Acupuncture FAQ
Understanding How It Works
Almost everyone has heard of Chinese acupuncture—but do you understand how it works? If you’ve ever wanted to know, we’re here to answer your questions.
There are many myths and misconceptions about acupuncture, especially surrounding what it actually is and how it can help you. Acupuncture is a simple, safe and effective healthcare technique that helps promote the body’s ability to heal itself. Below, you can read more of the most common questions people have about acupuncture.
Simple problems would include allergies, colds, stress, and recent injuries.
More complex issues will often require more time and sometimes require the addition of herb therapy. Chinese herbs used at Oaktree are natural, holistic plant-based remedies that can aid in healing internal issues.
Do the acupuncture needles hurt?
The practitioner will insert the needle to the appropriate depth. You will then usually feel a very unique sensation that can vary from tingling, to heaviness, to warmth, or even nothing at all. Each person’s experience is different. Should you experience any discomfort, inform your practitioner, and they will adjust the needles accordingly. All needles are sterilized and disposable.
Does acupuncture just relieve pain, or will it treat the problem at the source?
The needles are just simple, sterile, unaltered filiform needles. They don’t use any pain-numbing agents, but rather reduce pain by promoting movement of blood and bodily fluids, relaxing tissues and the nervous system in general.
Why did you feel my pulse during my exam? What does that tell you?
What is community acupuncture?
The points used in Distal Needling Acupuncture are located on the scalp and ears, on the arms from the elbows to the fingers, and on the legs from the knees to the toes. As a result, patients can recline on their backs, and won’t need to remove any clothing.
During a treatment, you can relax in a comfy leather recliner, cozy up with a blanket and drift away to soothing tunes on a personal iPod for a half hour or so. Not only are these acupuncture treatments efficient, comfortable and extremely effective, but community-style clinics create access to acupuncture by removing the barrier of cost from healing. By making acupuncture as accessible as possible, people can receive the amount of care they truly need on an ideal timeline.
How long will it take to see results? Will I need Chinese acupuncture forever?
Acupuncture is also a great preventative health measure. Remember, increased blood flow means your body is better able to heal itself, and will increase your immune system response, helping you better fight off and prevent disease.
Will you use the same acupuncture points during each session?
Ultimately, Chinese acupuncture point combinations are chosen to give each person the best chance to see the greatest amount of change in their pain or illness.
Why did you put that needle there?
Chinese acupuncture is to your body what a tune-up is to your car or bike. A series of acupuncture treatments is like a block of maintenance. By keeping our bodies well-maintained, we can reduce the chances of breaking down.
Acupuncturists determine which parts of our systems need to be adjusted by following the signals our bodies offer. This is why we may feel the pulses at your wrists or neck or take a peek at your tongue before picking acupuncture points to target—to get a sense of where our attention is best directed at that time.
Taking this transit analogy further down the road—think of an area of pain or illness as a traffic jam along a main highway. There’s simply too much congestion in one place, causing rising temperatures, tempers and bad air. Choosing acupuncture points at strategic points outside of the problem area—for example, in the hands or feet when treating a headache—is an attempt to open up exits and secondary roads around it. This allows for the traffic—various signals, blood, and bodily fluids—a chance to get moving again.
How do you remember where I am in my treatment plan?
In a previous question, we used an analogy of traffic on a highway. Here, we’ll refer to it again: as the traffic congestion (i.e. inflammation/pain) starts to ease and budge, the traffic (i.e. blood/bodily fluids) begins to move. It’s slow at first (i.e. tingling or pain), but eventually gets moving smoothly down the highway as it should (i.e. return to normal functioning and/or pain relief).
I could still feel the needle hours after my treatment. Is that normal?
This is nothing to be worried about, but you may feel free to mention how you felt to your acupuncturist the next time you are in for a visit.
I felt a twitching sensation near my treatment area. Is that normal?
In our experience, patients commonly feel things like a twitching sensation, a sense of lightness, heat or coolness, heaviness, or aching at the target area. As long as these don’t keep you from relaxing or dozing off during your treatment, then it’s not something to be concerned about. These sensations are all clues that things are moving along properly. And that’s really what an acupuncture treatment is all about.
I got a bruise from the needle. Is that normal?
If you notice a small bruise beginning to form when an acupuncture needle is removed, use your finger tips to apply pressure for a few moments. Later on, you can use an icepack on the area to prevent further discolouration. It may be colourful, but a slight bruise is nothing to be concerned about. Feel free, however, to mention how you felt to your acupuncturist the next time you come in for treatment.
That really zinged. Did you hit something?
If, on the other hand, the sensation around the point feels hot, burning, or sharp, this is generally a sign that the needle is not sitting well—let us know and we’ll fix it up right away.
Keep in mind, no sensation should keep you from resting very comfortably through your treatment. Don’t ever sit in pain while being treated. If something is keeping you from closing your eyes and relaxing for a while, let us know.
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