Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine: FAQ

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world, originating in China more than 2,000 years ago. Acupuncture is also one of the key components of Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) that includes many other integrative therapies.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of sterile, disposable, fine needles into specific points located near or on the skin’s surface. Adjunctive techniques may include cupping, gua sha, heat therapies, herbal medicine, acupressure, and electroacupuncture. According to research, 14 million Americans have used acupuncture at some point in their lives.

What does acupuncture feel like?

Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair thin. Most patients report feeling a sensation of warmth, tingling, or pressure during the insertion of the needle with minimal or no pain. Some people are energized by the treatment, while others feel relaxed. Everyone’s experience is unique.

How does acupuncture work according to Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the body as a delicate balance between two opposing components: yin and yang. In TCM, yin and yang represent the foundation and activity of all of the major physiological systems in the body. Health is achieved and disease is prevented by maintaining the body in a balanced state of yin and yang. This concept is very similar to the concept of homeostasis in Western medicine. Physiological health is viewed as an intricate balance between yin, yang, and another energetic element: qi (pronounced chee).

Qi is thought to be the essential energy which stimulates all of the important physiological functions of the body. Qi is often translated as breath, vital energy, or vital force. Qi circulates through the body within fourteen major meridians or pathways. Again, this concept is similar to the way blood circulates through major vessels or lymph travels through the lymphatic system.

These meridians function as the connections between major organs, muscles, and tissues of the body to maintain this delicate balance of yin, yang, and qi. When an imbalance occurs, the acupuncture points along these major meridians can stimulated by acupuncture needles to help the body self-heal and return to homeostasis.

What are acupuncture points?

Acupuncture points are areas where the qi in the body is thought to be the most accessible. Preliminary research suggests that acupuncture points have different electrical resistance in comparison to non-acupuncture point tissue. Researchers also theorize that acupuncture points have special properties such as neurovascular innervation. The acupuncture points used today are the same ones mapped out in ancient Chinese texts 2000 years ago.

When the body is experiencing pain, discomfort, or disease, Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that an imbalance is occurring in one or more of the meridian systems. The acupuncture points located on these meridians can be stimulated by acupuncture to unblock, restore, and reconnect the flow of qi, yin and yang.

These points can be stimulated in other ways such as vibration, electroacupuncture, or massage. Each acupuncture point has a unique set of indications and functions according to Chinese medical texts. In essence, these points along the body allow acupuncturists a way to stimulate all the major physiological systems of the body.

Does acupuncture work according to research?

According to the National Institute for Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture in 1997, acupuncture has been shown to be effective for several conditions. Over the past few decades, research has shown acupuncture to be effective for several women’s health conditions including: infertility, endometriosis, PCOS, and pregnancy-related concerns. Multiple studies have also shown acupuncture to be effective for chronic pain, autoimmune conditions, and gastrointestinal conditions.

If you are interested in learning more about what the research says about acupuncture and many of these conditions, read our: Top 10 Women’s Health Reasons to Choose Acupuncture.

Several theories have been proposed as to how acupuncture may work from a Western perspective. Acupuncture may regulate the nervous system, endocrine system, or circulatory system. Studies also suggest that acupuncture may aid the activity of endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. Other research suggests that acupuncture has a direct effect on the brain by regulating neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Further research is likely to uncover additional conditions where acupuncture interventions will be useful as well as how acupuncture creates change in the body.

How long does acupuncture take to work?

Acupuncture works to treat the root cause of many disorders of the body. It takes time to stimulate the body’s own natural healing process. Therefore, the course of acupuncture treatment depends on the person’s health history, severity of the condition, as well as many lifestyle factors.

Once a patient notices a change in their symptoms, this typically signals that a permanent shift in the body’s physiology has taken place. Acupuncture also helps to optimize all of the body’s physiological functions. This means that patients often experience improvements with their chief concern, as well as noticing other health benefits as the body begins to work more efficiently.

Are there other modalities typically combined with acupuncture?

Additional modalities such as electroacupuncture, ear acupuncture, acupressure, cupping, tui na, gua sha, nutritional counseling, and herbal medicine are all considered to be integral parts of Traditional Chinese Medicine. These modalities are combined often with acupuncture for a wide range of health concerns. Today, the amount of evidence-based research is growing in support of acupuncture in combination with these adjunctive therapies as they have become a valued treatment method for numerous conditions.

What should I expect during my first visit?

Acupuncturists view the body from a holistic approach. The body’s signs and symptoms help an acupuncturist form a diagnostic impression based on a pattern of symptoms. This is why your acupuncturist may ask you several questions about your overall health that may seem unrelated to your primary concern. During the first office visit, acupuncturists typically spend over an hour reviewing your health history, chief complaint, and any other factors that may impact your health. An acupuncturist may also ask to look at your tongue and take your pulse as these are considered to be two vital tools in forming an accurate diagnosis in Chinese Medicine.

Following a comprehensive health history, patients typically have their first acupuncture session. These sessions usually last 30-45 minutes depending on the condition being treated. With any new patient, I take some time prior to starting the acupuncture treatment to explain what patients may expect to feel, why I am using certain points on the body, and some basic acupuncture theory. Following an initial acupuncture treatment, we review a comprehensive plan of care. This treatment plan is designed to treat the symptoms that patients are experiencing, as well as the root cause of the condition.

More About Acupuncture

OMBE is celebrating 15 years of service in Massachusetts! Additionally, we are now scheduling in-person acupuncture sessions for our South Shore and Cape Cod clients. Telehealth consultations are available for all of our Massachusetts clients living in the Boston area, North Shore, and Western Massachusetts.

Learn more about us, read our organic health philosophy, or schedule an appointment. Contact us for any questions about appointment scheduling, acupuncture services, or integrative medicine. We look forward to hearing from you!