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Call for an appointment
425-746-8589
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Bellevue Acupuncture Clinic
Proudly serving Seattle and Greater Eastside since 1993
Frequently Asked Questions
Please click on each underlined questions for answers.
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What is acupuncture?
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Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM), a comprehensive system of health care with a continuous
clinical tradition of over 3000 years. Acupuncture and TCM are based on an
energetic model in comparison to the biochemical model of Western medicine. The
ancient physicians discovered a system of cyclic energy called Qi (pronounced chee) flowing in the human body along specific pathways. Each pathway, called
meridian, is associated with a particular physiological system and an internal
organ, and communicates with surface of the body at specific locations called
acupuncture points. Each point has a specific predictable effect upon the Qi
passing through it. Modern science has been able to measure the electrical
charge at these points, confirming the locations of the meridians mapped by the
ancients. Disease arises when state of imbalance occurs or flow of Qi is blocked
within the cyclic system. The functionality of acupuncture is to help remove the
blockage and restore the balance by stimulating specific points.
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I'm afraid of
needles. Does acupuncture hurt?
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Acupuncture bears no resemblance to the feeling of receiving
an injection. Acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, about the diameter
of a thick hair. In most cases, needle insertion only cause minimal discomfort,
which is no worse than a mosquito bite. Most patients find the treatments very
relaxing and many fall asleep during the treatment. |
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Are the needles
clean?
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Our practitioners
are certified in the use of "clean-needle technique" in
acupuncture and we only use individually packaged disposable and
sterilized steel needles. There is no risk of transmitting a
communicable disease using such needles. |
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How is acupuncture
done?
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Acupuncture uses
extremely thin, flexible sterile needles made of stainless
steel. There is nothing special in the needle- it is a tool to
balance body energy. There is often brief pain like a mosquito
bite as the needle passes through the skin. As the needle begins
to work and the energy changes, there may be numbness, heat,
dull aching or tingling. |
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How long does a
treatment session take?
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For first time
visit, our practitioners will conduct a comprehensive initial
examination, diagnosis and treatment, which takes one and an
half hours. Subsequent treatments are scheduled for one hour. |
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How many treatment
sessions do I need and how often?
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The nature,
severity and history of each individual's complaint, as well as
the individual himself or herself, determine the number of
treatments necessary. From five to fifteen treatments are
generally adequate for the majority of chronic complaints. Many
acute conditions may only require a single treatment and some
degenerative conditions may require scores of treatments. The
primary focus of Chinese medicine is on correcting the
underlying cause of illness and thus produce a lasting cure.
Symptoms can often be relieved in a relatively small number of
treatments; however, the curing of illness itself is a much
longer process.
Typically,
treatments are given once per week for the first six to eight
weeks. As the patient improves, visits are reduced to once every
ten days, two weeks, once a month, and so on. |
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What do I expect to
happen at each treatment?
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Prior to each
treatment, patients have ample time to talk about how they've
been, how they feel, and what's happening in their lives, which
is essential information for practitioners to determine exactly
the treatment that is called for at that time. The pulses are
read and moxa and/or needles are applied. The response to the
treatment will be assessed by reading the pulses. Often, after
treatment, the patient will spend a few minutes simply relaxing,
lying on the treatment table, to allow the energetic changes to
settle in. Dietary and other lifestyle recommendations will be
discussed at appropriate times throughout treatment.
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What conditions does
acupuncture treat?
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See this page for answer, or |
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Click here for a list of disorders
that can effectively treated according to World Health
Organization (WHO). |
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