A – When done properly acupuncture does not cause the patient to feel uncomfortable. If we are treating pain and it is severe then we will not needle close to it. Instead needling distally toward the limbs is a preferable method until we can needle a bit closer. Acupuncture causes a dull heavy sensation around the needle and sometimes you might feel sensations travel from the needle into and along the body. Once you get use to get you understand there is nothing to panic about. In most cases a patient begins to feel very relaxed after being needled and some even drift off into sleep!
A – The goal of acupuncture is to rebalance the body. We are not “adding” anything to the body when performing acupuncture as compared to let’s say prescribing herbal medicine. Instead we are reorganizing however the way you walk in through the door as. As an analogy you can compare yourself to a river or stream. A healthy river will always be flowing. I am not just talking about blood circulation within the body although that is of great importance. Rather viewing the body and self with all it’s mechanisms of movement as an conduit or medium for change. Too many times we become “stuck” – physically/emotionally/mentally. This inhibits the body and impairs it’s functional abilities. In a way an acupuncturist is like a traffic light, gently redirecting the traffic within your body….and in some cases cleaning up after the accident!