Your initial visit will include a detailed intake during which the practitioner will obtain your medical history and speak to you about your main concerns. This information will allow formulation of a diagnosis and treatment plan that will best address your particular problem. The practitioner will feel the pulses on both wrists and may look at your tongue and gently palpate your abdomen.
Treatment may consist of the insertion of very fine stainless steel sterile (single use) needles into various parts of the body. Other treatment modalities that may be used include moxabustion (burning of herbs to heat an area), cupping, electrostimulation, and massage. There are also non-insertive techniques that can be used on children and needle sensitive individuals.
Most conditions require an average of 6-12 treatments, although some will respond sooner and others may require a longer series- this depends on the severity and chronic nature of the chief complaint.
Both preventative and curative in nature, acupuncture works by regulating the body's energy as it flows along pathways called meridians. A blockage in the flow of energy may result in an imbalance that can lead to any number of medical conditions. Acupuncture works by stimulating specific points along these meridians with the shallow insertion of very fine, sterilized, single-use, and disposable needles. After a comprehensive intake, an array of points are chosen based on your individual condition to rebalance your body and restore the free flow of energy.
Japanese acupuncture derives from the same theoretical roots as Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, but uses even thinner needles and gentler techniques. Consequently, patients find the treatments gentle and relaxing, with minimal, if any, discomfort. Most patients do not notice the insertion of needles, allowing those with a fear of needles to be treated by this effective healing system.
Although most people find the idea of acupuncture needles more worrisome than the actual needles themselves, there are cases in which patients may opt for therapies that do not involve the use of needles at all. For the needle sensitive (and for children), there are non-needling techniques that are used with productive results. Magnets and moxabustion are gentle ways to stimulate acupuncture points. Moxabustion uses the herb Artemesia Vulgaris to warm specific areas of the body to improve circulation, and blood flow. Traditional meridian massage and cupping techniques are also particularly effective – as well as soothing. If you have concerns about any treatment, you can request gentle, non-needle techniques or ask for a demonstration of the modality before treatment.
Tuina is an Oriental Bodywork Therapy that has been used in China for 2,000 years. Tuina uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians as its basic therapeutic orientation. Through the application of massage and manipulation techniques Tuina seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi through the system of channels and collaterals, allowing the body the naturally heal itself.
Tuina methods include the use of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body, acupressure techniques to directly affect the flow of Qi , and manipulation techniques to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships (bone-setting). External herbal poultices, compresses, liniments, and salves are also used to enhance the other therapeutic methods.
For people who have chronic sinusitis, general fatigue or digestive problems, diet therapy is used immediately. But for others, dietary changes can be more gradual. The guiding principle is that adjustment is more important than radical change. Embracing Chinese medicine dietary practices is a process of expanding what you eat, not constricting your diet. You may give up some foods, but you should find there's a whole world of varied foods you may have never tried before. To make a shift in your diet-from out of balance to balanced-you must find the place in your heart and consciousness that makes the transition comfortable and unforced. Discovering the best way for you to improve your diet is a very personal process. You can't rush it-you must give yourself the time to learn about how your body functions and adjust to what it tells you.
Becoming healthy is not about growing up in Pennsylvania and eating like someone from Beijing. Chinese dietary philosophy suggests that you generally embrace your native foods and eat foods grown locally and in season. What is unhealthy about American foods is not the fact that they are American but that they are too often commercial inventions instead of natural foods. Stick to natural, home-grown, and chemical-free products and you'll have a bountiful supply of healthful food choices.
Trigger points are small nodules or ”knots in the skeletal musle and are a common cause of pain. They can also refer pain to other areas of the body. These knots can be released with acupuncture needling or with massage techniques to release the muscle. The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the muscles into pain-free habits. After several treatments, the swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain is reduced, range of motion is increased, tension is relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.