Acupuncture Treatment
Traditional acupuncture is based on patterns of nature which support and encourage the healthy expression of one’s physical well being and outlook on life. Vital energy, called ch’i, flows through the body in channels or meridians which support specific functions of physical, emotional and mental well being. In order to assess your needs, a traditional acupuncturist will ask a wide array of questions related to your symptoms, lifestyle, emotions and history. He or she will request to do an appropriate physical examination relevant to your concerns, read your pulse, and possibly examine your tongue for signs that help hone their approach to treatment. These symptoms are viewed in relationship to the totality of your life and medical history in order to explore the root cause of a condition or illness. The practitioner will then gently insert a few hair thin needles along the channels where chi is accessed and let you rest 20-30 minutes. Pulses will usually be read again after resting, thus completing your session. Typically, you will meet again in approximately one week to review your response to treatment and to continue establishing a new, healthier pattern. Initially, 4-6 treatments are suggested to assure the likelihood of a beneficial outcome. If we are so fortunate as to successfully alleviate symptoms and concerns, it is suggested that treatments continue seasonally thereafter, replicating the preventive approach to wellness as practiced in ancient China.
According to the World Health Organization, the National Institutes for Health, and clinical experience, Acupuncture is useful in the treatment of:
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Update: 2024
May and June are often my favorite months. Comfortable temperature, lower humidity, greenery, blue skies or nourishing rain, birdsong, frog symphonies and lighter clothing, to name just a few gifts. I learned from Chinese philosophy that after the heavens’ manifest gifts to the earth disappear in the autumn, they return resplendent in the spring and early summer offering gifts for us all to savor and finally harvest, share and store in the late summer.
I write this to encourage us all to keep emerging, just as we see new plants come up and out, no matter their surroundings. These past few years have challenged and limited us, as well as strengthened and expanded us, in ways seen and yet to be seen. We have known fear and isolation, discouragement and courage, hope and disappointment. While we may feel that we’ve moved on, we are likely carrying yet to be fully understood consequences of the pandemic and these politically...