Acupuncture Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long will it take? How many sessions will I need?

A. The answer to these questions varies. A rule of thumb is that it takes about a month of treatment for every year a condition has been with you. In some cases, if it is an acute problem (one that you have had for only a week or two), one or two treatments might clear it up. A long-standing problem is more intransigent and takes longer to clear. I always tell people to allow 5 or 6 treatments before stopping treatment. Acupuncture has a cumulative effect, and it may take several treatments before you notice significant improvement. If things are not starting to get better after 5 or 6 treatments, then it is time to re-evaluate whether acupuncture is for you. Usually people notice changes and improvements after a couple of treatments.

The overall number of treatments varies with the speed of your healing. As a person gets older, generally, healing takes longer. Young people respond more quickly.

Q. Can acupuncture cure my migraine headaches?

A. The short answer is that acupuncture does not cure anything. What it can do is engage and bring into balance your own healing resources. You do the actual healing. Acupuncture helps to clear up blocks to healing and to strengthen your own abilities. The relationship you establish with your practitioner sets up an atmosphere, which encourages healing. A good outcome in the case of a person with migraine headaches would be that their headaches would be less frequent and less intense. And there may be other, seemingly unrelated conditions that get better as well. Maybe constipation goes away and sleep is better or there is more mental clarity and less anxiety. The same applies to other kinds of symptoms: emotional, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, etc. And it is important to remember that I will look at underlying imbalances related to your whole life, not just particular symptoms. By treating you at a deeper level we can make more profound and enduring changes and deal with imbalances that underlie your symptoms.

Q. What can I expect to get from treatment?

A. You will get my full attention, caring, respect and support and a well thought out treatment plan. Most people report that they feel more vital, are able to relax better and deal better with what life throws at them. You will get some homework assignments to further engage your healing and revitalizing. You can expect to know yourself better in body, mind and spirit.

Q. What kinds of specialized knowledge or training are needed to provide Traditional Acupuncture?

A. In order to practice Traditional Acupuncture one must have knowledge of Chinese diagnosis. One must also have familiarity with acupuncture points, their location and function. One must learn how needling points affects the body, mind and spirit. Diagnosis requires an understanding of Chinese cosmology as taught in ancient classics, especially the Nei Jing. In order to be licensed to practice acupuncture in the US, a person needs to graduate from a qualified acupuncture school and pass a national or state certifying exam. This is usually three or four years of post-graduate study. School curricula require about 3,000 hours of study, which includes acupuncture theory, point location, Western medicine, Chinese Herbs, the Chinese classics and clinical supervision of patients. The Traditional Acupuncture Institute (TAI Sophia), where I graduated, also offers classes on healing relationships. Most schools require you to be college graduate.