What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most common and dependable medical therapies used in the world. Acupuncture is the insertion of hair thin, sterile disposables needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (called acupuncture points) for therapeutic purposes. Acupuncture encourages the body to heal itself naturally by stimulating the various physiological systems of the body, including the circulatory and the nervous systems.
Since being introduced to the West over thirty years ago acupuncture has proven to be not only exceptionally safe when performed by a licensed acupuncturist, but statistically effective in an increasing body of scientific research studies.
What is Herbal Medicine?
In our Herbal pharmacy every formula is carefully selected and safely made into a custom herbal formula. Most of our herbs are prescribed to patients in powdered form and made as a tea by mixing in hot water. We also carry herbal pills for those patients who prefer not to drink the herbal tea providing an easier way for patients to benefit from the herbal medicine.
Similar to acupuncture, Chinese Herbal medicine gets to the root of the problem to correct the imbalance causing the symptoms. Each formula is designed to treat the personal health patterns of each patient so that complete and optimum health can be achieved. This is a safe and natural alternative to western drugs that tend to cause undesired side effects.
All of our powdered herbs come from a state of the art facility in Taiwan that meets and exceeds the current GMP (good manufacturing standards) standards. Every herb goes through several tests to ensure purity from over 200 potentially harmful substances including pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
Why would I want to have an acupuncture treatment?
Here is a list of several answers to a question that may have hundreds of answers:
To help you relax
To help you feel more energized
To help you avoid illness/injury
To help alleviate physical pain
To help you think more clearly
To help you stop thinking (especially around bedtime)
To help with digestive issues including GERD and IBS
To use alongside many conventional therapies/ medications for the purpose of augmenting their efficacy
To add legitimate choice for your health care assistance
In 1979, the World Health Organization published a short list of conditions seen as appropriate for treatment with acupuncture. This is in no way a complete list of conditions appropriate for treatment, but just a list of common examples.
The list includes:
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Abdominal pain
Addiction control
Anxiety
Arthritis
Asthma
Athletic performance
Back/neck pain
Blood pressure regulation
Bronchitis
Chronic fatigue
Common cold
Constipation
Depression
Diarrhea
Gingivitis
Headaches
Hyperacidity
IBS
Immune system toning |
Infertility
Insomnia
Menopausal symptoms
Migraines
Muscle cramping/pain
Nervousness
Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
Neurosis
Numbness
Parkinson's disease
Poor vision
Postoperative pain
Premenstrual syndrome
Sciatica
Sinusitis
Stress reduction
Stroke
Tinnitis
Tonsillitis
Toothache |
How much does Acupuncture hurt?
Usually, not much at all. It can sometimes feel like a small pinch or a dull tingle that goes away before you even noticed it. Most people become deeply relaxed and fall asleep once all the needles are in.
What's the difference between a visit to a typical acupuncture practice and a community acupuncture practice?
Most acupuncture treatments in the United States take place on a table in a room by oneself. This is not traditional in Asia, where acupuncture usually occurs in a community setting. We all know the value of 'power in numbers'. Would you prefer to eat in an empty restaurant, or one that is full of people and bustling?
How about an empty movie theater? Us neither! A healthy group setting creates a dynamic that can be used for all of our benefit in an acupuncture clinic. Receiving treatment in a community setting has other tangible benefits, as well: it's easier for friends and family members to come in for treatment together and many patients find it a relief to not be isolated during their treatment.
In addition, the community setting allows patients to decide how long their treatment will take, as the 'right' amount of time varies from person to person, visit to visit. This can take anywhere from twenty minutes to a couple of hours. You can stay as long as you feel comfortable doing so, or until we close for the day! When you are feeling as though you are ready to end your visit, or need to get our attention, just give us a wink, nod or smile, and we will remove your needles or be available otherwise.
Lastly, our clinic employs a sliding scale fee schedule to help make acupuncture available to the whole community.
