What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the use of very thin single-use sterile needles inserted into the skin at specific points to generate a therapeutic response—relieving symptoms and resolving the root of the imbalance or lack of energy flow. Acupuncture helps stimulate the movement of life energy in the body.
Acupuncture is an embodied medicine that builds your relationship to your unique body.
Diagnostic information gathered from palpation (of your pulses, your abdomen, your meridians and body tissues), listening, observing, and asking questions all help build a diagnosis to determine the root causes of your pain or other symptoms; there is no cookie-cutter diagnosis. Every treatment varies depending on the story your body has to tell that day. The whole process—from diagnosis to needling to bodywork—reconnects you to your center, to your body and its innate healing wisdom.
Acupuncture eases pain safely and effectively.
Pain separates us from life. From migraines to menstrual cramps, sprained ankles to chronic digestive discomfort, acupuncture can be used to treat and manage pain. Acupuncture can treat many types of chronic and acute pain, including chronic low-back pain and osteoarthritic knee pain; it can reduce the frequency of tension headaches and even prevent migraines. You can use acupuncture as a stand-alone treatment to manage and treat pain, helping you avoid surgery and medications. Or, it can be used in conjunction with conventional therapies to reduce side effects and improve outcomes.
Acupuncture treats common ailments like fatigue, poor sleep, emotional turmoil and stress.
When the body’s energy, called Qi (pronounced “chee”), is blocked or diminished, we don’t have the energy we need to get through our day. Acupuncture nourishes your body’s internal movements—releasing stress and encouraging relaxation, balancing out sleep, energy, and mood swings.
Acupuncture treats acute and chronic conditions.
For thousands of years Chinese medicine practitioners have used acupuncture to treat acute conditions like the common cold and physical injuries, as well as more complicated chronic disease. Diagnosis takes into account the whole person, identifies the root causes of an illnesses and promotes innate healing. Current medical research continues to confirm the validity of this approach.
Acupuncture can help resolve trauma.
Many people develop health problems after experiencing trauma— from an injury, a surgery, a car accident or natural disaster, physical or emotional abuse, sudden loss or war and violence. Acupuncture helps resolve trauma and its accompanying symptoms without having to relieve the trauma.
Acupuncture balances emotions and returns you back to your center.
When anger, worry, envy, sadness, grief, or even joy go unexpressed or unresolved, your body begins to experience problems. Emotions are intended to move (after all, “motion” is imbedded in the very word). Your life-energy can no longer flows. Acupuncture helps reconnect you to your body and your feelings. Chinese medicine as a holistic health care modality can address emotional imbalances, moving you toward a more integrated and fulfilled life.
Acupuncture is about relationships.
Chinese medicine is based on an understanding of patterns as they exist in nature—and in the body. These patterns reveal relationships that guide diagnosis and the understanding of the body’s physiology. Possibly even more profound is the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient. You are not alone in your suffering. You are seen. Your story is held. We get better by being in relationship with others; the therapeutic relationship (that’s you and me) is a cornerstone of this truth. The relationships and connections you make in the treatment room regarding your pain and your body will translate into making changes in your life, letting go of old patterns that no longer serve you. As your practitioner, I am part of your healthcare team, supporting you in your healing every step of the way.