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Does it Hurt?
Acupuncture uses very tiny needles, much smaller than anything you might encounter at the doctor's office. You may experience a tiny prick or often nothing at all as the needle is inserted. At its worst, it hurts less than a hair being pulled. The degree of sensation is based more on the amount of stimulation of the needle after it is in. We vary this according to patient preferrence similar to the way a massage therapist would.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture refers to the insertion of tiny needles to either stimulate or fatigue a particular acupuncture point on a meridian (or energy pathway). Sometimes the needles are barely placed into the skin, other times they are placed deeper and manipulated by twirling depending on the location and desired effect. As with most American practitioners, we use only sterile disposable needles. |
How Does Acupuncture Work?
According to Chinese Medical theory, there are 12 main meridians or energy pathways that run through the body, along with 8 extra meridians that run very deep into the body and a network of smaller energy pathways (called collateral and divergent meridians) which connect the whole body so that there is no space which is not affected by a meridian.
Acupuncture needles are placed in acupuncture points (which are the same as acupressure points). Acupuncture points are places along the meridians in which the energy pools. Most of them lie in natural depressions in the body and are usually located between muscle bundles and bones. Western research has found that there is a lower electrical resistance on the surface of the skin at acupuncture points. |
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Western Science has come up with a few theories about how acupuncture works, none of which are satisfactory, yet finds again and again that it does indeed work.
What Should I Expect During and After Treatment?
The patient usually feels a little prick or nothing at all upon insertion of the needle. It is the degree of manipulation of the needle that can create discomfort. Manipulation is employed in order that the patient might feel "da qi." That is, to feel the qi or energy being moved through the meridian. This may be experienced as a tingling sensation, a warmth, or even an electric jolt. Some patients prefer this extra manipulation similar to the way that some massage clients prefer deep tissue massage, while other patients prefer less stimulation.
It is normal for patients to feel relaxed after a treatment. In fact, the "acupuncture high" is often viewed as a very nice side effect from treatment. |
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What About Sensitive Patients?
We are extremely adept at tailoring our treatments, particularly needle sizes and degree of manipulation, to work with a wide variety of patients. We have experience needling very ill patients who have very low tolerances to pain. We can treat those desiring to feel the "da qi" and those not able to tolerate any sensation. We use dark green and red Seirin® needles (which are the thinnest manufactured) on sensitive and needle-phobic patients. We routinely use 38-36 gauge needles for treatments, and sometimes 34-32 gauge. |
Who Can Practice Acupuncture?
There is a National licensing board for acupuncture called the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). This board oversees the practice of acupuncture in those states in which acupuncture is legal but which does not have a state board for acupuncture. The state of California has its own board called the California Acupuncture Board (CAB).
Both the NCCAOM and the CAB have websites that can be accessed in order to verify the license numbers of acupuncturists. In the state of California acupuncturists must first complete between 4-5 (and sometimes more) years of schooling at a Board accredited school which includes theory, diagnosis, acupuncture, herbology, Qi Gong, nutrition, classical Chinese texts, Western sciences, and other topics as well as one year of more as a clinic intern treating patients. The degree earned is a Master of Traditional Oriental Medicine (MTOM). A rigorous state board exam must also be passed in order to be licensed.
In the state of California it is legal for Allopathic doctors and Osteopaths to practice acupuncture. They are required only to take a few weeks training. Due to the complexity of Chinese Medicine, if you choose to go to a Western doctor for acupuncture it is advisable to find one who has elected to undergo more extensive training (at least 2 years of needling and theory). Chiropractors must undergo the full 4-5 year acupuncture training in order to be able to needle patients. |
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