Health Consult & Acupuncture Treatment
Your first acupuncture visit will take a little extra time as we will spend time together reviewing your health history and discussing your personal health goals. This will assist in formulating your customized treatment plan. Please fill out the Intake Form, which will assist in a more comprehensive analysis.
- A consultation may take between one and two hours, depending on the individual’s health concerns.
- This initial visit will include your first acupuncture treatment.
What Is Acupuncture?
According to the National Institute of Health, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of techniques. The acupuncture technique that has been most often studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. Practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years, acupuncture is one of the key components of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It focuses on the electrical energy in the nervous system and organs with the use of fine, hair-like needles that help to reprogram the body to a healthier state.
Conditions Treated
Acupuncture can effectively treat a wide variety of health concerns. This is often used in an integrative approach, alongside conventional medical treatments. Below is a list of conditions commonly treated with acupuncture.
- Pain conditions: Musculoskeletal pain (back, neck, knee, shoulder, etc.) arthritis, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, migraines, headaches
- Digestive/metabolic conditions: acid reflux, IBS, constipation/diarrhea, ulcers
- Men’s Health: prostate problems, sexual dysfunction, incontinence
- Women’s Health: PMS, painful periods, menstrual irregularities, UTI, menopausal symptoms, incontinence
- Neurological conditions: Bell’s Palsy, neuropathy & numbness, stroke, vertigo
- Emotional/Psychological conditions: depression, attention disorders, stress, anxiety, sleep disorders
- Dermatological conditions: eczema, psoriasis, acne, shingles, and hives
- Respiratory and allergies: asthma, allergic rhinitis, recovery from the common cold, sinus headaches, sore throat
- Eye and Ear conditions: earache, tinnitus, dizziness, and poor eyesight
- Addiction: smoking cessation, Alcohol dependence, prescription and other drugs
- Other conditions: cancer pain, adverse reactions to radiation and/or chemotherapy, hypertension
How Acupuncture Works
Acupuncture focuses on the electrical energy in the nervous system and organs. Thin, hair-like needles are used at specific acupuncture points to help reprogram the body to a healthier state. This can begin the process of restoring harmony and rebalancing Qi flow in the body. There is ample research indicating that acupuncture stimulates the release of neurochemicals. The most common neurochemicals researched in acupuncture pain relief are endorphins and midbrain monoamines such as serotonin and norepinephrine. These all help in blocking pain signals. Furthermore, the local stimulation of needles at the site of pain causes a cascade of cytokines & interleukins, which regulate inflammatory cells.
Body Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, as described above.
Auricular/Ear Acupuncture & Ear seeds
This is often combined with body acupuncture and can have many additional benefits in pain relief, insomnia, smoking cessation, and other substance use disorders. This treatment modality can be used as the primary treatment or added to other therapies.
Scalp Acupuncture
Also known as neuroacupuncture, combines knowledge of traditional acupuncture and neurology. This is done by inserting acupuncture needles into the loose areolar tissue of the scalp to stimulate the corresponding area of the brain. The skull protects the brain, so it is a very safe way to stimulate neurons of the brain. Scalp acupuncture is most commonly used for post-stroke and other neurological problems. It can be used as a primary treatment or added to other therapies.
Electrical Stimulation Acupuncture
This is an additional component to acupuncture treatment in which a mild, electric current passes between needles with the use of small electrodes. This provides a gentle vibration that stimulates the acupuncture points and allows for a larger area of stimulation. Also known as “e-stim”, it is a technique often shown to benefit cases of chronic pain, stubborn neurological conditions, and paralysis.
