Frequently Asked Questions About Acupuncture

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Acupuncture needles have the diameter of a human hair. You barely feel the needle as it is gently inserted. What you do feel is the overwhelming sense of calmness that settles on the body once the needles are in place.

Acupuncture seeks to identify & treat underlying causes of a problem, rather than simply addressing symptoms. Acupuncture views the body as a whole system, utilizing herbal supplements, exercise, eating whole foods, & a balanced lifestyle as tools to achieve optimal health. 

Because modern science is now catching up with how acupuncture works, we now have an array of scientific terms to describe the Traditional Chinese Medical terms used to for the mechanics & functions of acupuncture. 

Acupuncture works with your body’s connective tissue, aka fascia, to send messages to your brain to alter your brain’s chemistry. For example, if you have stress, acupuncture will lower cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, in your body. It also raises serotonin & dopamine levels, your body’s "feel good" hormones, to allow for a sense of calm & well being. Acupuncture, when used for pain management, raises your body’s natural opiates, such as endorphins & enkephalins. Acupuncture also improves blood circulation, delivering oxygen to parts of the body that may have been constricted; thereby, experiencing symptoms like pain & numbness. Acupuncture loosens up connective tissue to allow for better blood & lymphatic fluid flow, allowing for better mobility. 

In Chinese Medicine, we look beyond the symptoms to the root of the problem. Imagine an iceberg - the top of the iceberg being the “symptoms” & typically where Western Medicine focuses on - utilizing ointments, pills, or surgical intervention. Chinese Medicine will see the top of the iceberg, but will look at the submersed body of the iceberg to decipher where the imbalance initiated from. Once you treat the root of the problem, the symptoms resolve themselves.

POST-STROKE and BELL'S PALSY

First and foremost, let it be known that acupuncture is excellent for post-stroke & post-Bell's palsy recovery because acupuncture works with the electricity of the body to "re-boot" the electrical pathways. Results are best when acupuncture is employed immediately after the occurrence. Contact me for more information.   

WELLNESS 

Acupuncture uses fine filament needles to correct imbalances within the body. These imbalances manifest as “symptoms,” such as headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, back pain, arm & leg pain, digestive issues, depression, anxiety, low energy, etc.   

CIRCULATION

Whenever there is pain in the body, there is constriction - whether muscular, vascular or structural. A constriction in the body will restrict blood, fluid and electrical flow in one part of the body, while simultaneously depriving the same in another area of the body. Typically, the pain will be most profound at the site of the constriction.  Acupuncture needles are placed strategically at key points on the body to promote movement of blood,  fluids and electricity. The needles help the body signal brain chemicals to increase circulation to reduce pain and increase mobility.  

ACUTE PAIN

For acute and high level pain, a technique called Trigger Point Therapy is recruited to help "fire" the  muscle knot. After the muscle is fired, the contracted muscle fibers unwind & deflate, to allow blood, fluids and electricity to flow more smoothly.

It’s common to receive acupuncture in the arms, legs, torso, ears, & head. Points are sometimes intuitively where you think would be - for instance, for back pain, it would be in the area of the back, but there are also points to relieve back pain in the feet & hands due to nerve distribution throughout the body. 

Acupuncture points are where blood, lymph & nerves meet, & where the connective tissue is easily accessible. Acupuncture works via the connective tissues to send messages to the brain for the purpose of altering brain chemistry.    

Because the needles are so fine, there is barely any sensation of the needles entering the surface of the skin. At certain acupuncture points, however, where the electromagnetic action is the strongest, you may feel a slight tugging or buzzing sensation, or warmth at the point, as it is activated. Other times you may feel a heaviness in the body as the parasympathetic nervous system switches on, putting the body in a deeper, more relaxed state of being. You may feel drowsy & sleepy as the needles begin their work.

Acupuncture belongs to a branch of the Chinese Medicine tree. Under the canopy of Chinese Medicine falls Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Qi Gong exercise, Tui Na massage & bodywork, & Dietary Nutrition (food as medicine). Acupuncture was adopted into Western culture back in the 1970’s. 

The overall goal of Chinese Medicine is to bring “balance” within the body, & within one’s lifestyle, to allow for the optimization of “form & function.” As above, so below.

Acupuncture is increasingly being included in medical insurance plans across the country, but ultimately it is the employee’s company that chooses what is included in the plan. Please check with me first to verify what your medical insurance will cover. I am happy to inquire for you.

I offer a 20% discount for initial session to Military & First Responders with valid ID. 

Practitioners in New York State  who can advertise themselves as “Acupuncturists“ are either L.Ac.s (Licensed Acupuncturists) or C.Ac.s (Certified Acupuncturists). The difference between the two is primarily one of passion, education specificity & dedicated time spent immersed the single subject  of acupuncture. Licensed Acupuncturists dedicate no less than 3000 hours obsessing over the  intensive theoretical, clinical & practical studies & applications of Acupuncture. The medical art of Acupuncture has been circulation for over a millennium, spanning many cultures & countries.

Licensed Acupuncturist (or L.Ac.) 

To be licensed in New York State as an Acupuncturist, one must complete a Master of Science degree (typically 3000 hours of study & clinic), then successfully pass a series of exams issued by the examination board for Acupuncture, the NCCAOM  (National Commission on Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) in the United States. 

Each Acupuncture practitioner is required to pass the National Certification Exam, & maintain this certification for the duration of their career. Each practitioner must  obtain board approved CEUs, or Continuing Education Units, courses to further their knowledge in the field of Acupuncture in order to renew their certifications. 

A Doctorate of Acupuncture degree (typically requiring an additional 600 to 1000+ hours of further study) can be pursued further by tenacious & rigorous practitioners.

Certified Acupuncturist (or C.Ac.)

This certification is made available to certain licensed medical professionals. By New York State law, this category of medical professionals are required to complete an abridged & Western medicine approached training course to learn how to use acupuncture to complement their existing profession. A mere 200-300 hours of training in Acupuncture will qualify them to call themselves a Certified Acupuncturist (C.Ac.).  Advanced learning on the subject is completely optional.