Does Acupuncture Hurt?

Unlike the needles used to give injections, the filaments used in treatments are extremely fine, only 2 times the width of a single hair.  Acupuncture needles are designed to enter the skin with the least resistance.

Most patients are surprised to discover that treatments involve little or no pain. Treatments are usually quite relaxing.  You can expect to feel a light tingling, a feeling of heaviness, warmth, or numbness at the acupuncture point.

How Quickly Will I Respond?
Everyone is different.  Acute problems like a sore throat may be resolved in a single session.  With chronic problems, it may take many treatments to achieve significant relief.  The total number of treatments depends upon:

       1. The severity of a person's condition
       2. How long the condition has existed
       3. The overall state of health, energy
           and motivation for lifestyle changes.

Our sliding scale allows patients to receive the many frequent treatments that may be necessary to address long-term conditions.

What About Cost?
We offer an affordable sliding scale to work with your budget.  No proof of income is required.


How does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture may seem mysterious to those who are unfamiliar with such practice and techniques. But acupuncture employs scientific methods that have been tested over the centuries on a variety of illnesses and conditions with positive results.

Your brain is signaled when the needle is positioned.  The brain responds by increasing blood cell counts at specific locations, stimulating various other immune system elements, and activating neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters send information to all of the cells in your body in order perform the bodies various functions.

Endorphins and enkephalins are neuro-transmitters known to stop pain and increase a feeling of well being.  Acupuncture causes the release of these natural substances from the brain.  Athletes may be familiar with these effects through what is regarded as a "runner's high".  Other common experiences of endorphin release are the excitement of a new adventure, or the feeling of falling in love.

Aside from recognizing acupuncture’s effect on pain, researchers are still exploring exactly how acupuncture aids the immune system.  We now know that certain blood counts and immune enhancing chemicals stay elevated for at least 3 days following an acupuncture treatment.

A Note about Sterilization: