FAQs
Q: What is acupuncture and how does it work?
The ancient Chinese masters believed that the body contains a well-connected network or pathways and meridians flowing throughout the entire body. Through these pathways flows our vital energy or Qi. Due to external environmental influences, lifestyle choices, diet, and emotions, the Qi of our body can stagnate and create blockages – thus leading to pain, discomfort and disease. Acupuncture works with the body’s innate healing ability to reopen the free flow of Qi and bring the patient back into a state of health.
Historically, acupuncture points have been described as energetic pores that allow entry into meridians. This has been substantiated by modern science in that acupoints are found to have lower electrical resistance than other areas of the body. These energy pores provide gateways to influence, redirect, increase, or decrease body’s vital substance, qi, thus correcting many imbalances.
Unlike allopathic medicine, which focuses on the disease as if it were separate and isolated from the patient, Chinese Medicine views the body holistically and realizes that to restore health – the whole of a person must be treated. Through the use of acupuncture, herbal formulations, and Chinese massage; homeostasis can be restored, symptomology eliminated and health and vibrancy returned to the patient.
What is this bag of twigs and sticks that I’m cooking into a tea?
Chinese Medicine implements the use of natural herbal combinations in the form of formulas to produce a desired medical effect. Unlike a western drug, which is essentially just a broad-spectrum agent to mask a symptom, a Chinese Medical formula is specifically designed by the practitioner for their particular patient – taking into account the patient’s specific condition, the root cause of the condition, the patient’s constitution and other factors.
Q: What are these glass cups on my back?
Acupuncture practitioners generally use cupping if there is cold energy in the patient’s meridians (manifesting in the form of pain or muscle spasm). The warm air from the cupping stimulates the skin, and the suction coaxes blood to the area, which promotes localized healing. The chi is warmed and starts to flow freely down the meridians. Many diseases and disorders can benefit from cupping. The earliest writings found on the therapy from ancient China recommend its use in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Today, cupping is still used for respiratory disease, as well as digestive and gynecological disorders, headaches and dizziness, and lymphatic blockages. The common cold can be tackled with cupping, as can insomnia and soft tissue injuries.
Q: What is Tuina?
uina is an Oriental Bodywork Therapy that has been used in China for 2,000 years. Tuina uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians as its basic therapeutic orientation. Through the application of massage and manipulation techniques Tuina seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi through the system of channels and collaterals, allowing the body the naturally heal itself. Tuina methods include the use of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body, acupressure techniques to directly affect the flow of Qi, and manipulation techniques to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships (bone-setting). External herbal poultices, compresses, liniments, and salves are also used to enhance the other therapeutic methods. Tuina is used in the treatment of joint injuries, nerve pain and muscle sprains, and for the treatment of internal diseases.
Q: What is E Stim?
Electrical stimulation uses an electrical current to cause a single muscle or a group of muscles to contract. By placing electrodes on the skin in various locations the practitioner recruits the appropriate muscle fibers causing them to contract, thus strengthening them and promoting blood supply to the affected muscle. The electrical current setting can be adjusted to allow for gentle or more forceful muscle contraction.
Q: What is Moxa?
oxibustion is the application of heat to a specific area or point on the body. Practitioners use moxa to warm regions and acupuncture points with the intention of stimulating circulation through the points and inducing a smoother flow of blood and qi. Along with acupuncture needles, moxibustion has become an integral part of the Oriental system of medicine. The term ‘moxibustion’ is derived from the Japanese ‘Moe Kusa’, meaning ‘burning herb’. Moxa is obtained from the herbal plant ‘Arternisia Vulgaris’, also commonly called mugwort.
Is Acupuncture Safe?
Yes. In a Japanese survey of 55,291 acupuncture treatments given over five years by 73 acupuncturists, 99.8% of them were performed with no significant minor adverse effects and zero major adverse incidents (Hitoshi Yamashita, Bac, Hiroshi Tsukayama, BA, Yasuo Tanno, MD, PhD. Kazushi Nishijo, PhD, JAMA). Two combined studies in the UK of 66,229 acupuncture treatments yielded only 134 minor adverse events. (British Medical Journal 2001 Sep 1). The total of 121,520 treatments with acupuncture therapy were given with no major adverse incidents (for comparison, a single such event would have indicated a 0.0008% incidence).
According to Wikipedia “A recent study by Healthgrades found that an average of 195,000 hospital deaths in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 in the U.S. were due to potentially preventable medical errors.”
Do you reuse needles?
At Alki Wellness, we choose to use disposable needles that are one time use and come in sterile, sealed, individual packages to insure that there is no risk of infection from the treatment.
What can Chinese Medicine treat?
The World Health Organization has determined that acupuncture is an effective therapy for over 200 clinical conditions, including:
- back pain
- neck and shoulder pain
- repetitive stress syndrome
- insomnia
- migraines and headaches
- alcohol, food, and tobacco addiction
- accidental injuries
- sprains
- osteoarthritis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- respiratory problems
- digestive problems
- gynecological disorders
- circulatory disorders
- nervous system disorders
Acupuncture also reduces stress and anxiety, and helps patients enter a deep state of relaxation, enhancing the healing process. Herbal medicine increases the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments and is often the primary treatment for chronic internal medical disorders.
How does acupuncture work?
Modern scientific research shows that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system. Very simply put, our brain manages our entire body and all its processes via the nervous system. The nervous system is the information highway that allows the brain and body to communicate and relay messages to each other. Messages are sent hundreds of thousands of times a day, most of which we are completely unaware of. For example, imagine touching a hot stove; before you can even begin to comprehend what has happened your body has already reacted with lightening speed and pulled your hand away from the danger. This happens due to an urgent message being sent to your brain by your nerves through the nervous system. In response, the brain returns a message that allows you to perceive pain and quickly react. Acupuncture uses this same “information highway” to send messages of the imbalances that we find through the nervous system to the brain. In response to these messages, your brain releases chemicals such as endorphins, hormones and neurotransmitters into your body stimulating its own healing processes.
What can I expect from my first visit?
Your first treatment at Alki Wellness will be a combination of an educational experience and healing one. After a quick tour of our office, an examination will take place by one of our licensed practitioners. During the examination we will ask you questions regarding your past and current health conditions, diet, and lifestyle. We will explain the basic concepts behind Traditional Chinese Medicine and design a treatment protocol to best address your main health concern. Following the examination the practitioner will apply the appropriate protocol of acupuncture, bodywork, e-stim and/or cupping. Before leaving, you will receive an outline of future care recommendations as well as take-home suggestions on how to proactively improve your condition between treatments.
How long is each visit?
Usually the first visit is the longest in order to allow for a complete history taking and exam – typically an hour. Follow-up visits are often shorter, usually 30 to 45 minutes, depending on practitioner and patient needs.
