Does acupuncture hurt?

You will feel a sensation with acupuncture, but you should not feel pain. Acupuncturists stimulate the needles to achieve de qi, or needling sensation, in order to get the proper therapeutic effect. You might feel heaviness, distention, tingling, warmth, or even a travelling sensation along the acupuncture channel. Most people feel very relaxed during the treatment and energized after.

Where do you put the needles?
Acupuncture needles are inserted in points located around the body. They are usually located on what are called "channels" or "meridians" which flow like rivers carrying energy and blood through the body's landscape. Needles inserted at these points adjust the flow of qi and blood to help the body regain a healthier state.

How many needles will I get?

Acupuncturists typically choose between 6-18 points for a treatment depending on the disease, patient, and even the season.

Are the needles clean?
The acupuncture needles we use are sterilized, metallic, solid, and hair-thin. After treatment, these single use needles are disposed of. New needles are used for each treatment.

How many times do I have to visit? How often?

This depends on the disease being treated. For acute disorders that respond quickly to acupuncture, 2-3 visits over two weeks may be all that is needed. For chronic diseases that need a longer course of treatment, one visit per week for 3-6 months may be required. Usually after six treatments we will know whether or not acupuncture is working for your condition.

How much does it cost?

For the initial visit, which typically lasts 90 minutes, the fee is $80. For follow-up visits, which typically last one hour, the fee is $65.

Will insurance cover this?

Insurance companies in the Midwest are increasingly covering acupuncture. If your insurance company does cover treatment, we would be happy to provide you with the necessary paperwork to get reimbursed.

What is TCM?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a 2000 year old healing practice which looks at the patient as a whole being. The practitioner creates a diagnostic picture which synthesizes all of the different problems a patient may have into a logical whole. In this medicine, diseases and symptoms are thought of as imbalances in the normal state of the body and treatment is applied with acupuncture and Chinese herbs with the goal of bringing the patient back to their normal harmonious state of balance. I believe that an enormously important part of this process is patient education concerning the causes of their illness from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective and what patients can do in their daily lives to help their treatment proceed as effectively as possible.

Acupuncture is an extremely effective method for moving energy within the body and eliminating points of blockage and stagnation. Acupuncture is done with extremely thin disposable needles inserted superficially at different points on the arms, legs and torso. These points are selected according to the patient's individual pattern and symptoms.

In general patients find the treatment relaxing and grounding with very little discomfort. The treatments usually last 20-30 minutes and are usually given 1 -2 times per week.

Chinese herbs have been used to treat illness for over 2000 years. They are especially effective in cases where there is a need to strengthen the body or supplement deficient organ systems. Herbs are prescribed in a formula with 12-16 ingredients specifically tailored to the individual patient's pattern of illness. With each visit the herbs in the formula change according to changes in the patient's illness and symptoms. The herbs I use all come from the millennia old tradition of use in China but are packaged in the newer, more easily usable form of granules. All the patient needs to do is mix the prescribed number of scoops with water and drink two times per day.

The diagnostic and treatment approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine makes it well suited to work in conjunction with Western Medicine. While western interventions often are successful at treating the symptoms of disease they often fall short of getting at the root causes. Traditional Chinese Medicine can help alleviate these root causes by helping the body's processes to return to their normal state thereby reducing or eliminating the need for further intervention.

Some of the problems which Traditional Chinese Medicine is especially good at treating are:
* Gynecological disorders including dysmenorrhea, fibroids and endometriosis
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other digestive tract disorders
* Infertility- both male and female
* Migraines and other headaches
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
* Asthma
* Seasonal Allergies
* Sleep problems
* After-effects of stroke