Discover the Natural Healing Power of Acupuncture

Acupuncture works by promoting healthy circulation and balance throughout the body's meridians—the interconnected pathways used in traditional Chinese medicine. By encouraging the smooth flow of energy throughout these pathways, acupuncture supports the body's natural healing processes and can help address the underlying causes of many health concerns over time.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a safe and effective form of treatment with a history that spans thousands of years. Its enduring use across generations reflects its ability to support the body's natural healing processes and promote overall health and well-being.

During treatment, your practitioner uses sterile, single-use, disposable needles that are exceptionally thin—much finer than those used for injections or blood draws. These needles are gently inserted into specific acupuncture points to stimulate the body's natural healing response, improve function, and encourage balance throughout the body.

Acupuncture needles are inserted only to the depth required for treatment and are not placed deeply enough to contact bones or internal organs. Most patients experience little to no discomfort during insertion, and all needles are completely removed at the end of each session.

Advances in training, techniques, and safety standards have made modern acupuncture a highly safe treatment when performed by a licensed practitioner. Acupuncture may help relieve pain, reduce stress, support immune function, improve overall wellness, and, for some individuals, reduce reliance on medication as part of a comprehensive care plan.

What’s in Oriental Herbal Medicine?

Oriental herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years to support health, restore balance, and promote the body's natural healing processes. Herbal formulas are made from natural ingredients, including plants, flowers, roots, and minerals, and are carefully selected based on each individual's unique health needs.

Unlike conventional medications, which often focus on treating specific symptoms, Oriental herbal medicine takes a holistic approach by addressing patterns of imbalance within the body. Treatment is personalized, with each herbal prescription thoughtfully formulated according to its therapeutic properties, energetic qualities, and traditional uses.

Oriental medicine may also include complementary therapies such as herbal medicine, moxibustion, therapeutic massage, and nutritional therapy, all of which work together to support overall wellness.

Herbal formulas are available in several convenient forms, including capsules or pills, powders, decoctions (traditional herbal teas), and tinctures. Your practitioner will recommend the preparation that best suits your condition, lifestyle, and treatment goals.

After Your Treatment

Acupuncture has very few side effects and any that do occur are usually mild and self-correcting. They are uncommon and sometimes it causes patients to worry but these sensations are normal. Though these symptoms might be slightly uncomfortable, they are completely normal and no cause for worry:

Mild headaches or fatigue: These symptoms are not a sign that anything is wrong. Acupuncture is a cleansing and balancing of the whole body. As you heal, these symptoms will pass, and you will begin to feel better. After your session, you may feel tired for up to 3 days. During this time, your body is cleansing and eliminating the toxins and poisonous waste that builds up in the blood stream. Fatigue is part of the normal healing process and can be a positive sign that acupuncture is working. I encourage you to relax and take it easy for the first 1-3 days.

Itching and slight aching: Some people experience itchiness or soreness at or around the sites where the acupuncturist inserted needles. Occasionally, the sensation of itchiness or achiness can manifest in areas of the body where no needling occurred. This is because acupuncture needles trigger points that can move QI energy in other parts of the body. A bigger trigger point release can potentially cause residual soreness for a few days.

Muscle twitches or “flutterings”: Occasionally, patients will feel muscle twitches or a “fluttery” sensation at or around area where the acupuncturist inserted needles. These involuntary muscular twitching can also sometimes occur in areas far from the needling site. Like feelings of soreness, these sensations are a result of circulating QI energy.

Mild bruising or swelling at the needle point: Acupuncture works by stimulating certain points on the body with tiny needles that penetrate the skin and activate self-healing. Though the needles are extremely fine, they sometimes hit small blood vessels, causing a minor bruise to form in that area. It depends on the person, but some bruises may last several days before disappearing entirely. Though not generally too painful, little aches and pains may make themselves present after a session.