WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture is an ancient system of healing. The earliest books were written 4,500 years ago and today, worldwide, there are over three million practitioners.

Acupuncture began with the discovery that stimulation of specific areas of the skin affected the functioning of certain organs of the body. It evolved into a system of healing as the connection between the skin and the organs was better understood and more sensitive ways of stimulation were devised.

In the West, acupuncture has been misleadingly publicized as only being helpful in specific conditions such as, pain or weight loss. Whereas, in fact, it is extremely effective in a wide variety of conditions through its power to stimulate our own healing responses. This overall therapeutic effect is one of its great strengths.

DIAGNOSIS

Acupuncture begins with a diagnosis of the individual's energy imbalance. The energy of the body, mind and spirit is distributed through 12 main energy pathways (sometimes called meridians). Each pathway is associated with an organ. The chronic over or under activity of any of these pathways will cause the organ to work less effectively and disease will result.

Whether or not an energy pathway is malfunctioning is revealed in many ways, for example by facial color, odor, sound in the voice, emotional state, taste preferences, the nature of symptoms and the distribution of heat and cold in the body. Each organ also has a pulse associated with it which informs the practitioner about the energy of the organ. The pulses are located on the radial artery at the wrist. These signs, together with several others, form the basis of diagnosis.

The purpose of diagnosis is to establish which pathways require adjustment for a specific condition to improve and which require adjustment for your overall energy and vitality to improve.

TREATMENT

Treatment is the process of re-establishing the energy balance. This is done in two ways. One is the insertion of fine, stainless steel needles into acupuncture points, either stimulating or sedating the energy of a specific pathway. The other is the application of warmth to the acupuncture point. These methods are often used in combination. As the balance improves, health improves.

CAN ACUPUNCTURE HELP?

Many people come to acupuncture for help with a specific symptom or condition such as: anxiety states, arthritis, asthma, back pain, circulatory problems, depression, facial paralysis, fibrositis, high blood pressure, indeterminate aches and pains, infertility, menstrual problems, migraines, rheumatism, sciatica, skin conditions or ulcers. Extensive practice and Chinese research has shown acupuncture's effectiveness in helping these and many other conditions.

The effect of good acupuncture, however, is to do more than simply cure the symptom. Acupuncture directed at restoring the overall energy balance will deal with the condition and also help the patient feel better in a general way. The frequent comment of "I'm feeling better within myself," refers to such things as increased energy and vitality, greater enjoyment of life, greater confidence, better sleep or more normal appetite.

This approach in which the whole person as well as the symptom is taken into consideration, is referred to as Classical Five Element Acupuncture. It is contrasted with the symptomatic approach which uses treatment formulae for specific conditions and where no heed is paid to the overall energy balance.

Diagnosing and treating the person rather than the disease can be beneficial for people who do not feel well within themselves, but who do not have suffeciently serious or "physical" complaints to preset themselves as sick. Classical Five Element Acupuncture can diagnose the imbalance and restore well-being without the person having a named condition.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I COME IN FOR TREATMENT

For your initial visit the practitioner allows enough time to gather information on the following:


  1. Your symptom(s), the history and treatment to date
  2. Your medical and family history
  3. The behavior of your various systems, such as how you sleep, or whether or not your digestion is good
  4. Your physical condition, for example, distribution of body heat or the condition of your skin

Generally you will come weekly to begin with and then, as you improve, less frequently. The speed of your improvement varies more according to the person rather than the label of the complaint. While some people are much more improved after the first visit, others require more extensive treatment.

DOES IT HURT?

Some people would like to try acupuncture, but may not because they are sure it will be painful. The needles that we use are solid and much finer than those used for injection. When the needle reaches the acupuncture point, there is a sensation often described as a dull ache. The sensation felt is generally acceptable and lasts only 1 or 2 seconds.

STERILIZATION?

Only the finest quality stainless steel, presterilized, individually packaged, disposable needles are used.

INSURANCE

We do not currently accept insurance. We can provide a statement of service if you wish to file a claim with your insurance company. All payments are due the day of service.

Cancellation Policy: It is important that we be notified at least 24 hours in advance of any need to change a scheduled appointment. Unless you are in an emergency situation you will be charged the full fee for not keeping your appointment.