Acupuncture therapy usually involves a series of weekly or biweekly treatments. Each visit typically includes an exam, an assessment of your current condition, and the application of needles. The first visit will typically last up to 90 minutes, and the follow up visits generally last up to 60 minutes.

Before the needles are placed, the patient will lie down on a comfortable surface. Depending on where the needles are to go, the patient will lie face down, face up or on their side. Single-use sterile packaged needles will be used. You may feel a brief, sharp sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally the procedure is not painful.

It is common, however, to feel a deep aching sensation when the needle reaches the correct depth. After placement, the needles are sometimes moved gently or stimulated with electricity or heat. As many as a dozen needles may need to be placed for each treatment. Once the needles are placed, they are usually left in place for at least 30 minutes.

The positive effects of acupuncture begin right away at your first visit, but can be temporary at first and any initial improvements may disappear hours or days. As we progress through a course of acupuncture therapy, the level of symptom relief and the time period of increased wellness following each treatment will become more pronounced, until your body holds the changes on its own. It is important to be consistent with frequent visits at the beginning of care in order to build momentum and hold on to the progress we make from visit to visit.

We ask our patients to make a commitment to their acupuncture treatment and to have realistic expectations of this system of medicine. While some patients obtain quick relief from only a few visits, most patients require 2-6 weeks of 2 visits per week to make significant changes, followed by weekly visits for another 4-8 weeks to consolidate gains made and prevent relapse. While acute conditions may resolve within just a few visits, chronic conditions that have persisted for many years may take many treatments over a long period of time to completely resolve.

When done by a licensed acupuncturist, acupuncture is generally considered safe. Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications can resulte from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of treatments. Acupuncture may not be safe if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood thinners.

The meridian network is like a road map superimposed over the body with highways, secondary roads, on and off ramps, et cetera, running throughout the body. One could also think of it in terms of an energetic irrigation system carrying “Qi” (pronounced “chee”, meaning “vital energy”) to nourish all areas of the body. The smooth flow of Qi is essential for good health and for healing. When the flow of Qi becomes obstructed, like a knot in the garden hose, symptoms can occur. Restoring the flow of Qi through the meridians using acupuncture helps bring the body back into balance and facilitates the natural healing process.

Scientific research is attempting to understand the mechanism of acupuncture. At this point, researchers are able to measure activity in specific various body systems when an acupuncture needle is inserted: 1) increase in peripheral blood flow, 2) increase in the neural pain threshold, 3) release of neurochemicals similar to endorphins, 4) increase in T cells and other immune constituents, 5) increase activity at nerve “gates”. Thermal PET scans also show activity in the regions of the brain responsible for “pain” messages. However, the logic of the meridian network continues to elude scientific observation.

Musculoskeletal Disorders:
Arthritis
Bursitis
Fibromyalgia and fasciitis
Muscle spasms/ sprain
Pain at: neck, shoulder, back, elbow, hand/wrist, hip, knee, foot/ankle, etc.
Tendonitis

Neuropsychological Disorders:
Anxiety
Bell's Palsy / facial spasm
Depress
Insomnia
Paralysis / stroke rehabilitation
Peripheral neuritis
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Sciatica
Trigeminal neuralgia

Gastrointestinal Disorders:
Acid reflux / heartburn
Anorexia
Biliary colic
Bloating
Chemotherapy/radiation side effects
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation
Cholelithiasis
Chronic duodenal ulcer
Colitis
Constipation
Diarrhea/dysentery, acute bacillary
Gastritis
Gastroptosis
Gastrospasm
Hiccups
Indigestion/digestion weakness
Irritable bowel syndrome
Nausea & vomiting
Peptic ulcer
Rectal Inflammation
Sialism, drug-induced
Spastic colon
Stomachache
Ulcerative colitis, chronic

Genito-Urinary Disorders:
Bed Wetting (Children)
Chronic Bladder Infection
Ejaculation Dysfunction
Impotence
Incontinence
Kidney and Urinary Tract Stone
Low Sperm Count
Male Sexual Dysfunction, non-organic
Neurological Bladder Dysfunction
Nocturnal Emissions
Prostate Disorders
Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection
Renal Colic
Retention of Urine, traumatic

Pregnancy and Gynecology Disorders:
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Female infertility
Female Urethral Syndrome
Habitual miscarriage
Heavy menstruation
Irregular menstruation
Labour pain
Lactation, deficiency
Malposition of fetus
Menopause syndromes
Menstrual cramps
Morning sickness
Premenstrual syndrome

Cardiovascular Disorders:
Arrhythmia
Cardiac neurosis
Hyperlipaemia
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Pain in Thromboangiitis Obliterans
Palpitation
Raynaud's Syndrome
Restlessness Leg Syndrome

Respiratory Disorders:
Allergy
Bronchial asthma
Bronchitis
Cough

Dermatological Disorders:
Acne vulgaris
Hives
Neurodermatitis
Pruritus
Shingles/Herpes Zoster

Head, Eye, Ears, Nose, and Throat Disorders:
Allergic rhinitis
Conjunctivitis
Dental pain
Dizziness/vertigo
Ear ringing
Earaches
Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)
Excessive tear
Eye dryness
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Ménière Disease
Migraine
Poor hearing
Sinusitis
Sore throat
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

Other:
Cancer pain
Chronic fatigue
Pain due to endoscopic examination
Poor memory
Post-operative pain
Quit smoking
Weight control