Frequently asked questions about acupuncture.
Q. How can I improve acupuncture treatment results?
A. It is vital to follow these guidelines:
- Come to your appointments. If you absolutely need to reschedule an appointment, we require 24 hours notice.
- In order to get full treatment, you must be on time.
- You must stay current on payments.
- Do not ingest alcohol or smoke 3 hours prior to scheduled treatment.
- Eat something in the three hours before receiving Acupuncture.
- If healing reactions occur while under Acupuncture care or while taking Chinese Herbal Medicine, we highly recommend calling and informing the office of specific body reactions.
Q. What is acupuncture?
A. According to the Chinese, acupuncture is just one way of controlling and redirecting Qi (pronounced “chee”), the vital energy that fills the Universe and animates all living creatures. Qi fills the channels or “meridians” that run throughout our bodies much like the nervous or circulatory system. Sometimes the Qi can get stuck along one or more of these channels. By placing acupuncture needles at specific points along these meridians, the Qi can be moved, decreased or increased, depending upon what is needed.
Q. What is the purpose of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine?
A. To return flow of energy and blood back to normal and to reinstate optimal organ function. This will, in turn, encourage restored function to the affected area and the body will begin to heal itself. If detected early, organ malfunction and blood and/or energy stagnation may respond well to Oriental Medicine with an excellent chance for a complete and painless recovery.
Q. How safe/painful is acupuncture?
A. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are safe medical procedures with few side effects when administered by a licensed* practitioner. We use extremely thin, sterile, disposable steel needles to provide zero risk of infections or disease transmittal.
Due to the frequency of blood work, vaccinations and other injections, many people have become afraid of needles and assume acupuncture needles hurt as well. Acupuncture needles are small, hair-thin and flexible with a rounded tip vs. the larger, hollow needles used in conventional medicine.
* In Rhode Island, licensed practitioners receive the title D.Ac (Doctor of Acupuncture), are required to have 2,500 hours of training, and must pass the rigorous three-day NCCAOM national exam in acupuncture and oriental medicine
Q. What is a treatment like?
A. In a typical treatment, thin acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points along certain channels to product an effect. This effect may be immediate, such as the reduction of headache, joint pain or muscle tension, or it may be more subtle after a series of treatments such as gradual healing of a chronic illness.
The sensations one may experience during the course of treatment range from mild tingling at the point of insertion, heaviness, full-body relaxation, mild euphoria, and warming or cooling sensations. Patients become accustomed to these feelings quickly and often enjoy them after the first treatment.
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