Expectations

Although in China an individual may receive a dozen or so treatments merely as an introduction to intensive treatment, the expense of such an approach is often prohibitive in this country. We recommend that patients have two or three sessions to see if the acupuncture is effective before trying other options. Some people get relief immediately after a treatment; some notice improvement after a few hours, some after a few days. Usually by the end of the fifth day after a treatment people know if they've been helped by that particular treatment. Some conditions require several treatments; some do not respond at all. The number of treatments, then, varies with each person and condition. It is important to know that sometimes the symptoms become worse after a treatment and may remain so for a few days before there is any relief. This is a good sign because it indicates that the symptom is treatable and that the acupuncturist has found the vulnerable or affected area. Moreover, people sometimes have fleeting pain in other parts of their body after a treatment and may even experience a temporary return of symptoms that they haven't had for years. Again, this indicates that the energy is moving and trying to re-balance itself.

 What conditions does it treat?

In the late 1970s, the World Health Organization recognized the ability of acupuncture and Oriental medicine to treat nearly four dozen common ailments,

• including neuro musculoskeletal conditions (such as arthritis, neuralgia, insomnia, dizziness, and neck/shoulder pain
• emotional and psychological disorders (such as depression and anxiety)
• circulatory disorders (such as hypertension, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis and anemia)
• addictions to alcohol, nicotine and other drugs
• respiratory disorders (such as emphysema, sinusitis, allergies and bronchitis)
• and gastrointestinal conditions (such as food allergies, ulcers, chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, intestinal weakness, anorexia and gastritis).

In 1997, a consensus statement released by the National Institutes of Health found that acupuncture could be useful by itself or in combination with other therapies to treat addiction, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma.

Other studies have demonstrated that acupuncture may help in the rehabilitation of stroke patients and can relieve nausea in patients recovering from surgery.

The World Health Organization, the medical branch of the United Nations, issued the following list of conditions that can be treated safely and effectively with acupuncture:

acne ~ anxiety ~ arthritis ~ asthma ~ back pain ~ Bell’s palsy ~
bronchitis ~ bursitis ~ cerebral palsy ~ colds ~ colitis ~ constipation ~
deafness ~ depression ~ diabetes ~ diarrhea ~ dizziness ~ earaches ~
eczema ~ flu ~ hay fever ~ headache ~ hemorrhoids ~ hepatitis ~
herpes ~ high blood pressure ~ hypoglycemia ~ impotence ~ indigestion ~
infertility ~ irregular menses ~ insomnia ~ menstrual cramps ~
morning sickness ~ neuralgia ~ pelvic inflammatory disease ~ poor eyesight ~
premenstrual syndrome ~ ringing in the ears ~ sciatica ~ sinus infection ~
sore throat ~ sprains ~ stiff neck ~ stroke ~ tendonitis ~
trigeminal neuralgia ~ ulcers ~ vaginitis

 What is involved in Acupuncture Diagnosis?

From its ancient beginnings to this day, Acupuncture diagnostic procedures Center on finding blockages and imbalances of Chi.The following outline gives only a glimpse into some ancient diagnostic procedures which, at first, may seem strange to Western patients, although for untold centuries these procedures have proved reliable for Eastern patients.

• Pulse Diagnosis
  
  An intricate expert evaluation of the pulses reveals excesses, deficiencies, disharmonies of Chi and what organs are involved.

• Observation of the Patient
  
  Noting color and condition of the tongue, texture and condition of the skin, of the hair, of the voice-its strength or weakness-high or low pitch-hoarse-throaty. Answers here confirm many health issues.

• Interrogation of the Patient
  
  Seeking a history of the illness, the patient’s feelings, lifestyle, diet. All of those, as well as emotional problems may contribute to Chi ‘s imbalance.

• Physical Examination
  
  Feeling for tender Acupoints is a reliable diagnostic tool because certain Acupoints are related to specific areas and functions of the body, and tenderness may relate to a specific problem.