Acupuncture is an ancient manual therapy that involves the insertion of sterile, single-use needles into specific acupuncture points and channels in the body. These channels or maps correspond to myofascial, lymphatic, circulatory, and neural pathways.

For example, we can regulate stress hormones like cortisol and glucose by stimulating an area on the lower leg that connects to the adrenal glands of the kidneys and the pancreas.

Fascia is the body's connective tissue system that penetrates and wraps around muscles, nerves, organs, and almost everything else in your body.

At your initial appointment, we will discuss your chief complaints, medical history, and a full review of your organs/systems. Then, given your presentation, I will feel your pulses and give you a rough idea of a treatment plan. Then the fun part happens, the treatment! You will get to lay on the table and receive acupuncture in addition to cupping, guasha, e-stim, RRT (rapid release therapy) massage, or moxa as needed. After inserting the needles, I'll dim the lights and let you rest for about 15-20min on your own.

Acupuncture turns on the parasympathetic nervous system, the 'rest and digest nervous system. So most people leave feeling highly relaxed, less anxious, and refreshed. It's common to feel mild soreness for the first 24hrs after a session if we are working on muscle tension.

First things first, acupuncture does not need to be painful to work. I adapt my needling style and the number of needles I use to my patient's needs and comfort. As I insert each needle, I'll give you breathing cues and check in by asking about you about your bodily experience and sensations.

We are sentient beings. Perceiving sensations are a sign of healthy tissues, nerves, and circulation. Common sensations of acupuncture are deep, heavy, achy, and warm. When needling into motor points for pain symptoms or myofascial dysfunction, we like to see a muscle twitch or jump. The spasm in the muscle does one of two things; it can stimulate the nerve to activate in cases of atrophy or relax the tissue in hypertensive/tight muscles. These sensations generally last only moments before you lose awareness of them. If a point is continuously uncomfortable, I'm happy to remove or adjust it.

The frequency and number of treatments are dictated by three things - Severity, chronicity, and your consitution.

Severity asks, "How bad is your symptom / chief complaint?" Of course, the more severe the presentation, the longer it takes to treat.

Chronicity asks, "How long has your chief complaint been present in your life." Generally, the more acute a condition such as a cold, flu, sinus infection, or anything with recent onset will resolve faster than an issue going on for a long time.

Constitution asks, "Do you have a strong baseline of health" Do you live a healthy, clean lifestyle in terms of diet, sleep, exercise, mood, and spirituality? Were you born with any genetic or autoimmune diseases? Did you have any trauma, be it physical or psychological, in your past?

No! Acupuncture & Herbal medicine restore healthy physiology, i.e., the body's natural functioning. This is why we take extra time at your initial appointment and follow-ups to review your medical history and ongoing symptoms/evolution of your case.

Where is acupuncture is a holistic medicine that treats the underlying cause of dysfunction to treat the symptom. Dry needling is only used to treat muscle pain, whereas acupuncture is used to treat muscle pain AND the underlying cause. Professionals who dry needles are only licensed to treat the local area of pain. Take the example of low back pain. While a dry needler would only needle the low back to treat the pain, an Acupuncturist would needle the low back and points a lot to the channel, such as the back of the knee and ankle.

Another critical difference between the two is education and experience. A licensed and nationally board certified Acupuncturist like me studied acupuncture for four years and completed 1000+ hours of clinical internships in a supervised setting. Folks who dry needles are often chiropractors or physical therapists. While they certainly know a lot about the body, the training they receive to dry needle is sometimes as minimal as a weekend-long continuing education course. So, whoever you permit to stick needles in your body, ask them about their training and education!