Acupuncture FAQ

Yes, it does
Documented successes for over 2000 years
The World Health Organization officially recognizes Acupunctureas a genuine healing modality and suitable treatment method for over200 common clinical disorders

Yes, and serious injury is extremely rare
Normal risks:
- Local pain, bruising, bleeding, or hematoma formation
- Syncope or presyncope – aka needle sickness
Risks due to incompetency:
- Pneumothorax, cardiac trauma, damage to neural and vascular structures, and infection

Little or no discomfort with insertion
- A small pinch-like feeling
- Free-hand or with a guide tube
Qi reaction (deqi – arrival of qi)
- Pressure, ache, distention, tingling, itch, warmth, coolness – local, referred, or radiating
- Some people feel nothing
- It is important that the practitioner feel the qi

Be neither on an empty nor a full stomach
Do not be intoxicated
Try to be relaxed
If you have a long or stressful drive, arrive early enough to give yourself time to wind down
Schedule minimal mental and physical stress for after the treatment

That depends on both the style / experience of the practitioner, and the type of condition
- Musculoskeletal treatments tend to require more needles, maybe 15-30 depending on the area(s) treated
- Something like a headache, insomnia, or diarrhea might take 6-12 needles
- Certain types of treatments only use 1 or 2 needles

That depends on both the type of condition and how well you respond to treatment
Acute conditions usually require less treatments, but they should be closer together, sometimes several in one week
Chronic conditions usually require more treatments and can be scheduled further apart, such as a week or even more providing progress is still being maintained
Some conditions can be “cured” and would require no treatments after the initial course
Other conditions may require regular occasional maintenance treatments after the initial course(s) of treatment get the condition under control and out of the acute or severe stage