What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has been around for over 3000 years. It originated in China and was a form of primary care there for thousands of years. In Canada, we use it as adjunctive care for all chronic and acute ailments. Commonly treated chief complaints range from sprained ankles, to the common cold, to insomnia, reproductive health, to cancer support. It is the insertion of tiny stainless steel single use needles into acupuncture points that are located all over the body, to stimulate a healing response or to stimulate your “qi”, said chi.
In my practice, I treat patients as young as 7 years old up to adults with any ailments whether they be chronic or acute. In addition to acupuncture I also utilize other Chinese modalities of healing such as gua sha, cupping, and also utilize the use of herbal medicine both topically and internally based on each individual patient, their health status and their chief complaint.
Does it hurt?
Not typically. It ranges in sensation from feeling nothing, to a mosquito bite, to potentially a little bit of a stronger feeling, (known as a qi response) which will only last a couple of seconds. The goal of the treatment is to not only to address whatever your chief complaint is during the treatment but also to relax your body as much as possible.
How long does the appointment last?
First appointments are 1 hour, as I need to get some detailed information about you and your health history, and follow-up appointments are typically 45 minutes in length. For children and the elderly sometimes a 30- minute follow-up is all that is needed.
How many times do I need to come back?
Acupuncture is not a magic bullet. It is organic in nature and takes some time to correct whatever it is that concerns you. Chronic conditions take longer to treat than acute conditions but the key to successful treatments is consistency with your appointments. As soon as you start feeling better and are getting lasting relief, we start cutting back the frequency of your appointments. I can give you a better idea of how long the treatment plan will last during your first visit, after we have done an initial intake together.
Will you put needles all over my body?
Potentially. There are over 400 points on your body for me to access your qi to create a healing response. I will access between 10-15 for your first treatment. The mark of a good treatment doesn’t have anything to do with using the most needles possible. In this medicine, more isn’t always better. I will always tell you what I’m doing before I do it and make sure you are comfortable with all of it. I have many options to choose from with acupuncture points to having access as well as other modalities like cupping, gua sha, or the use of herbal medicine to help you. We have options if something makes you uncomfortable!
Do I have to “believe” in this for it to work?
No. Acupuncture has been proven to be effective for thousands of years. That is a fact. Animal acupuncture has been effective for many years as well and I guarantee you animals haven’t been told everything you already have about this medicine and it works for them! Having said that, I’m only interested in treating people who are willing to be treated and try something new. It doesn’t make for a good appointment for either of us if someone else is pushing you to do this. Listen to yourself and choose if this is something that you are interested in being a part of. It is fascinating and effective medicine!
I’ve had acupuncture from my chiropractor, physio therapist or massage therapist, is this the same thing?
No. It’s the same needles but the assessment determining what ails you is different, as is the application of the medicine itself. Our training differs greatly. While chiropractors and physio therapists have 4 years of graduate school training, just as I do, their focus and main modalities are not based on Chinese medicine and acupuncture. For them this is actually only a weekend course. Massage therapists typically have 2-3 years of training and weekend courses for acupuncture as well therefore their ability to treat you will differ greatly from what we can achieve together.
