La Verne
Acupuncture
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does acupuncture hurt?

A. Modern acupuncture needles come in a range of sizes from very thin wires to fairly thick needles. The thinner the wire, the less the sensation. Some acupuncturists still prefer to use the older-style, thicker needles and believe a patient should feel some pain in order for acupuncture to work. If anyone tells you they had acupuncture and it was painful, that acupuncturist was almost certainly using the thicker needles.

In my practice, 90% of the thousands of patients I have treated had never been treated with acupuncture before and most came in concerned that the treatment would be painful. Over nearly 20 years, not a single patient has ever found the treatments painful. In fact, most find the treatments very relaxing and some even fall asleep during the time the needles are in place!

Q. What kind of conditions can acupuncture treat?

A. While acupuncture is best known for its ability to treat pain, it can also be effective for a very wide range of medical problems. The reason for this is because acupuncture helps the body to more effectively heal itself. The human body constantly struggles to maintain balance (homeostasis) and instantly reacts to any disruption of its delicate balancing act. However, for a variety of reasons, sometimes the body is unable to restore balance and pain and/or illness is the result. Acupuncture helps the body to better focus its healing efforts and gain control over the problem. This is why acupuncture can help so many disorders from internal problems such as hormone imbalances or disorders of the organs or glands, to such varied problems as anxiety disorders, tobacco addiction, chronic fatigue, weak immune systems, infections - including colds and flu, neurological problems such as recovery from stroke, neuropathy, and others.
More Info on Conditions Treated with Acupuncture

Q. Is there anything acupuncture can not treat?
A. Nature endowed humans with the ability to heal most problems and acupuncture helps us to do this. There are some problems that the body cannot heal and acupuncture cannot help these problems. Our bodies are unable, for example, to dissolve a bone spur or repair a severed spinal chord. But, while acupuncture cannot make something such as a bone spur disappear, it can sometimes help relive the pain associated with a bone spur. Please feel free to contact us for more information about any particular condition. For more information on this subject, please see my book: The Healing Power of Acupuncture and Acupressure; A Complete Guide to Timeless Traditions and Modern Practice

Q. How does acupuncture work?
A. Acupuncture was developed and refined to a high level at least 2,000 and perhaps more than 5,000 years ago. The ancient Chinese who developed acupuncture understood it to work by balancing the flow of qi in the body. Today, scientist around the world are trying to understand how acupuncture works in terms of modern science. Researchers have found that acupuncture can cause a complex range of chemical changes in the body including increasing white blood cells and producing different pain-killing endorphins. The most promising research strongly suggests that acupuncture stimulates the brain to increase its role in regulating the body’s healing processes. For more information on this subject, please see my book: The Healing Power of Acupuncture and Acupressure; A Complete Guide to Timeless Traditions and Modern Practice

Q. How many treatments are needed?
A. The number of treatments needed vary by the type of condition and individual characteristics of each patient. As a general rule, problems that recently began (acute) require fewer treatments and may improve after the first 1-3 treatments. Long standing problems (chronic) usually take longer to respond and a greater number of treatments overall. Most acute problems will require from 2-6 treatments in total while chronic problems may require a dozen or more treatments. Most patients are seen twice a week at first then reduced to once a week or less. For more information on this subject, please see my book: The Healing Power of Acupuncture and Acupressure; A Complete Guide to Timeless Traditions and Modern Practice