Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which includes acupuncture, chinese herbology, nutrition and diet and lifestyle. TCM is thousands of years old and is based on the principle that energy flows like water through the body in a series of pathways, called meridians, which are similar to rivers and canals. Sometimes the energy (qi) flow is disrupted or diminished and we may experience discomfort including but not limited to muscular pain, headaches, digestive disturbances, swelling, skin irritations, excess mucous, foggy headedness, memory loss, stress, anxiety, irritability and other emotional imbalances.

These symptoms generally may occur with no organic problem, which means that a western medical doctor will not be able to find anything physically wrong with the body. That's where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other eastern healing modalities such as Zen Shiatsu can help. These modalities look at the body as a whole and group symptoms into categories that point to imbalance in the organs. Symptoms that are indicative of imbalance in chinese medicine occur long before an organic problem arises which is why western medicine often cannot find anything physically wrong. .

Acupuncture needles are hair thin and should not hurt. Sometimes when they are inserted, you may feel sensations like warmth, tingling, bubbling, or pressure under the skin. Sometimes an electrical sensation occurs; that sensation may remain local or follow a pathway to another part of your body. Sometimes people feel a tingling sensation in another part of the body. It varies from person to person. All of these sensations usually go away within a few seconds. My philosophy in treating patients is that there should not be pain upon insertion of needles. If there is pain, I remove the needle immediately.