What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a health science which is used to successfully treat both pain and dysfunction in the body. At first glimpse, acupuncture appears strange, as its primary notoriety is the utilization of needles placed in the skin at various locations to relieve pain or affect a body part.
Early Chinese physicians discovered there is an energy network traversing just below the surface of the skin, which communicates from the exterior to the internal organs and structures across 1,000 “Acupoints” on the body. This energy works in harmony with all other systems of the body, so when this vital energy becomes blocked or weakened, an effect in a body system or anatomic location becomes evident. Stimulation of one or a combination of key “Acupoints” on the body may restore harmony to the affected area.
Historians have stated, “More people have benefited from Acupuncture over the course of fifty centuries than the combined total of all other healing sciences, both ancient and modern.”
What to expect from Acupuncture
The goal is to restore normalcy to the body’s energy balance by utilizing a combination of “Acupoints” throughout the body. This is accomplished by a variety of means; the needle is just one. Many practitioners use electronic stimulation, laser beam, or pressure massage to treat an “Acupoint”. The principle of Acupuncture does not change, only the technique.
Is treatment painful?
Because of the extreme slenderness of the needle, most people compare the sensation to “less than a mosquito bite.” A phenomena referred to as “TEHCHI” occurs when the energy is contacted. This sensation is felt as a mild to moderate heaviness or tingling.
Other methods used to treat an “Acupoint,” such as laser, are painless.
How often is treatment and it it permanent?
The number of treatments vary with each individual and condition. Chronic problems generally require more treatment than acute ones. Some patients notice an immediate improvement after the first treatment, whereas others may no notice any effect until the seventh or eighth visit. The average number of treatments is between 8 and 16, with treatments between 2 and 4 times a week. It has been shows that a certain percentage of patients receive maximum benefit up to three months following a course of therapy.
A small number of patients will experience a worsening of symptoms, as the body’s energies are returning to normal. This is usual and not a cause for alarm. It is quickly followed by improvement of symptoms.
Results are often permanent for acute problems, where there has been little to no organ system or tissue damage. For chronic conditions, symptoms may recur from time to time. Generally, a few additional treatments are sufficient to obtain relief.
It is suggested that patients with severe or chronic conditions return for a booster treatment two to three times a year.