Acupuncture FAQ

Chinese Medicine is the oldest continually practiced system of medicine in the world! The root of Chinese Medicine philosophy goes back over 8,000 years. Chinese Medicine was formalized as a system of medicine around 3,000 years ago. It's principles have not changed very much since then. Chinese Medicine includes several modalities including acupuncture, herbal medicine, tuina (medical massage), gua sha and food therapy.

Modern Western medicine cannot explain how acupuncture works at this point tin time. Traditional acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese theories of the flow of Qi (pronounced "chee" - most closely translated into Western thought as "vital energy") and Xue (blood) through distinct meridians or pathways that cover the body somewhat like the nerves and blood vessels do. Recently, electromagnetic research has confirmed their locations. Tiny needles inserted in specific points along the meridians allow the Qi to flow to areas where it is deficient and away from where it is excess. In this way acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious balance to the body. In Chinese there is a saying, "There is no pain if there is free flow if there is pain, there is no free flow."

Acupuncture needles are solid, not hollow like needles used for giving shots or drawing blood. They are small and hair-thin and can literally be bent with your pinky. Only sterile, disposable needles are used so there is no risk of infection. We use a needle once, then dispose of it.

How deep do the needles go? That depends upon the nature of the problem, the locaiton of the points selected, the patient's size, age, and constitution. Usually needles are inserted from 1/4 to 1 inch in depth.

People experience needling differently. Acupuncture needles are rarely described as painful, and can be quickly adjusted if the patient feels any discomfort. If any unpleasant sensation is experienced during insertion, it is often compared to a mosquito bite and disappears very quickly. Once the needles are inserted, they may be manipulated to obtain a mild "Qi" sensation. This is how an acupuncturist engages the energy and biochemical responses in your body in order to balance it. Often people describe their sensations as warming, heavy, numb or tingling. At Dong Ye we take great care to make our patients very comfortable so that they can relax while the needles are in place. The more you can relax during an acupuncture treatment, the better the results. Many people even fall asleep during treatment. Following treatment it is common to feel a tremendous sense of relaxation and calm.

Results vary from person to person depending on the type of condition treated and its severity. If the problem is acute, sometimes improvement is felt after 1 treatment, and may only need 3-5 treatments to resolve. If the problem is chronic and long term, it may take many treatments to help resolve. Many people leave feeling better immediatly and someitmes they feel better later that day because the needles keep working for 48 hours after a treatment.

We typically treat patients once a week at first. If the condition is acute and painful, we may want to do treatments 2 times per week for the first couple of weeks. The benefits of acupuncture treatments tend to hold longer as you receive treatments. As patients improve, they are able to put more space between visits. After your initial complaint has been resolved, it's a good idea to come periodically for maintenance either monthly or seasonally.

The World Health Organization and the National Institute of Health recognize over 40 conditions for which acupuncture has been proven effective. There are many more problems that acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can treat effectivly that have not yet been confirmed by modern research. Since Chinese Medicine developled as a complete system of medicine over many centuries, it can be used to treat just about anything. Click here for a list of conditions we routinely see in our office.

1.Please wear loose fitting clothes that can be easily rolled up above your elbows and knees. Women should not wear one piece dresses

2.Be aware that we may ask you to remove jewelry, so it is a good idea to leave it home.

3. Make sure you have eaten something recently so you are not hungry during the treatment. This can cause you to become dizzy.

Some insurance covers acupuncture. You need to check with your insurance plan. We do not bill insurance directly, but will give you a receipt you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. 

No. Acupuncture works whether or not you think it will. Acupuncture is even used successfully on animals and children. They do not understand or believe in the process yet they get better anyway. Of course a positive attitude helps with any type of therapy but it is not necessary to believe in acupuncture (or to feel it working) for it to work. Since positive expectations help to increase therapeutic results, we encourage you to raise any concerns you may have about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. We'd like to help you to better understand acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine so that you may have the most positive healing experience possible.