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ACUPUNCTURE FAQs

1. What conditions does acupuncture treat?
The traditional and principal use of Acupuncture is in the treatment of disease-simple, acute and chronic.

2. What to expect at my first visit?
The Acupuncturist diagnoses the patient using Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques to ascertain the pattern of disharmony. The intake begins with a complete health history, asking questions having to do with bodily functions, digestion, elimination, respiratory problems, and the nature of the pain. It branches out into external factors as well: diet, lifestyle, and emotional well being. It further departs from Western medical intake when the Acupuncturist "reads" the patient's tongue, feels the pulses and palpates the abdomen. Synthesizing the information gathered the Acupuncturist discerns where the "pattern of disharmony" lies and uses this knowledge to implement a plan of treatment.

3. Can Acupuncture be used during pregnancy?
Acupuncture can help alleviate morning sickness and other pregnancy-related disorders. It can also be used to bring on and to assist labor and for anesthesia during childbirth. Our acupuncturists have additional education in dealing with issues specific to pregnancy.

4. Can Acupuncture treat alcohol, drug, food and smoking addictions?
Acupuncturists at The Lane Center have specialized training in treating addiction (click here for more information). Acupuncture successfully treats all of these addictions, but is even more successful when used in conjunction with counseling and group support like AA and NA. Many recovery programs use a combination of acupuncture and counseling to help support people who are recovering from addictions.

5. Can depression and or anxiety be treated with Acupuncture?
Chinese Medicine does not separate physical and mental/emotional health the way we do in the West. Each body organ and function has its counterpart in the mind. The well being of the whole organism is one continuum based on the correct flow of chi. Any malfunction of a body organ has a particular effect on a patient's mental/emotional health and vice versa. Treatments affect the mental/emotional and the physical.

6. Can Acupuncture be used to prevent illness?
Acupuncturists are trained to recognize imbalances before they manifest as disease. Our acupuncturist's goal is to help patients improve their quality of health and vitality. In addition to receiving acupuncture treatments patients are encouraged to adopt lifestyle and dietary changes that reinforce the balance and harmony achieved through treatment.

7. How long does it take to effect a change?
Acupuncture makes use of the body's own energy or chi to effect a change. The time it takes to eliminate a problem depends on how quickly an individual's body, mind and spirit respond to the Acupuncture stimulation. The length of time one has had the illness and the severity of the problem also are considerations.

8. Are the needles safe?
Today acupuncture needles are pre-sterilized and disposable, each needle is used once and then discarded.

9. Where does the Acupuncturist insert the needle?
The most common places are the hands, forearms, lower legs, feet, back, and abdomen.

10. Are the needles painful when inserted?
No. Acupuncture needles, because they are hair-thin, are never painful like a hypodermic needle or a sewing needle. Sensations may include, mild tingling, warmth, heaviness, or a mild achy feeling usually lasting only minutes.

11. What is the size of the needles?
The needles are made of hair-thin stainless steel varying in length starting at ¼ inch.

12. Do the needles cause bleeding?
No. The needles are so thin that they rarely cause any bleeding.

13. How many needles are used in a treatment?
This depends on the patient's need and also on the discretion of the acupuncturist.

14. Is there anything used in Acupuncture other than needles?
     a. Yes. Moxa may be used. Moxa is a substance made from the herb Artemisia vulgaris latiflora or common mugwort. It would be used when a patient's condition requires the strengthening or warming qualities of this herb.

     b. Technique may include the use of a small battery-powered electrical stimulator, which provides a vibrating or pulsating sensation when attached to the inserted needles.

     c. Gwa Sha and Cupping are two allied therapeutic techniques used in cases of chi congestion often found in the neck and shoulder area as well as in the back, arms, and legs, usually caused by injury, tension, stress, drafts, etc.

     d. Shiatsu therapy, also called Acupressure, is finger pressure/massage applied to acupuncture points.

15. Does an acupuncturist ever refer people to other kinds of therapy?
Acupuncturists and other practitioners at The Lane Center are quick to refer patients for other therapies if they feel a particular therapy will be beneficial. These therapies are all interrelated to the practice of TCM, which treats the entire person-whether for deep, chronic, organic problems or acute problems.

It is not uncommon for Acupuncture patients to use Massage Therapy, Homeopathy, Chinese Herbs, Nutrition, Lymphatic Drainage, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Transformation Kinesiology-most of which are available at the Center. We also refer patients to Western medical doctors if we feel that Western intervention is in order.