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Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

1.  What is Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture?

The Chinese Medicine is a safe and mature medical system that has the longest continuous clinical practices in human history for over 3000 years.  The Chinese Medicine takes a holistic view in addressing our health condition.  Our mind, emotions and our body are interconnected elements.   Health anomalies arise when any element is out of balance.  In Chinese Medicine , the treatment modality includes primarily acupuncture and herbal medicine along with ancillary treatments such as moxibustion, electro-stimulation, cupping, guasha, tui-na body work massage, qi gong or Tai Chi exercises.

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  • Acupuncture: Refers to inserting an extremely fine gauge filiform acupuncture needle (most are finer than a strand of hair) onto a specific point in our body to invigorate qi (the vital energy) and blood circulation to achieve a specific result. 

  • Moxibustion (Moxa): Refers to the application of an ignited herbal stick or bundle (majority mugwort)  to warm up specific area(s) of our body to relax muscles and tendons, promote qi and blood circulation and expel cold and dampness.  Moxa is an excellent application for patient with cold condition, weak constitution, menstrual pain, neuralgia, arthritis, paralysis, and boost immune system for preventive care.

  • Electro-stimulation: Refers to the technique of applying a pulsating electrical micro current on acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating acupuncture function.  Electro-acupuncture is an excellent application for alleviating musculoskeletal pain, neuralgia, reducing muscle spasm, enhancing muscle tone, promoting recovery from paralysis. 

  • Cupping: Refers to the technique of applying suction cups onto specific muscular area(s) to invigorate qi and blood flow to the areas to release muscle fiber entanglement, relax fascia adhesion, and clear internal heat, cold, dampness, or wind. Cupping is an excellent adjunct treatment modality for musculoskeletal or myofascial pain, common cold, flu. fever, or chronic inflammation. 

  • Guasha: Refers to the technique of utilizing a smooth edge tool (preferable jade, porcelain or stones) to scrape the skin surface on specific areas to promote circulation of qi and blood to specific areas. Guasha is commonly used for detox, lymphatic drainage, and flu/common cold recovery. 

  • Tui-na:  Refers to a specific type of bodywork or manipulation technique that is known to alleviate Musculoskeletal pain, and beneficial in the restoration of range of motion. 

  •  Qi Gong or Tai Chi exercises: Refers to specific exercises that can help us to cultivate qi (vital energy), boosting our immune system, alleviate stress and improve our ability in focusing and calming our mind. 

 

 

2.  Is acupuncture safe?

Yes, acpuncture has been proven to be both safe and effective.  We only use high quality single-use sterilized fine gauge disposable needles in our clinic.   Our practitioners all adhere to Clean Needle Techniques as specified by the California State and National acupuncture board.  

Sabine is a certified examiner for Clean Needle Technique for National acupuncture board.

 

 

3.  Does acupuncture hurt?

No, acupuncture is generally painless.  When acupuncture administered correctly, the patient may feel some sort of heaviness, distention, tingling or electric sensation around the needle sites or traveling up or down along the affected meridian (energy pathway).  In any case, these sensations are usually mild.

 

 

4.  What should I do before receiving an acupuncture treatment?

The following suggestions will help you get the maximum benefits from your treatment.

  • Wear comfortable and loose clothing. Avoid wearing tight stockings.

  • Avoid being famished or extremely full before receiving treatment.

  • Prepare an updated list of medication, if you are taking any, including medication name, dosage and duration in which you are taking and for what condition.
     

 

5. What condition can be treated with Acupuncture?

Acupuncture has been proven to be a safe and effective way for treating many conditions. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) publication released on 2002 “Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials”, the following conditions, just to name a few, were cited as have been shown to be treated effectively by acupuncture:

  • Low back pain

  • Neck pain

  • Sciatica

  • Tennis elbow

  • Knee pain

  • Periarthritis of the shoulder

  • Sprains

  • Facial pain/paralysis (including Bell's Palsy, Trigeminal neuralgia )

  • Headache (incl. migraines)

  • Postoperative pain

  • Tempromandibular (TMJ) dysfunction

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Morning sickness

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Stroke recovery

  • Essential hypertension

  • Primary hypotension

  • Renal colic

  • Adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy

  • Allergic rhinitis, including hay fever

  • Biliary colic

  • Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)

  • Primary dysmenorrhea

  • Peptic ulcer

  • Acute and chronic gastritis

Forehead of a patient with acupuncture needles.
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