Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical therapies used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is simple, safe, and effective health care. Acupuncture practitioners use thin, sterile disposable needles inserted superficially into acupoints in order to help the body's ability to heal itself.

Acupuncture improves the body’s functions and promotes the natural self-healing process by stimulating specific anatomic sites--commonly referred to as acupuncture points. Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system. This, in turn, releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body's natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being

Not really. However, you may feel a bit of a pinch when the needles are tapped in, but this should ease right away. If you continue to feel a pinching or a burning sensation at the needle site, let your acupuncturist know. It means the needle placement may need to be improved. If on the other hand you are feeling a slight ache or heavy feeling near the needle, this is usually a good sign – a clue that the body is reacting in a productive way.

Everyone’s condition is unique, so you may feel results ranging from one to several sessions. We’ll assess your condition each session so you can understand your treatment journey. This depends on what you are wanting to be addressed, how long it's been present and your general state of health. Typically, short-term (acute) problems will respond within just a few treatments, while longer-term (chronic) problems may take up to eight or more treatments before consistent change occurs.

In the United States, acupuncture is commonly used as the treatment for: · ​Chronic & Acute Muscle Pain · Sports Injury Rehab · Migraines and Headaches · Arthritis Pain · Nerve Pain (i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome; sciatica; TMJ, etc) · Tendonitis (i.e. tennis elbow; frozen shoulder, etc) · Anxiety · Depression · Insomnia · Stress · Addiction · Tinnitus · Vertigo & dizziness · Involuntary muscle spasm · Bell's Palsy/facial paralysis · Post stroke recovery · Menopausal Discomfort · PMS · Fertility · Menstrual cramps · Irregular cycles · Prenatal / postpartum tune up · Constipation · Bloating · Indigestion · Regurgitation · Nausea · Cold & Flu Symptoms · Seasonal Allergy Case-controlled clinical studies have shown that acupuncture has been an effective treatment for the following diseases, symptoms or conditions: • Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever) • Biliary colic • Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke) • Dysentery, acute bacillary • Dysmenorrhoea, primary • Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm) • Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders) • Headache • Hypertension, essential • Hypotension, primary • Induction of labor • Knee pain • Leukopenia • Low back pain • Malposition of fetus, correction • Morning sickness • Nausea and vomiting • Neck pain • Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction) • Periarthritis of shoulder • Postoperative pain • Renal colic • Rheumatoid arthritis • Sciatica • Sprain • Stroke • Tennis elbow The following diseases, symptoms or conditions have probable evidence to support the therapeutic use of acupuncture: • Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm) • Acne vulgaris • Alcohol dependence and detoxification • Bell’s palsy • Bronchial asthma • Cancer pain • Cardiac neurosis • Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation • Cholelithiasis • Competition stress syndrome • Craniocerebral injury, closed • Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent • Earache • Epidemic haemorrhagic fever • Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease) • Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection • Female infertility • Facial spasm • Female urethral syndrome • Fibromyalgia and fasciitis • Gastrokinetic disturbance • Gouty arthritis • Hepatitis B virus carrier status • Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3) • Hyperlipaemia • Hypo-ovarianism • InsomniaLabour pain • Lactation, deficiency • Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic • Ménière disease • Neuralgia, post-herpetic • Neurodermatitis • Obesity • Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence • Osteoarthritis • Pain due to endoscopic examination • Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans • Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome) • Post-extubation in children • Postoperative convalescence • Premenstrual syndrome • Prostatitis, chronic • Pruritus • Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome • Raynaud syndrome, primary • Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection • Reflex sympathetic dystrophy • Retention of urine, traumatic • Schizophrenia • Sialism, drug-induced (excessive salivation) • Sjögren syndrome • Sore throat (including tonsillitis) • Spine pain, acute • Stiff neck • Temporomandibular joint dysfunction • Tietze syndrome • Tobacco dependence • Tourette syndrome • Ulcerative colitis, chronic • Urolithiasis • Vascular dementia • Whooping cough (pertussis)

We recommend wearing a loose shirt and pants. We will drape you with soft fabrics if it is necessary. We want you to feel relaxed and comfortable throughout your entire treatment.

Please make sure you have eaten a light meal or snack 1-2 hours prior to arriving for your treatments. Because acupuncture relaxes your muscles into a meditative state, some people prefer not to exercise immediately after. You shouldn’t experience any side effects. Some people might see minor bruising at the area of insertion, but this is normal. If cupping or gua sha is performed during the treatment, please make sure to keep the treated area covered for a least 3-4 hours after. Your acupuncturist will give you a handout for specific post treatment instructions if needed.

In areas of tissue dysfunction, these two techniques may leave what Traditional Chinese Medicine calls "Sha". These are the red, purple or brown marks commonly left after the treatment. They are not bruises and should not be painful. These marks are a good sign! It is believed that cupping/gua sha encourage blood flow—and this increased circulation promotes healing and reduce pain. The marks should fade within 5-7 days. *Many people enjoy showing their post-treatment marks, but if you are planning to wear low cut clothes where you don’t want marks then let us know. We can choose other modalities instead.

It depends. Acupuncture can help with nausea, heartburn, low back pain and sciatica, wrist pain, insomnia, stress and anxiety, urinary tract infections, threatened miscarriage and breech position of the baby. Many 'overdue' moms use acupuncture to help induce labor. In addition, after the baby's birth acupuncture can assist new moms to recover strength and build back reserves while helping to manage common postpartum problems like: depression, insufficient lactation, mastitis, night sweats, fatigue, and persistent uterine bleeding. However, if your have a high-risk pregnancy or you already have complications during your pregnancy, please consult your OBGYN first to ensure the safety of both you and your baby.

Yes. You can get the Facial Acupuncture 4 weeks after receiving Botox or fillers. Just be sure to inform your acupuncturist where you received your injections.