How does Acupuncture work?

 

Acupuncture is a form of healing using the body’s own resources.  Qi or the energy of your body is what maintains your energetic balance and allows everything to work properly.  When our bodies are out of balance we begin to see symptoms and illness either on the physical or mental level.  During our time together I will uncover the root of the disharmony.  Once it is clear exactly what the problem is then acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used to rebalance the body’s energy at exactly that area, which in turn will create different results and alleviate your symptoms.

 

 

 

Will it hurt?

 

The needles I use are hair-thin and often times patients don't feel any sensation at all.  Other times it might be a slight pinch but nothing like what we experience with hypodermic needles used for blood collection or shots.

What does acupuncture treat?

 

Acupuncture has been shown to improve the following conditions:

 

 

• Abdominal pain 

• Arthritis 

• Addiction 

• ADHD 

• Allergic rhinitis 

• Anxiety

• Back Pain

• Bells Palsey 

• Biliary colic 

• Bronchial Asthma 

• Cancer pain 

• Cardiac neurosis

• Craniocerebral Injury 

• Depression 

• Diabetes 

• Dysmenorrhoea 

• Earache 

• Excessive salivation 

• Facial pain and spasm 

• Female infertility 

• Female urethral syndrome 

• Fibromyalgia 

• Gastro Issues

• Headache 

• Hepatitis B 

• Hypertension/hypotension 

• Hypo-ovarianism

• Insomnia 

• Knee pain 

• Lactation deficiency

• Male sexual dysfunction 

• Meniere’s disease 

• Morning sickness 

• Nausea and vomiting 

• Neck pain 

• Neuralgia 

• Osteoarthritis 

• Peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm 

• Periarthritis of shoulder 

• Polycistic Ovary syndrome 

• Postoperative pain

• Raynaud Syndrome 

• Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection 

• Renal colic 

• Retention of urine 

• Rheumatoid arthritis 

• Schizophrenia 

• Sciatica 

• Sjogren Syndrome 

• Sore throat 

• Spine pain 

• Stiff neck 

• Stroke 

• Tennis elbow 

• Tietze syndrome 

• TMJ 

• Tourette Syndrome 

• Ulcerative Colitis  

• Vascular Dementia

 

 

Is Acupuncture safe?

 

Extremely.  Millions of people use acupuncture every year.   I use only pre-sterilized, single-use disposable needles.  Acupuncture is well known for it's efficacy and lack of side effects.

 

Do you take insurance?

 

Yes, I am currently in network with Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and United.  If you have out of network benefits,  I will provide you with proper receipts to submit for reimbursement.  I will also gladly accept HSA (Health Spending Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Account) cards for payment.  

 

What kind of training do you have?

 

I have a Masters in Acupuncture from Maryland Univeristy of Integrative Health which was a very intense 132 credit program.  While working towards my degree I gained hundreds of hours of clinical experience in the university clinic

My chiropractor/physical therapist does dry needling.  How is that different than acupuncture?

 

Acupuncture is a medicine that has been practiced for over 2000 years.  It is a method of healing that involves moving and balancing the qi (the body's energy) to restore wellness in the body.  Practitioners have thousands of hours of training and are required to pass a rigorous state licensing exam in order to practice.

 

 "Dry needling" is a term coined by Janet Travell, MD in the mid 20th century.  It originally involved the use of empty (hence the term "dry") hypodermic needles used to aggressively stimulate areas of musculoskeletal pain called trigger points.  The hypodermic needles have been abandoned in favor of acupuncture needles but the term "dry needling" has been retained.  It requires as few as 27 hours of training and can often be quite painful.