Does It Work?  Is Chinese medicine just an interesting philosophical curiosity or is it a viable system of healing?  Can it treat what the West defines as real diseases?  And can Western science measure its results and appreciate its value?

Because of the unique history of modern China, traditional medicine has been the subject of comprehensive study and testing over the past thirty years.  To answer that question, the Chinese performed thousands of experiments and clinical studies during the fifties.  The result was that in 1958 the Central Committee decided to give traditional and modern medicine equal respect and place in China.
 
 
What is cupping?

Cupping is a method of treating disease by causing local congestion. A partial vacuum is created in jars, usually in means of heat, which are then applied to the skin, drawing up the underlying tissues and forming blood stasis. In ancient times, animal horns were used, principally in draining pustulated sores. Later this method was utilized in treating consumptive and rheumatic diseases. For example, in the Tang Dynasty work, Necessities of a Frontier Official, cupping was prescribed for the treatment of a condition similar to pulmonary tuberculosis. Bamboo, ceramic, iron and brass ‘cups’ were developed. Today, cups made of glass or bamboo are by far the most common. They are available in many sizes, and selected according to the skin and method of treatment . Both the range of indications and the variety of instruments have grown since the beginning of the Culture Revolution.
 
 
 What is Moxibustion?

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing.  Moxibustion has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years; in fact, the actual Chinese character for acupuncture, translated literally, means ‘acupuncture-moxibustion’. The purpose of Moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health.
 
 
How does Moxibustion work? Does it hurt?

There are two types of moxibustion: direct and indirect. In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of Moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. This type of moxibustion is further categorized into two types; scarring and non-scarring. With scarring moxibustion, the moxa is placed on a point, ignited, and allowed to remain onto the point until it burns out completely. This may lead to localized scarring, blisters and scarring after healing. With non-scarring moxibustion, the moxa is placed on the point and lit, but is extinguished or removed before it burns the skin. The patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin, but should not experience any pain, blistering or scarring unless the moxa is left in place for too long.

Indirect moxibustion is currently the more popular form of care because there is a much lower risk of pain or burning. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick, roughly the shape and size of a cigar, and holds it close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red. Another form of indirect moxibustion uses both acupuncture needles and moxa. A needle is inserted into an acupoint and retained. The tip of the needle is then wrapped in moxa and ignited, generating heat to the point and the surrounding area. After the desired effect is achieved, the moxa is extinguished and the needle(s) removed.