323-620-4934If you’ve never had an acupuncture treatment before, you may be wondering: what’s this all about? Getting stuck with needles and lying still for 30 minutes doesn’t exactly seem relaxing! It’s easy to be skeptical but acupuncture is actually a 3,000-year-old treatment option that can aid with a number of ailments, from physical pain to digestion issues to anxiety and depression. Let’s take a look at some of the basics behind how acupuncture works.
Acupuncture, as WebMD notes, works by helping to activate the body’s own natural self-healing processes. It’s not a quick fix, or voodoo– instead it’s based on thousands of years of research on wellness and health.
As the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine notes, acupuncture targets specific points on the body that spur the body’s own natural responses. These acupuncture points – or acupoints – are stimulated by the acupuncture needles. Targeting specific points in an area of the body or along a particular energetic pathway can boost the immune response, or can provide pain relief by releasing dopamine and serotonin – the body’s natural pain killers.
During a visit, you can expect to start out much in the same way as you might when visiting your doctor – having your pulse checked and your tongue and abdomen examined while discussing your lifestyle and any specific issues you’re looking to address. Then, considering your specific concerns and complaints, your acupuncturist will place hair-thin needles into your skin, strategically placed based on thousands of years of study.
Your experience with the needles may vary. Some people say you can’t feel a thing, others say you may feel a slight twinge or prick at the site of the needle insertion. You also shouldn’t expect needles to be inserted directly at the site of pain. The root causes of your pain and the appropriate locations on your body to target with acupuncture may not be near the best acupoint, and your acupuncturist can answer any questions you may have during your session.
At WellStream Acupuncture, we work with patients who suffer from physical pain all over the body, emotional and psychological issues like anxiety and depression, digestion disorders like IBS, women’s health issues like menstrual problems, common cold, allergies and flu symptoms, and even cardiovascular issues like fatigue and hypertension. If you fall into any of these categories and are curious about acupuncture, check out our new patient info page or call 323-620-4934 to schedule your initial appointment today.