Acupuncture is a modality used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over three thousand years. It involves the insertion of tiny needles in different points along different pathways (meridians) within the human body.
How will acupuncture help?
The stimulation of acupuncture points with needles has shown to create different physiological effects in the human body. Some of these effects include decreasing pain, decreasing inflammation, balancing of the autonomic nervous system and increasing the rate of healing.
Does acupuncture hurt?
Because acupuncture needles are very thin (0.15mm to 0.30mm typically), it is unlike the painful sensation that you may feel from vaccine injections and flu shots. Most patients will describe the insertion of the needle as a “prickling” feeling or as if someone pinched your skin.
Is acupuncture safe?
All of our clinicians who practice acupuncture have been appropriately trained. We use sterile, disposable needles with all of our patients to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. The risks of adverse effects are very rare. The most common side effect seen is a mild ache or bruising at the location of the acupuncture point.
Will acupuncture work immediately?
As with other treatments and modalities, every patient will respond differently depending on the nature of their impairment. Some patients have described immediate relief following acupuncture, while others see the positive effects after several visits. We generally recommend a set of 6 treatment sessions to assess the response to treatment.
