Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Medicine technique that relies upon utilizing various acupuncture points on meridians across the body to move Qi, which is the vital life energy that exists within each living being.

 

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory, disease processes arise when the Qi is imbalanced or when it becomes stagnant and no longer properly flows throughout the body. Acupuncture points can be selected according to a patient’s needs to rebalance and restore the body’s Qi.

 

The act of needling an acupuncture point induces a minor inflammatory response at the area, leading to the body releasing beta endorphins for pain relief and increasing blood flow to the area to promote healing.

It can be used for a variety of different conditions. Although acupuncture is perhaps best known for its use in treating orthopedic conditions such as arthritis, it can also be used for musculoskeletal injuries, various neurological conditions, various gastrointestinal symptoms, to stimulate appetite, and even to stimulate a patient to consciousness in emergency situations.

 

There are also many forms of acupuncture. The acupuncture modalities used in our practice are dry needle acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and aquapuncture. The method selected will depend on the patient’s needs and tolerance of treatment.

 

Prior to the initial consultation, we will provide you with an Acupuncture History Form. This will be utilized during the consultation. The first consultation appointment will be scheduled for 1 hour. A thorough physical exam and a Traditional Chinese Medicine exam will be performed. Based on the history information and exam findings, a Chinese Medicine diagnosis will be made, and an acupuncture treatment plan can be formed. The first acupuncture treatment can also be completed during the initial consultation appointment.

 

Following appointments will consist of a brief recheck followed by acupuncture treatment, and these appointments will be scheduled for 30 minutes.

 

It is important to note that acupuncture treatment results are cumulative. Thus, the first several treatments will likely be recommended to be performed every 1-2 weeks before we are able to increase time between appointments and spread treatments to once monthly or even once every 2-3 months.

 

The recommended acupuncture treatment schedule will depend upon each individual patient’s needs and response to treatment.