How Does Acupuncture Work?

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Welcome to the Muscle Therapy and Acupuncture Center. The following information is intended to help you better understand the ancient healing arts of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, so that you can relax and get the most from your treatments. We want you to feel comfortable during your treatment and encourage your questions. Traditional Oriental Medicine is hardly new. For over 3,000 years it has been used to help people heal from a wide variety of illnesses or "diseases". Your treatment may involve one or more of the following aspects of Oriental Medicine: Acupuncture: The insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. These needles are so small that they will actually fit inside a regular hypodermic needle! These needles are pre-sterilized and used only once. Electro-Acupuncture: The application of minute pulses of energy to the needles after they have been inserted. This feels like a ticking or tapping on the needle. Nutritional Counseling: Many illnesses are aggravated or helped by certain foods or beverages. We may encourage you to decrease or increase your intake of specific foods. Vitamin and Mineral Therapy: If there is a nutrient that can help your specific condition, we may recommend it. The vitamins and minerals we have are of the highest quality, which means they are very effective. We may also recommend a supplement that we do not carry, but maybe available in most health food stores. Lifestyle Counseling: Our job is to help you regain and maintain good health. We will make every effort to share with you what activities will help or hinder your progress. COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED: How long are the treatments? Plan to be in the office for about an hour and a half for the first treatment. You will need to fill out forms and we will take time to go through your health history in detail. Subsequent treatments may last 45-60 minutes. If you are pressed for time, please tell me or the receptionist when you arrive. We like to give you plenty of time to relax, but we can adjust the length of the session if necessary. What happens during the treatment, and what does it feel like? After the acupuncturist assesses your condition, she/he will insert a number of very fine needles into the skin. Insertion of the needle often feels like a mosquito bite or less! The acupuncturist then turns down the lights and puts on soft music so you can relax while she/he is out of the room. The needles are usually left in for 20-30 minutes, and the acupuncturist will check on you once during this time. What do the needles do? The needles cause the body to release it's own natural pain relievers and mood elevators, such as beta-endorphins and serotonin. This will help to relieve pain and relax you. Some people get so relaxed they actually fall asleep during the treatment! The needles also increase the circulation (nerve and blood supply) to the area, which helps the area to heal. Other chemicals (such as ACTH) are released that help decrease inflammation, which helps in painful conditions such as arthritis. Lastly, the immune system of the body is boosted by acupuncture. The body has an incredible ability to heal itself, and the acupuncture just helps it along. Could I bruise from the treatment? As with any needle procedure, bruising is a possibility. If you normallv bruise easily your chances of bruising during a treatment are greater. If you have been using aspirin or other blood thinners the possibility is also greater. Will a treatment ever make me feel worse? A very small percentage of patients (less than 5%) may notice an exacerbation (temporary flare up) of their condition after the first or second treatment. This is rare and is usually a good sign. After the exacerbation subsides the symptoms are much better and in some cases, gone! How many treatments will it take? This is our most frequently asked, and most difficult-to-answer question. How soon the condition will improve depends on a number of factors: how long you have had the condition, your age, the strength of your immune system, which condition you have, how often you act treatments, what your diet and exercise programs are like, etc. Some problems take 3 treatments, some 30. Most people notice a difference within 4-6 treatments. They may need many more treatments than this, but there is a definite change in the condition within 4-6 treatments. It is not uncommon to notice an improvement after one treatment but don't worry if you don't. As you have more treatments the change will be stronger and last longer. Be patient - you didn't get in the shape you are in overnight and it won't change overnight either. Will insurance cover acupuncture? In many cases insurance will not cover acupuncture. However, your receipt contains all the information your insurance company should need to process your claim. Attach the receipt to your insurance form and send to your agent/company.