Perhaps the reason that health seems to escape us rather than being our normal experience could be that we do not understand what health is and where it comes from. Most people think that health is having no symptoms. This is truly not the case. In face, the first symptom of heart disease for 40% of those who suffer from it is a severe fatal heart attack!
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:
- What do Acupuncturists do?
- Does Acupuncture Hurt?
- What is Qi?
- What is the Goal of Acupuncture?
- Are the Needles Disposable?
- How Often Does One Need to be Treated?
- How Long Do Results Last?
- Do Emotions Play a Part in My Health?
- Will Insurance Pay?
- How Much Does it Cost?
What Do Acupuncturists do?
Acupuncturists have as their major therapeutic method the restoration of normal bodily function. They do this by removing interference to the master controller of every body function, the organ system. Chinese Medicine works with the functional disorders by attempting to increase function to the organ or tissues involved. They do this by removing the principle cause of functional loss, interference to the flow of Qi.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
One must think of the size of the needle used in acupuncture. The needles are hair-thin and the patient may feel a slight sensation at insertion or nothing at all. Characteristic sensation around the point might be some heaviness, distention, electric sensation, or tingling. After the needles are inserted, a pleasant sensation of relaxation may be experienced and some individuals even fall asleep during treatment.
What is Qi?
Qi is energy or vital force. If qi is stagnant, it congests the invisible channels meridians in the body and affects the normal transmission of body impulses. The function and healing process of the body are sometimes affected. If a condition is allowed to go untreated, dysfunction and/or pain may result. The longer a condition goes untreated, the less chance there is for recovery.
What is the Goal of Acupuncture?
The purpose of acupuncture and oriental medicine is to restore the body back to a state of harmony and balance. Acupuncturists focus on how the blood and qi circulate in health and disease and how the energetic system can be thrown off balance by poor nutrition, pollution, trauma, illness and stress. Levels of stress need to be examined before it takes its toll and diminishes one's health or well-being.
Are the Needles Disposable?
All the needles are sterile and used one time only.
How Often Does One Need to be Treated?
The number of treatments depends on several factors which include the acute or chronic nature of the ailment, the constitution of the client, the age, diet, use of prescriptions, exercise, etc.. The acupuncturist must determine the odds that an individual's problem may respond to acupuncture. Generally, 3-4 treatments will reveal whether acupuncture can be helpful or not and yet, the longer a person has had a problem, the longer it will take to treat. An acute problem resolves much more quickly than a chronic one.
How Long do Results Last?
This varies with each individual. Acupuncture treatments are cumulative. Think of it as uploading some new software into the system. The body must be trained to be in a healthier, more balanced state. Progress will be tracked to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for the individual. Increased improvements will allow more time in between treatments until corrective permanence is achieved.Specific lifestyle habits will allow the individual to maintain results
Do Emotions Play a Part in my Health?
Emotional imbalances are seen as possible causes for physical symptoms as well as symptoms in their own right resulting from energetic imbalances. Anything in the inner emotional landscape could be significant in eastern diagnosis and cure. Conventional medicine has tended to ignore the spiritual dimensions of sickness and health. The top grossing prescription medications in 2003 were antidepressants. Medications can have a tendency to diminish our emotional and physical pain or kill off bad germs in the body, but they leave the root causes of one's illness unaddressed. One may soon lose the capacity to feel.
Will Insurance Pay?
We do not deal directly with your insurance company. A superbill can be given to you to submit for reimbursement should your insurance carrier cover acupuncture. Most plans at this time do not.
How Much Does it Cost?
The initial visit is approximately 1.5-2 hours long and includes consultation plus treatment. This visit is $100. Subsequent visits are $75 for one hour. Herbs are a separate cost if required.
If you are not feeling at your best mentally, emotionally or physically and you want to discover a more natural way to heal yourself, then consider acupuncture. You may be pleasantly surprised at what your body can do if given the right stimulus to move towards balance. We will want to work together to avoid the "Sisyphus Reaction". It is a reaction based on the Greek mythological figure who pushed a rock up a hill only to have it slide down again. Remember vitality is a result of a dynamic, proactive lifestyle. Life is greatly improved when you have optimal health!
