health & wellness services: faqs

Does it hurt?

Acupuncture bears no resemblance to the feeling of receiving an injection. The acupuncture needles are made of solid stainless steel and are very fine – about the thickness of a human hair. There should be very little or no discomfort with needle insertion. During a treatment, you may feel a mild sense of heaviness, itching, warmth, achiness or even coolness around the point. After the treatment, some people feel energized while others feel relaxed. The needles may then be twirled or moved in a back and forth motion.

Should I eat prior to treatment?

It is advisable to avoid drinking coffee or alcohol before treatment. Please make sure to eat a small meal or snack prior to treatment.

What should you expect?

The first session is about learning about you. You and your acupuncturist review your health history, form a Traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, discuss goals and develop a treatment plan. As part of the diagnosis, the acupuncturist will look at your tongue, take your pulse, and palpate body points all to create a complete diagnosis.

During treatment, you lie down or take a relaxed seated position in a recliner, an average of 8 to 12 acupuncture needles are inserted into the points specific to your condition and left in place between 20 to 40 minutes while you relax. The acupuncturist can always remove needles or readjust them if you are uncomfortable at any point. The length of treatment will depend on the duration, severity of your health condition at the time. A typical course of treatment consists of four to six visits, whereas most chronic conditions may require more. Acupuncture works best as an accumulated therapy and once health is restored, clients return every one to three months for tune-ups.

Please note that in about 10-15% of cases, clients may experience an aggravation of symptoms in the first 24 hours following a treatment. We see this as a good sign! The aggravation should last no more than 24-48 hours, leaving the symptoms significantly improved. Acupuncture is a process: it is very rare for any acupuncturist to resolve a problem with one treatment. Regular acupuncture treatments have the ability to greatly improve ones quality of life and strengthen “weak spots”. We need you to commit to the process of treatment in order to get results. If you have additional questions about how acupuncture can help your situation, please request a free phone consultation with our licensed acupuncturist.

Is Acupuncture safe?

When performed by a properly trained professional, acupuncture is both safe and effective. Single use sterile needles are used exclusively and generally cause no or little bleeding or bruising. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse side effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used. Oriental Medicine practitioners undergo 3 to 4 years of rigorous training including over 700 hours of clinical instruction. In the State of Washington, acupuncturists are licensed and supervised under the Department of Health.