Acupuncture works by stimulating acupuncture points that can trigger various reactions in the body, including releasing natural pain-relieving hormones, modulating the immune system, and regulating the autonomic nervous system.

Acupuncture gets to the root of healing, treating your entire body as it addresses your chief complaint. With the insertion of very fine, thread-like needles into points along neurological and connective tissue pathways, acupuncture treatments address underlying imbalances that are often the root cause of numerous conditions.

The World Health Organization endorses acupuncture with clinical studies verifying it can be a beneficial treatment for many chronic pain conditions like migraines, neck and back pain, tendonitis, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

However, other conditions that acupuncture treats include:

• Digestive issues: Acupuncture can help with irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, gastritis, colitis, and constipation.
• Menstrual and reproductive issues: Acupuncture can help with PMS, cramps, irregular periods, infertility, and menopausal symptoms.
• Psychological and emotional disorders: Acupuncture can help with depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
• Side effects of cancer treatment: Acupuncture can help with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and other side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
• Seasonal allergies/asthma/illness: Acupuncture can help with allergies and common cold symptoms.
• Postoperative pain/stroke rehabilitation/paralysis and numbness: Acupuncture can help reduce pain and opioid use after surgery.
• Addiction/drug, alcohol and smoking cessation: Acupuncture can help treat and support addiction and withdrawal symptoms.
• Heart problems/palpitations/high blood pressure: Acupuncture helps reduce stress and help enable the body to find homeostasis.
• Facial Rejuvenation/skin problems: Acupuncture helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles and addresses a number of skin concerns.

Initial treatment begins with a consultation that includes tongue diagnosis, pulse analysis (on the wrists) and a thorough discussion of your medical and symptom history. After this I will insert tiny, threadlike filiform needles into acupuncture points designed for your unique presentation and self. You’ll rest for 20-30 minutes while the needles do their work! Subsequent visits will be all about the treatment.

The duration of the effect increases with the number of serial treatments provided, so a treatment plan will be discussed with you and we’ll move forward together toward your healthier, brighter future.

Please wear loose, comfortable clothing that will give access to your legs above your knees, your belly, and arms. Do not brush your tongue as its coating provides a lot of information about what is going on inside your body. Please arrive having eaten within the last 4 hours, ideally uncaffeinated.

People who receive regular acupuncture tend to have fewer internal problems, stave off inflammation, resolve pain, and curb chronic systemic disorders. Patients are expected to work with their acupuncturist and stay healthy with holistic care and a wellness-oriented lifestyle. It takes a team! Most conditions require consecutive weekly treatments for a month or two and maintenance monthly or quarterly treatments once healing is running smoothly.

Acupuncture needles are flexible and can be thinner than a strand of hair. They are often inserted painlessly. The aim is for a sensation of warmth, pressure, aliveness, and maybe a twinge or muscle twitch, but that’s usually it. Each of these sensations are positive signs that your body is receptive to the therapy and that change is happening. Most patients don’t feel a thing until the endorphins kick in, and then it’s ahhhhh, needle nap time.

Many patients share experiences of emerging from sessions feeling “needle drunk,” a term  affectionately used to describe the profound relaxation and disconnection from immediate worries that acupuncture can induce. Despite typical sessions lasting around 30 minutes, the depth of relaxation can make it feel as though hours have passed. This “time distortion” is a testament to the deep state of relaxation and meditative calm that acupuncture facilitates.

Sometimes there are other modalities that may be used in your session to supplement treatment or, if need be, replace needling for those shy of needles.

Cupping relieves aches and pains, improves circulation, and also helps with respiratory and digestive issues. I simply place a specialized “cup” onto specific points on your body, and then use suction to draw your skin up into the cups. It doesn’t hurt but may leave temporary marks on your skin.

“E-Stim” is when a trained practitioner passes a low-frequency electrical current through the needles inserted onto the body. E-Stim can treat a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, migraines, musculoskeletal issues, digestive disorders, and more.

Gua sha is an ancient, traditional Chinese method in which a practitioner uses a smooth edged tool to stroke your skin with pressure until dark pink or reddish markings begin called “sha.” This isn’t painful and the sha will fade within days. Gua sha helps promote blood flow and lymphatic circulation to the area which can help release tension, reduce inflammation and promote healing.

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy work that cleanses and balances the energy system in the body and is a nice addition to an acupuncture session as it increases the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms helping to establish optimum health. Reiki utilizes a gentle laying on of hands to conduct the necessary energy force between practitioner and patient. The benefits of Reiki range from the release of habitual mental/emotional stress to alleviating chronic pain.