What is Qi?

In simplest terms Qi is energy. It’s the spark that gives you life and then motivates and moves you through each day. Illness occurs when this energy is stagnant, deficient, or just plain stuck. Using sterile, one-use needles an acupuncturist will stimulate this energy at specific points to build, disperse, or smooth it according to your needs.

Does acupuncture hurt?

Patients rarely feel more than a tiny prickle sensation-if that-upon insertition of hair-thin needles. Afterward, many describe various sensations like warmth, light pressure, or tingling at the site of the needle or even elsewhere in the body. This is a sign of the Qi’s movement.

What can acupuncture help?

Migraines and backaches come to mind first, but the National Institute of Health said in 1997 that research had shown positive results in acupuncture’s treatment of morning sickness, post-operative dental pain, and the side-effects of chemotherapy among other things. We’ve successfully treated many chronic ailments by addressing the root cause of the problem rather than focusing on just the symptoms.

How long will a treatment’s effects last and how many visits are necessary?

These questions hinge on each patient’s uniqueness. Most patients report feeling a difference after one visit. Many say the relief lasted several days to a week before they knew another treatment was needed. Follow-up visits extend the response time until you are able to sustain your good health without weekly visits and then acupuncture should become a maintenance tool used when you feel you need a tune-up. A small percentage of any population will not respond to acupuncture, therefore I tell new patients that we’ll know within four treatments whether this is the healthcare solution for you.