FAQs about Acupuncture
How will I feel during the acupuncture session? And Afterwards?
Many people report feeling deeply relaxed and grounded and tranquil both during and after acupuncture treatments. And often, aches and pains that had been present do start to dissolve during the process. People also tell me often that it is their one chance in their week to escape the pressures of daily life for a while and feel complexly ‘Zen’.
Does acupuncture hurt?
Acupuncture is surprisingly very gentle and usually completely free from discomfort.
People often say to me in surprise after their first needle has been inserted- “That’s it? I didn’t even feel it!”.
We use the thinnest, highest quality needles for the most comfortable therapeutic experience.
Where will the acupuncture needles be inserted?
It really depends. It depends on the condition being treated and the style of acupuncture being administered and the patient’s sensitivity level. If someone is very sensitive to needles, for example, we do our best to choose effective points that are also comfortable. I also use the pulse and tongue to help guide my acupuncture point selection.
What is happening within the body and mind while the needles are in the body?
Your body and mind and all of its systems and processes – the nervous system, the endocrine system, etc- are ‘talking’ to the needles and it is your own innate resources of healing within the body that are effecting the change in the system. The needles are just there to help guide the process. They help instruct your system to return to its optimal, balanced state (which modern medicine refers to as ‘homeostasis’).
Can I get the same effects from therapeutic massage that I get from acupuncture and/or medicinal herbal formulas?
Herbal medicine works in a quite different way from acupuncture and massage, but massage and acupuncture are not so different in some ways. It depends on the particular condition being treated. Both acupuncture and massage can make positive, re-balancing changes to the entire mind-body-spirit system. Acupuncture is thought to be a bit more laser-focused in its approach to specifics in re-balancing the system, whereas massage often is thought to take a more all-encompassing approach.