Nowadays more and more people in the US, including medical doctors, are becoming open to acupuncture therapy. According to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, about 6.7% (12.7 million) have used acupuncture in their lifetime. In my practice, I noticed that among those who came for the first try, some actually had already watched on TV, read articles or heard from people around about acupuncture. Therefore, the information below are just ABCs for your convenience.
Q: How does Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) explain disease/discomfort?
A: TCM never isolates any single tissue/organ from the whole body. It highlights the importance of balance and harmony between different aspects of human body and that between body and the nature. Any internal or external factors that break the balance/harmony will lead to disease/discomfort, such as improper life style, stress, poor posture, traumatic injury, change of weather, etc. TCM, including acupuncture, works to address the root imbalance and help promote the self-healing process of the body.
Q: How does a TCM practitioner make diagnosis of my health problem?
A: TCM practitioner gathers your health information by looking at your facial complexion, skin and hair, tongue, movement, body shape, etc.; by hearing the sound of speech, respiration and cough; by asking detailed questions to understand the onset, development, current symptoms and other related information of disease; and finally, by feeling your pulse and checking your back and abdomen, etc.
Q: Is the concept of internal organ that a TCM practitioner mentions for the diagnosis exactly same as described in modern western medicine?
A: Not exactly! The internal organ that TCM talks about is more of a functional system rather than the specific solid organ itself. For example, Liver Qi stagnation mentioned by your acupuncturist does not necessarily mean that blood test or ultrasound will show abnormality in your liver, but actually points to stuck energy flow in the network or pathway connected with the liver.
Q: How should I prepare for the initial visit?
A: In order to help the TCM practitioner acquire sufficient and correct information, please plan ahead accordingly since this very first visit will be your longest among the whole series of treatment. I will look into your medical history and lifestyle in detail, come up with a treatment plan that’s appropriate for you, and give you suggestions concerning your diet and lifestyle. A written list of current medication you are taking will be very helpful. Please expect about 15-20 minutes of conversation followed by your first treatment of about 45-60 minutes.
Q: Things to do and not to do for each appointment?
A: – Remember not to brush your tongue in the morning of appointment and avoid any food or drink with coloring that may stain your tongue.
– Avoid excessive hunger or thirst which may lead to dizziness or fatigue and decrease the effectiveness of treatment.
– Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes that enable easy access up to your knees and elbows. Please feel free to bring a change of clothes with you.
– Make sure to adopt a comfortable posture before acupuncture treatment and not to move your body after needles are put in.
Q: Is acupuncture safe? What kind of needles do you use?
A: Licensed acupuncturists are required to undergo extensive education and training in human anatomy, medical safety and clean needle technique. According to FDA requirement, only sterile, individually packaged, disposable needles are used in my practice.
Q: What to expect during acupuncture treatment? Does it hurt?
A: After swabbing the treatment sites (called acupoints) with alcohol for disinfection reason, acupuncturist will insert tiny, hair-thin needles, unlike those used by medical doctors/nurses. Depending on the anatomical location of each point and pain tolerance of each person, some people may feel a little pinchy when the needle pierces through the skin, but most don’t feel anything. Depending on your health condition and our treatment goal, your acupuncturist may elect to leave the needles as they are, or twist a few needles manually using some technique to increase the effect.
Q: What to expect after acupuncture treatment? How many treatments will I need?
A: Depending on different health condition, people react differently to acupuncture. Most people feel very relaxed and even fall asleep during the treatment. For acute, simple and slight to moderate conditions, you can expect to feel the difference within 24 hours of acupuncture, while for chronic, complicated and severe problems, it will take longer for the body to respond. The frequency of treatment is also based upon your overall wellbeing.
Q: Will acupuncture do any good even if I am not sick according to medical examination?
A: TCM highlights the importance of preventing disease from its onset. Our body is a wise, delicate self-balance system. It always struggles to repair the injuries happening every moment in daily life and keep us feel healthy. We may not notice these injuries at all, and modern technology may not be able to detect all the abnormal signals. Acupuncture, by stimulating some points in our body, can help the self-regulation, self-healing system stay in good function, thus contributes to our overall health in the long run.
Q: Besides needling, what else do you utilize in your practice?
A: In ancient China, TCM doctors treated disease in the order of acupuncture, moxibustion and Chinese herbal medicine. Acupuncture includes but is not limited to needling, cupping, guasha, acupressure. Moxibustion is to burn some kind of herbs, mostly Artemisia argyi, also called Chinese mugwort, and apply the resulting heat to stimulate specific points. As a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in MA, I also prescribe herbs to complement my treatment when necessary.