FAQ

We believe that the benefits of acupuncture should be available and affordable to everyone.  At Five Elephants Acupuncture your treatment is given in a shared space with screen dividers between beds.  This allows our acupuncturist, Becky Flynn, L.Ac., to move more quickly between patients, charging less for each session.

Everyone asks this.  Good news--it doesn't hurt. Really!  You may occasionally feel some sensation as the tiny, flexible needles go in.  Some people describe it as temporary pressure, aching, soreness, or even a little "zing."  This is the arrival of the qi (energy) at the acupuncture point.  Almost across the board, patients agree that acupuncture is very relaxing.  So much so that many have come to appreciate the added benefits of an acu-nap during their treatment.

For your first appointment, plan on 60-90 minutes. Then follow-ups run about 60 minutes in and out the door. After a quick consultation with Becky you will rest with needles in for 20-40 minutes. 

Most patients will see satisfactory results within 3-10 treatments given over the course of several days, weeks, or months depending on diagnosis. 

In alphabetical order as recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO): addiction (alcohol, drug, smoking), anxiety, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, colitis, common cold, constipation, dental pain, depression, diarrhea, digestive trouble, dizziness, dysentery, emotional problems, eye problems, facial palsy/tics, fatigue, fertility, fibromyalgia, gingivitis, headache, hiccups, incontinence, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), low back pain, menopause, menstrual irregularities, migraine, morning sickness, nausea, osteoarthritis, pain, PMS, pneumonia, reproductive problems, rhinitis, sciatica, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), shoulder pain, sinusitis, sleep disturbances, smoking cessation, sore throat, tennis elbow, trigeminal neuralgia, vomiting, and wrist pain.  Quite a list. 

Chinese Medicine believes that in a healthy state qi and blood should be flowing through the body in a smooth, predictable way.  Any disturbance to this flow creates a health condition.  These substances may become stuck (body pain, limited range of motion), deficient (low energy, cold extremities), counterflow (acid relux, vomiting), or affected in other ways.  Acupuncture and the complementary techniques offered at Five Elephants seek to remove the imbalances and correct the qi and blood flow to their normal, healthy state. 

Acupuncture needles are very safe.  Mild bruising or tenderness are the only unpleasant side effects that are even somewhat common.  The needles used at Five Elephants Acupuncture are all sterile, single use, and disposed of immediately after removal.  Becky has been trained and certified in Clean Needle Technique.  The needles she uses are so thin (.15-.25 millimeters in diameter) that they are easily flexible. 

Most likely not, but it depends on what brings you in for treatment in the first place. In general acute conditions, those that come on suddenly, tend to respond fairly quickly and usually only require a handful of treatments.  Chronic conditions are often better addressed with more sessions spaced out over a period of time usually followed by semi-regular "tune-ups." 

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes.  Make sure you have hydrated well through the day and eat so that you are neither famished nor full.  Be on time!  For your first appointment, arrive 10 minutes early to fill out paperwork or bring completed forms (see our "Forms" page) with you.

Yes and yes. 💛