Acupuncture is an ancient holistic healing modality that has helped treat cases related to the physical, mental-emotional & spiritual bodies for thousands of years. This therapy involves the gentle insertion of sterile hair-thin needles into the skin, in alignment with the acupuncture points diagnosed for you. Acupuncture points are mapped across the whole body. This therapy’s unique access to the subcutaneous levels of the nervous system, muscles, fascia, connective tissues, organs, bones, blood & Qi (life force energy) is what allows it to provide such powerful systemic results.

No, acupuncture needling does not hurt. In fact, for the vast majority of patients, it creates a wonderfully relaxing sensation that the body comes to increasingly crave over the course of treatment. Some needles are not felt at all. Others stimulate a deep pulsing or expanding sensation beneath the points which implies strong effectiveness of the treatment. Many patients fall into a profound nervous-system resetting state of sleep, known as the “Acu Nap.”

To summarize the answer to this…acupuncture can help with almost anything! Because it is a true & time-tested holistic therapy, it derives success across balancing the physical, mental-emotional & spiritual bodies.

In a physical sense, acupuncture is fantastic for pain relief & musculoskeletal tension anywhere in the body (whether acute or chronic). It helps female & male reproductive concerns, digestive & GI pathology, circulatory issues, allergies, immune deficiencies, joint inflammation & so much more!

In the mental-emotional sense, acupuncture helps reset a nervous system in high-stress overdrive. It can boost memory & support cognition. It can also be a friendly natural remedy to depression, anxiety, anger & the full spectrum of heavier emotions. In fact, it is often a lack of addressing these shadows of the emotional body which create physical pathological symptoms & chronic pain.

In a spiritual sense, acupuncture awakens the “shen.” This is the deepest layer, and often physical & mental-emotional ailments must be worked through first to access this depth of the therapy. Those ready to dive into this side of the work can release entities of possession, connect with spirit guides of the heavenly realms for oracular insight, navigate vivid inner vision quests, receive re-attunement of proprioceptive perception & beyond.

Treatment protocols & timelines look different for everyone. This is particularly dependent on what you are working through & the goals you have for your pace of healing.

Generally, acupuncture is better done more frequently when first undergoing treatment to quickly build responsiveness in the body (1-2 times per week). After the effect begins to take tangible root in the body, it is a good time to re-assess and space out treatments to your longer sustained lifestyle pace (1-2 times per month).

You will be guided to your specific treatment protocol & timeline after the initial session with thorough assessment.

Yes, acupuncture is quite safe! As long as it is being practiced by a licensed, competant & qualified practitioner of the medicine.

The needles are sterile, hair-thin and delivered to the body without pain. The safe depth & direction of their insertion is critically focused on in licensed acupuncturists’ studies.

Advising patients to arrive hydrated with some nourishment in their body before treatment, conducting a thorough medical intake to rule out any contraindications & communicating proper after-care instructions seal in the full safety protocol for acupuncture.

There are some low risk side effects associated with acupuncture. Read the last FAQ dropdown below for this listing.

Yes, absolutely! Acupuncture is an ancient perinatal therapy that can help create ease & relaxation for the mother throughout pregnancy as well as strengthen the baby who is developing in the womb.

However, it is important to work with an acupuncturist who is familiar with pregnancy cases since there are some aspects of treatment that are specially altered during this time (both for comfort as well as safety). A seasoned womb acupuncturist will position the growing body differently, treat each trimester uniquely & be well-aware of the acupuncture points/herbs to avoid throughout the pregnancy.

Acupuncture points lie along the meridians (channel pathways that connect all organs, tissues, blood & Qi/life force energy). These meridians form a complex highway system that spans throughout the entire body. There are points that may be needled everywhere on the body.

Common placements include the feet, hands, legs, arms, back, neck, shoulders, abdomen, face & scalp.

This varies depending on the patient, as well as where they are along their course of treatment.

Patients tend to feel very relaxed immediately following treatment. Many describe an energetically light sensation that feels like they are floating. Others feel like they have woken from a deep rejuvenating sleep, like coming out of hibernation.

Depending on the body’s processing, some patients may experience soreness, aches or an exacerbation of symptoms sometime in the 24-48 hour window following treatment. This is natural & exemplifies the body trying to naturally release an obstruction that’s been accumulated within.

The relief & resetting dynamics of the treatment can easily stay with you for a few days or even a week, at the beginning of a course of treatment. As you get deeper into the genuine healing process and space out treatments, the positive effects can remain for weeks or even months.

There are some low risk side effects associated with acupuncture.

Many of these can be avoided by the practitioner’s competency & pre/post care instructions. But some side effects may still arise as part of the body’s process of releasing accumulated ailments.

Common side effects include soreness, minor bleeding, painless bruising & fatigue.

Single-use, sterile & disposable needles are the standard of practice to essentially eliminate risk of infection.

More serious side effects to be aware of, rare & also rarely caused by a qualified licensed practitioner, are: nerve damage, allergies & organ or tissue damage. These side effects highlight the importance of understanding your practitioner’s qualifications (for example, know that someone who practices dry-needling is not necessarily an acupuncturist).

It is important to inform your acupuncturist of any serious medical conditions. This includes pre-existing bleeding disorders, medications, pacemakers, implanted devices/materials (includes cosmetic surgery), recent surgical procedures & pregnancy.