If acupuncture did not work, I would not be here today.
Acupuncture changed my life! It may seem odd that a medicine several thousand years old would still be practiced today. Yet I have personally experienced its power in regaining equilibrium, as well as am continually astonished as to the results I see on an everyday basis in my own clientele.
Acupuncture is the gentle subcutaneous insertion of very thin, sterile, stainless steel needles into various locations throughout the body. While there are many different applications to the acupuncture technique, there are very fundamental aspects of it that make it effective in treating a very wide array of health issues.
Physiological Effects of Acupuncture Include Pain Relief, Decreased Stress, and improved Sleep & Digestion
Pain Relief. Acupuncture stimulates your body’s innate pain killers called endorphins. By stimulating endorphin production in the body, you naturally decrease your personal pain response!
Decreased stress. Living a chronically busy everyday life constantly activates the body’s stress response or the sympathetic, fight or flight nervous system. Acupuncture turns this response off, thus putting you in a rest and digest, or parasympathetic mode. In as little as 10 minutes, 1 acupuncture session can decrease your physiological response to stress, thus leaving you less anxious or irritable and ready to return to life renewed.
Better Digestion and Sleep. Decreasing your physiological stress response in the body not only affects your stress level. Stress hormones affect everything from sleep, digestion and mood, to liver function and blood sugar regulation as well. Regular acupuncture has holistic effects by decreasing stress hormones and promoting balance throughout the body.
What To Expect On Your First Visit
Are you nervous? I understand, I once walked through the door to my first acupuncture appointment too. In fact, that life-changing experience brought me to where I am today. During your first visit, expect me to spend a thorough amount of time looking into your habits, complaints, and current lifestyle. I’ll most likely ask you questions that won’t feel related to your main concern, however like a detective, my job is to tease out any signs or symptoms that could be contributing to your current state of being.
After a thorough intake, it will be time for a treatment. Treatments are performed on a massage table, include acupuncture, as well as any of the other techniques common to Oriental Medicine. The acupuncture itself is meant to be relatively painless, and depending upon your condition, may include anywhere from 5 to 25 acupuncture needles. The needles are sterile, stainless steel, single use needles that are comparable to the thickness of a human hair. Needles are retained for 20-30 minutes, at which time you will most likely experience a deep sense of relaxation and may even fall asleep.