Q: What to expect following an acupuncture treatment...
A: Immediate total or partial relief from pain or other symptoms may be experienced following an acupuncture treatment. This relief may last or some of the pain may return. In some cases, pain may seem worse. By the next day or so, pain can be expected to gradually improve. In a few cases, there may be no immediate relief only to see the pain diminish over the next few days.
Some patients report slight soreness, light-headedness or even euphoria after treatments. Most people, however, report a sense of pleasant relaxation.
It is advisable to rest after a treatment in order to allow stabilization of the system. It is best not to eat a heavy meal, engage in strenuous physical activity, engage in sexual activity or become emotionally upset after acupuncture treatments.
Q: How deep do the needles go?
A: The anatomy of selected points, patient size age and constitution all play a role in determining depth of needle insertion. In general, needles may be inserted from 1/4" to 1" in depth.
Q: Does acupuncture hurt?
A: Acupuncture needles are very different from hypodermic needles used for injections. They are very fine and flexible and are usually barely felt when inserted. There are certain sensations associated with the therapeutic effects of acupuncture. These may include slight cramping, heaviness, distention, tingling or electric sensation traveling along a meridian. If any discomfort is experienced, it is usually mild.
Q: Are the needles clean?
A: In North America, the majority of acupuncturists use pre-sterilized, individually packaged, disposable acupuncture needles to assure absolute control over cross-infection.
Q: Do acupuncturists use only needles?
A: Acupuncturists may employ several techniques instead of or in addition to using needles. These include moxibustion, which is the burning of the herb Artemisia Vulgaris Sinensis over selected points, cupping, electric stimulation, or point stimulation (often used with young children).
Q: How many treatments are necessary?
A: The nature, severity and history of each individual's complaint, as well as the individual himself or herself, determine the number of treatments necessary. From five to fifteen treatments are generally adequate for the majority of chronic complaints. Many acute conditions may only require a single treatment and some degenerative conditions may require scores of treatments. The primary focus of Chinese medicine is on correcting the underlying cause of illness and thus produce a lasting cure. Symptoms can often be relieved in a relatively small number of treatments; however, the curing of illness itself is a much longer process.
Q: What problems can be treated by acupuncture?
A: The World Health Organization has publicly announced that acupuncture is suitable for treating the following:
- Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders: toothaches, pain after tooth extraction, gingivitis, acute or chronic otitis, acute sinusitis, acute rhinitis, nasal catarrh and acute tonsillitis.
- Respiratory Disorders: asthma, bronchitis, colds and allergies.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders: esophageal and cardio spasm, hiccup, gastroptosis, acute or chronic gastritis, sour stomach, chronic duodenal ulcers, acute or chronic colonitis, acute bacillary dysentery, constipation, diarrhea, and paralytic ileus.
- Eye Disorders: Acute conjunctivitis, central retinitis, near-sightedness (in children) and cataracts without complaints.
- Neurological and Muscular Disorders: headaches, migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, facial paralysis (within the first three to six months), post-stroke paresis, peripheral neuritis, neurological bladder dysfunction, bed wetting, intercostal neuralgia, cervical syndrome, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, sciatica, low back pain and osteoarthritis.
In addition, acupuncture has been used for centuries in China to treat a host of other problems, such as joint pain, sprains, and strains, stress, skin problems, infertility, sexual dysfunction, PMS and most gynecological complaints.
