What happens in an Acupuncture Treatment?

 

Knowing what to expect from an acupuncture treatment will make you feel more comfortable about the experience:

 

 

The Clinic Environment

A visit to my clinic is felt by most to be a deeply restorative, healing break from the normal stress of life. Coming to the clinic for regular treatments can help establish a new rhythm of respect for the body and calm pacing in life. The clinic is designed to promote calmness with pleasing decor, soft lighting and peaceful music in the treatment rooms.

Here is how a treatment unfolds:  fIrstly I will take a medical history, or an update on your symptoms. You will then lie down on a treatment table. Patients are given privacy to disrobe but they leave on their underwear, and rest on a treatment table underneath a sheet. If at some point during the treatment we need to get access to parts of the body for treatment, the patient will always be asked first and appropriately draped for modesty. 
For the patient the acupuncture treatment will normally feel very relaxing and restorative. Many patients also report feeling powerful energy flows within their body and a deep connection to healing energies and experiences. 

Acupuncture is safe. I use only highly precisioned sterilized and disposable needles. Acupuncture is often surprisingly painless. The needles are only slightly thicker than a human hair, so the experience is not the same as getting shots. I have had many needle-phobic patients come to love acupuncture! Acupuncture is also deeply relaxing for the mind and restorative and energizing for the body. Sometimes acupuncture can be a strong experience. But if you plan a little time after the treatment to integrate, and sip some water it will ground you.

The treatment does not have to involve acupuncture, its up to you. These techniques can be easily applied with acupressure or other healing techniques. However as I am an acupuncturist, I do often wish to use acupuncture, to generate the most effective treatment

  

Diagnosis

My diagnosis is determined in part by using methods similar to other health care practitioners: Asking patients for a thorough history of their health, diet, exercise patterns, and chief complaints; I also use diagnostic techniques specific to acupuncture and Asian medicine: for example, I take your pulse on both wrists and observe the tongue. I look at the facial colors and complexion. I will assess the Qi of the whole body and specific organs and acupuncture channels using Medical Qigong methods.

Following the diagnosis, I will, to the extent possible, explain to you the nature of your problem, recommend a treatment plan, and give you an anticipated prognosis (outcome).

 

Treatment Procedures

My acupuncture needles are surgical quality silica-coated (for smooth and pain-free insertion) or gold-coated (for power in transforming the Qi) stainless steel, and are between one-half and three inches long, ultra-fine, and quite flexible. They are pre-sterilized, non-toxic, and disposable (single-use). 
When the needles are tapped into the skin, there may not be any sensation. Much depends on the location (hands and feet tend to be more sensitive), the condition being treated, and the acupuncture technique that is needed. Needles are typically placed in multiple (2-12) acupuncture points and are usually left in about 20 to 40 minutes. 
The goal is to work with the circulation of Qi in the specific acupuncture channel and point that corresponds to the illness. By unblocking energy flow if it is blocked, strengthening Qi if it is weak, draining diseased energy and directing health energy to a specific organ or target area, we encourage the body's natural healing process.

 

How Long will I Have to be Treated For?

The number of treatments needed depends upon the duration, severity, and nature of your health condition. Some improvement should be apparent in one, two or three sessions, or six to eight sessions for more pervasive conditions.
Two or three treatments may be sufficient for an acute condition, while a series of 10 to 15 treatments may be needed to resolve chronic conditions. 
Some degenerative conditions may require ongoing treatments over a long period of time.

If you see encouraging signs, stick with it.

Ask me if you have questions about your treatment and improvement. If your response to treatment is not satisfactory, I will try to figure out why not, modify the treatment plan, or refer to another practitioner.

 

Other Techniques used along with Acupuncture

Other techniques I use frequently along with acupuncture include moxibustion (burning herbs to heat acupuncture points), cupping (suction), massage, acupressure, Gua Sha (acupuncture channel or point stimulation with tools) and Medical Qigong. None of these techniques hurt particularly, and the overall effect of treatment will be to to leave your body (and mind) feeling stronger, healthier, more relaxed, more energized and without pain. For more information about these other methods see below:

 

Treatment Precautions

Having an acupuncture treatment if you are very hungry or very full is not recommended. Let us know if you arrive too hungry and we will give you a snack to eat. If you have a bleeding disorder or are on blood thinning medications, you should inform me before undergoing treatment. If you are pregnant or have a pacemaker or an I.U.D.  tell me so that the appropriate herbs, acupressure and acupuncture points will be chosen. 

 

Herbal Therapy

In the course of your treatment Chinese herbal remedies may be prescribed. They may be dispensed as raw herbs or in pills, capsules, granules, or tinctures which make them easier to ingest. Most herbal formulas can treat a wide variety of symptoms while stimulating the body's natural healing process.

Acupuncturists are the only licensed health care professionals in California who are required to be trained and tested for competency in prescribing herbal medicine. Chinese herbal medicine has been practiced safely and effectively for thousands of years and it has the greatest potential for beneficial results when prescribed by a trained professional who understands exactly how to prescribe according to your individual pattern of illness and according to your innate and individual strength an weaknesses and inherited constitution. 

 

 

More information about treatment options

Acupuncture and related treatment methods

There are a number of treatment modalities that I might use. They are not necessarily all used in the same treatment. At a certain point we might use some physical approach to the body. It could be just medical qigong type 'laying on of hands' or massage or acupressure or acupuncture or moxibustion. 
I may ask you what you are experiencing during the treatment. This is sometimes helpful for me as well as for the patient. I might give you instructions to focus on a particular emotion or energy movement, or just to be present to what is happening during the healing. I may guide you to uncover the emotional and mental aspects of an energy that we are unblocking and releasing, or strengthening during treatment. 

Here is a list of modalities we might use during a course of treatment: these treatments are used with the patient lying comfortably on a treatment table:

1. Acupuncture
2. Medical Qigong
3. Breathing Exercises
4. Channel Palpation and Acupressure
5. Massage
6. Essential oils
7. Moxibustion
8. Cupping (suction)
9. Gua Sha (acupuncture channel or point stimulation with tools)
10. Guided meditation
11. Conversation

 

Outside of the specific treatment time we might also use:

1. Qigong exercise - Qigong classes and / or Qigong home practice
2. Home methods of stimulation of acupuncture points
3. Therapeutic juice-fasting and healing diets
4. Traditional Chinese herbal formulas
5. Vibrational Medicines
6. Supplements

 

 

Acupuncture

I use acupuncture. The needles perform a specific function of clearing away the old and diseased energy, and allowing in the balancing clean energy. They help to break through energetic blockages and they help to dispel negative energy. They also help to act as channels to get the clear and bright healing energies to penetrate deep into the body, to activate the organic matrix with the energies of universal intelligence, the pattern or ideal form of health. 
The needles I use are very thin, sterile, one-time use acupuncture needles. I choose the needles carefully, preferring either silicon coated or gold coated needles, depending on the condition. 

The Mandala of Point Selection - 
Balancing the afflicted Acupuncture Channel

Another important aspect of Acupuncture is the prescriptive effect of the choice of points. This is the mandala of point selection. The choice of points in Sacred Acupuncture is often guided by the need to rebalance a specific affected acupuncture channel. The energy channels lie in specific relationships to each other, and all illness or imbalance within the physical body is reflected in distortions of this harmonious architecture. Here we attune to the architecture and the 'mechanics' of the acupuncture channels, and the flow patterns of Qi and Shen (mental energy) within the body. 

Using the needles to stimulate the channels in certain orders and patterns, we seek to rebalance the disordered energy, by adjusting the acupuncture channels in relation to each other. Here for example we might use one channel to ‘flood’ another channel, or drain it, or warm it or dry it, or restrain it, or promote it. So we create a corrective pattern, a mandala of needles ranged across the body, to rebalance the channel systems taken as a whole. This helps to eliminate symptoms and hastens healing.

 

Use this link for more in-depth information about    Acupuncture

 

Use this link for more in-depth information about    Sacred Acupuncture

 

Medical Qigong

Much of my acupuncture practice is informed by Medical Qigong. There are three main reasons I perform Medical QIgong:
1/ I will either hold and move my hands above your body or rest them lightly on your body in order to assess the Qi force of your deeper energy channels (the Eight Extraordinary Channels). 
2/ I will press a specific region over one of your internal organs and penetrate the Qi into the organ to assess its health. You may feel a pleasant energizing or buzzing sensation when I do this
3/ I will touch the beginning and the end of each of your 24 regular acupuncture channels. This shows me which of your acupuncture channels is holding the imbalanced Qi associated with the complaint or condition

 

Breathing Exercises

I may teach you a breathing exercise to perform on the treatment table for a while. These exercises are useful to energize the system and generate breakthroughs in energy blockages. For more information about the kind of breathing exercises I use in my practice see: Breath-Work keep in mind though that the type of breathing exercises I give you during acupuncture treatment may be much gentler than the methods used in group breath-work sessions.

 

Channel Palpation and Acupressure

I frequently use acupressure to diagnose the channels and to activate specific points. In this procedure I will press the points on an acupuncture channel looking for a particularly sore or reactive point. I may then activate this point with pressure first when I find it, before inserting a needle. Very often acupuncture will work much better for pain relief when the right point is activated with pressure first.

 

Massage

I might also perform internal organ massage, belly massage or massage along either side of the spine. In acupuncture every part of the body can be pressed to diagnose the underlying condition and then also to treat the underlying imbalance. I was trained in many form of massage before I began practicing acupuncture, and so I will often use these methods. As a patient this often feels good! It relieves pain, increases vitality and improves circulation. I use bodywork only as an integrated part of the overall acupuncture treatment.

 

Essential oils

I might use essential oils on a particular region of the body. This enables the healing properties of the plant to quickly enter a particular part of the body, as essential oils are very penetrating. Sometimes it is useful diagnostically as the conscious quality of the plant will sometimes show me what is out of balance in the patient and what needs to happen to bring you into balance. As a patient this can be a very pleasant experience. Essential oil are relaxing and invigorating and they make you smell good!

 

Moxibustion or Moxa

Moxa is angelica or mugwort, a common herb in many parts of the world. In Chinese medicine Moxa is considered so important that it forms half the traditional name for acupuncture. In the chinese language 'Zhen Jiu' ?? means needles and moxa, and together they imply the art of acupuncture. Moxa is rolled up and burned on or above certain acupuncture points, energy gates etc. This experience with me can be very warming (but not excruciating or burning) to pleasantly warm, according to your limits and your needs. 

The ancient Chinese believed that Moxa had a particular ability to add warmth and movement to the Qi in the acupuncture channels. Moxibustion has similarities to native American smudging traditions and to the use of incense in many of the wisdom traditions of the world. Generation after generation of acupuncturists has been amazed at the sometimes dramatic ability of moxa therapy to speed up and improve acupuncture treatment.

 

Cupping

This is a method of stimulation of larger areas of the body using a vacuum created by a cup shaped implement. This is a traditional Asian medical tool used for moving 'stagnant blood', stuck Qi and bound areas of the body. It is not particularly painful, often creates a dramatic opening and freeing of the body and Qi, and is a very useful technique for acupuncturists.

  

Gua Sha (acupuncture channel or point stimulation with tools)

Gua Sha is a method of scraping the acupuncture channel with an implement. It is a technique often used in conjunction with acupressure, massage and cupping to open up blocked acupuncture channels, clear stagnant Qi and blood, open up circulation, improve tissue oxygenation, improve joint mobility and generally free up the body by releasing held energy.

 

Guided Meditation

Going underneath the conscious mind to explore and release old beliefs and mental structures. Often I will guide the patient to tune into the body, to experience the consciousness held within the body. This can be very healing and liberating. There are many methods of doing this. Sometimes it is a innocuous as a single suggestion, sometimes I use a more involved guided visualization. Whilst receiving and shortly after acupuncture the mind is especially receptive to shifting old beliefs and ideas, and sometimes that is more important than the needles themselves!

 

Conversation

I am always interested in the whole picture, so I may ask you about you, your life, your family, your work, your relationships, how you feel about your life, etc. This is an exploration of how you are doing, and the relationship between your spiritual, mental and emotional state and any physical imbalance or illness that is present. If you cannot deal with this approach - please work with a different practitioner, as we will not be a good fit.

 

The conclusion of the Acupuncture treatment

Normally after a period of treatment I will leave you resting for a while in the treatment room with the needles in place. During this time there is no pain from the needles, but lots of patients experience different energy sensations in their body. This resting time is useful for integration and if often bypasses the conscious mind. While patients are lying and relaxing on the treatment table the healing is sinking in. Many times patients will report falling into a deep sleep state, where they are as if asleep yet still present. I try to keep the patient warm and comfortable during this resting period. 
After a while the patient is 'done', which is often a distinct feeling for both the patient and myself. I try to honor this, but sometimes working with other patients precludes me from immediately taking out the acupuncture needles when the psychic 'done' signal is received. There is no harm in going past this point a little. However, If a patient is in any serious discomfort they are encouraged to summon me with a bell or their voice, at any time during their treatment. 
After the needles are removed the patient is given privacy to get changed and then we may examine the following treatment options:

Qigong and Exercise

I may recommend exercises, attendance at qigong classes and / or Qigong home practice. We have some DVD's of Qigong forms we practice, with more to come.

QIgong (known also as Chi Kung) breathing and movement exercises have been used for thousands of years to generate energy and re balance the body. 
The concept is that the vibration of disease exists in the energy (the Qi - pronounced 'Chee'). With Qigong practice this vibration can be aligned with the vibration of health and vitality, in much the same way as a tuning fork will start to vibrate to the same pitch as another tuning fork that is struck and then brought into proximity to it. Any condition can benefit from the practice of Qigong, which results in a great feeling of well-being. Typically I give you one or two Qigong exercises that are specific to your health condition. These exercises normally involve slow movement or a static posture with deep  relaxed breathing. They are very strengthening, energizing and healing.

 

Home methods of stimulation of acupuncture points

I will often provide you with a method of continuing and strengthening the effects of the acupuncture treatment at home. I might give you small magnets with adhesive patches to adhere to certain acupuncture points, or a specific liniment or massage oil or essential oil to apply to a part of the body. In this way the treatment effectiveness is increased and the speed of recovery is amplified.

 

Chinese Herbal Medicine

I may recommend herbal medicine for you. Herbal medicine has developed over thousands of years in the Orient, so it has been tested over countless generations! In modern China, herbal medicine has been found to be so effective that it is used throughout the nation in hospitals alongside Western medicine. Research has verified the healing applications of over a thousand different herbs.

Like all systems of Oriental medicine, herbal treatment aims to treat the underlying cause of a problem, rather than just the symptoms. Normally, in herbal treatment I give you a traditional formula composed of ten or so herbs chosen to specifically correlate to your unique body type, needs and health condition. This formula comes in the form of a powder, liquid, pill or capsule, normally taken twice a day.

 

Healing Diets and Detoxification

Healing diets, or changing the diet is often a really useful aspect of treatment, and should result in more energy, vitality and enthusiasm with a reduction in symptoms. In both East and West the effects of our diet on our health have been studied for thousands of years. Specific diseases can be helped by specific diets. If any dietary changes would be of benefit we will talk about how to incorporate these diet changes, to make it workable.

 Therapeutic juice cleansing, and healing diets, are time honored and universal healing technologies. Having access to them is a very useful healing tool to learn, and is often an essential component of healing because it is often important to detoxify the body. The detoxification aspect of healing is the least understood aspect of healing in the West, and often it is the most needed. To support this we have a group juice cleanse twice a year. For more information on this you can read about it on the web-site we have set up at the following link. It does take time to open so be patient please:     The Juice Fast

 

Vibrational Medicine

I may recommend a vibrational remedy. Homeotherapeutic vibrational remedies are a unique method of treatment first developed in Europe by a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann. THese remedies use highly diluted 'energy' medicines to stimulate the body to respond with a reduction of symptoms and a return to a natural state of balance.

Vibrational remedies include homeotherapeutic concepts, but they extend also to flower essences, gem elixirs, planetary and star elixirs and other remedies prepared in a vibrational fashion. These remedies come in the form of either tasteless drops to put under the tongue or small white pellets with a sweet taste that dissolve under the tongue.

These vibrational remedies are completely non-toxic. They are so diluted that no toxicity is possible.

 

Supplements

In addition, I might draw from a broad range of vitamin products, mineral formulas, enzyme supplements, amino-acid formulations, plant extracts, herbs from other traditions and certain nutritional supplements. The right supplement can be very helpful in promoting healing. There is a large selection of natural remedies and I use them frequently. If some supplements seem appropriate we will talk about where you can buy the supplements, the correct amount to take and for how long. If they are not commonly available I will order them for you.

 

 

 

for more information please see the following links: 

 

What is Acupuncture?

Causes of imbalance and diagnosis in Sacred Acupuncture 

What is Sacred Acupuncture?

What to do to become a Patient?