Frequently
Asked Questions

There are many ways to look at the concept of Qi. Qi can be understood as the animating life force of all living things, as well as a way to think about the body’s innate intelligence and self-healing capacities. It’s the basis of all physiological activity in East Asian medicine and a very important component of diagnosis and treatment. It can also be thought of as the way a medicine or treatment modality can influence or help catalyze a positive healing response in an individual.

Depending on the duration, severity, and nature of your complaint, you may need only a single treatment. However, a series of 5-10 treatments is more commonly necessary. Chronic, complex, and longstanding issues can take longer to see more robust improvement. Degenerative conditions may require many treatments spread out over time. To reduce the number of treatments needed and increase efficacy, I may suggest herbal formulas, dietary recommendations, meditation/relaxation techniques, and exercises.

The practice of acupuncture involves obtaining a therapeutic response from the body through the insertion of extremely thin, sterile, single-use-only needles. Acupuncture promotes natural healing, improved bodily function, and a deep sense of well-being. From a Western biomedical perspective, acupuncture helps to improve blood flow and microcirculation, calm the nervous system, induces the body to release “feel good” and pain-relieving neurochemicals, releases muscular tension and adhesive constrictions, helps to stimulate the immune system, and more. Acupuncture treatments help to address imbalances and disharmonies that have become patterned in the connective tissue, muscles, viscera, and nervous system, as well as the cranial rhythms and energetic (Qi in East Asian medicine) system.

It’s a good idea to take it easy the rest of the day, avoid strenuous exercise or events, as well as intoxicating substances, and stay hydrated in order to help your body integrate the treatment.

The effects of an acupuncture treatment are not always immediate. I recommend my patients check in with themselves to assess their pain level/how they are feeling 2-3 days after a treatment.

Licensed acupuncturists and herbalists go through a 3-4 year masters level training program involving classroom study, clinical practice, supervision, and extensive study of biomedicine. Acupuncturists in the state of Colorado are overseen by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). National certification requires passing board exams that demonstrate high-level proficiency in acupuncture, herbal medicine prescribing, and Western biomedicine. Practitioners go through a recertification process every 4 years.

Acupuncture orients to East Asian medical theory, point location, and channel/meridian pathway. Trigger point/dry needling is a style of needling that can be effective in releasing tight muscular junctions and treating myofascial pain. It involves inserting a needle into a targeted tight location (called a “trigger point”) causing the taut muscle tissue to unwind and release. Both approaches can be effective for treating pain and I use both in my clinical practice.

Not all patients respond positively to the practice of trigger point/dry needling. When performed incorrectly, it can be needlessly painful and unpleasant, causing the body to contract and guard. It can also be needlessly unpleasant when trigger point/dry needling is performed vigorously on tendons and ligaments, or small muscle groups.

It’s also important to remember that the area where the symptoms are being experienced is not always responsible for causing the pain. As an example – a patient experiencing recurring pain in the right shoulder (ruling out for major tears in the rotator cuff or AC joint separations/fractures) may get only limited relief from local trigger point/dry needling treatment because what is actually causing the pain is a different structure in the body pulling on the shoulder.

Yes, they are safe when prescribed by a licensed practitioner. The tradition of East Asian herbal medicine has been around for thousands of years. Many herbs in the pharmacopoeia are recognizable to many people in the west including ginger, goji berries, dates, ginseng, mint, and astragalus. I only prescribe herbs from companies that meet the highest standards in quality and safety.

Not if the formula is correctly prescribed for the patient. Although certain conditions may require taking herbs over a longer period of time, signs that the herbal formula is working should be apparent to both the patient and the practitioner from the beginning.

Yes – when prescribed by a licensed practitioner of East Asian medicine. Certain herbs and formulas are contraindicated for patients who are pregnant or are nursing, so it’s important to consult with a licensed practitioner with experience treating women’s health conditions.