Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect during an acupuncture session?
Acupuncturists generally ask about medical history and symptoms. They might palpate your abdomen, the area of pain, or along lower legs and hands searching for tender points. In addition, they will take your pulse and look at your tongue.
You will then be asked to lay down or sit on a treatment table. Based on the initial consultation, the acupuncturist selects the appropriate protocol and will put the needles into various points on your body.
Typically, you will rest for 30 minutes with dimmed lights and quiet music. The acupuncturist will check on you periodically to twist the neddles or do other therapies, such as moxibustion.
Acupuncture is very relaxing and some patients actually fall asleep during the treatment.
Why do I feel relaxed after acupuncture?
One of the common side effects of acupuncture is relaxation. Treatments can be so relaxing that you might feel a touch of sleepiness after leaving a session. If you are feeling tired after a session, this is your body telling you it needs rest. If possible, you should take it easy after treatment and go to bed early, to feel reivigorated the next morning.
Some people feel relaxed after an acupuncture treatment, but others feel more energy.
Why did you put that needle there?
By looking at the different signs and symptoms, tongue, pulse, and body systems, the acupuncturist is trained to make a differential diagnosis and determine which areas of your body need work. Sometimes you may have pain in one area, but it might be due to a blockage or a slow down in the energy, blood and fuid flow in that particular pathway.
Andy Wegman, an acupuncturist based in Manchester NH, wrote an entire book with this title. His book answers questions that are often asked in an acupuncture clinic. If you are interested, you can download the book for free, or buy a copy.
What kind of needles are used for acupuncture?
Acupuncture needles are solid, sterile stainless steel non-reusable needles, that are usually not much larger than a strand of hair.
Why do you do this differently than my last acupuncturist?
Chinese medicine has been practiced for milenia and across eastern cultures, and many theories and treatment approaches have been developed. Acupuncturist have extensive training and there is a myriad of ways to approach the same condition. Services used may vary from acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, Qi Gong, and others. In addition, practicioners may approach a condition from different braches of thought, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Sa-am acupuncture, five elements, Master Tung, Dr. Tan balance method, and many more. Even though acupuncturists may use different points or techniques to treat the same conditon, the goal is the same — to achieve harmony.
My pain was gone after treatment, but it came back.
Though it can happen, it is unusual that pain will disapear after one treatment. What is more likely to happen is that it will slowly fade away. It can move around or change its intensity and feeling. These are all very good signs of progress. Baby steps. The effects of an acupuncture treatment are cumulative. For this reason, and mostly in the beginning of a treatment course, is recommended that patients get seen often, so they can build on the momentum gained from treatment to treatment.
Does acupuncture hurt?
There is sometimes an initial prick, just as the needle is inserted. On larger areas of thicker skin and musles, acupuncture needles are usually not painful. However, certain points on the hands and feet, where there is less flesh, might be more sensitive.
No one wants to make you feel pain. If you feel uncomfortable or pain, please let you acupuncturist know. The needles can be easily ajusted for your comfort.
How soon will I feel better or see improvements?
It depends on the condition, for how long you had it, how severe it is, and how is your overall health.
Generally, an acute condition may improve within a few treatments, while a chronic or long-term condition might take twelve or more treatments before we can see sustained results.
Depending on what you are seeking treatment for, your acupuncturist might want to see you more often in the beginning until you get to a maintenance phase, and only need treatment every so often.
Do I have to believe in acupuncture for it to work?
Absolutely not. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are rooted in philosophical traditions, but are not a belief system or a religion.
You only need to make the effort to come to treatment a few times and follow through with your treatment plan.
Can I feel more pain after treatment?
Most of the time, acupuncture alleviates pain right away. However, sometimes it makes it worse before it gets better. When needling directly into an area of Qi stagnation and blood stasis we are increasing micro-circulation through the tissues. With all direct needling comes the possibility of aggravation. The flaring up the affected tissues is often clinically beneficial, and only lasts from a couple hours to a day or so.