What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a way to encourage the body to promote natural healing and to improve its function. This is done by inserting needles and applying heat and/or electrical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points .

The Modern Scientific Explanation
Many cultures have successfully practiced acupuncture for thousands of years. Although modern science cannot explain exactly why acupuncture works, studies have shown that it is an effective treatment for a variety of conditions. One partial explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release endorphins and inflammatory mediators in the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals either change the experience of pain or trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal healing and regulating system.

Medical Acupuncture
Medical Acupuncture is acupuncture performed by a physician (M.D. or D.O.) trained and licensed in Western medicine as well as in traditional acupuncture. It may be thought of as a hybrid which blends classical Chinese medicine with Western neuro-anatomic concepts of physiology and disease .

Problems that respond to acupuncture
The World Health Organization considers acupuncture appropriate for treating a number of conditions, including:

• Digestive disorders: gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, diarrhea, hiccups, chronic duodenal ulcers
• Ear and respiratory disorders: deafness, tinnitus, earache, sinusitis, nasal inflammation or dryness, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, recurrent chest infection.
• Toothaches, pain after extraction
• Neurological and muscular disorders: headaches, migraines, facial tics, certain facial paralysis, partial weakness after a stroke, inflammation of nerve endings, neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, tendonitis, lower back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis
• Eye problems: poor eyesight (in children), inflammation of the conjunctiva, inflammation of the central retina, uncomplicated cataracts
• Reproductive, menstrual and urinary problems, including impotence and infertility, PMS and menopause-related problems

Acupuncture can be valuable in treating:

• Addiction
• Chronic fatigue
• Stress
• Strains and sprains

Typical treatment
What to Expect
During your first visit, you will spend time discussing your history and symptoms with your practitioner. Chinese medicine emphasizes a holistic approach to health, so your practitioner may want to discuss physical, mental and emotional areas of concern. During this visit, you will also receive your first acupuncture treatment. Your practitioner will insert thin sterile needles at specific points. Most people feel minimal pain or discomfort as the needles are inserted. When the needle reaches the correct stimulus point, you should feel some cramping, heaviness or tingling. This discomfort is mild and should subside within a minute or so.

How Should I Prepare For a Treatment?
A lengthy medical history questionnaire will be mailed to you prior to your appointment. Please complete this questionnaire providing any/all information about your condition. If you have recent x-ray/MRI reports, please bring them with you to your first appointment along with a list of any medications or supplements you are taking.

Are There Any Side Effects?
For most people the only effect of treatment is a sense of well being and often a cessation of troubling symptoms as healing begins to take place. Occasionally the original symptoms worsen for a few days, or other general changes in appetite, sleep, bowel/urination pattern, or emotional state may be triggered. These effects are usually temporary and disappear within a few days.

How many treatments will be necessary?
The number of treatments varies according to the complaint and individual responsiveness to acupuncture. For complex or long-standing conditions, one or two treatments per week for several months may be recommended. For acute conditions, only one to four treatments may be needed .

For more information, see the Frequent questions and About our practice sections.