Vital Acupuncture Wellness Center

408-507-4281

Info@VitalAcupuncture.com

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: What is acupuncture?
  

• A: is an ancient holistic healing technique practiced in China for more than five thousand years. History has proven it’s effectiveness. It was derived from Taoism by observing seasonal change in the human body. By utilizing plants, food, minerals, and what Mother Nature offers us, a medicine of great wisdom emerged, was tested, and later perfected through the centuries. It is preventative medicine to strengthen our immune system, promote circulation of Qi (energy flow in our body) and to strengthen the blood. It increases functional ability and improves the quality of people’s lives. Acupuncture is now practiced around the world in Asia, Europe, and the United States.
  

• Q: What conditions can acupuncture help?
  

• A: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes for Health (NIH), acupuncture is effective in treating the following: · Chronic and acute pain: Including headaches, neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, and injuries. · Digestive disorders: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, colitis, and ulcers. · Eye and ear disorders: Tinnitus and Meniere’s disease. · Immune system diseases: AIDS and cancer supportive treatment and recurrent infections · Neurological disorders: Post-stroke recovery, Bell's Palsy , and Trigeminal Neuralgia. · Productive disorders: menstrual cramps, irregular menstrual-cycles, symptoms due to menopause, and infertility. · Respiratory disorders: asthma, allergy, bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat, colds, and flu. · Urinary disorders: cystitis · Addictions: Decreases or inhibits addictions to nicotine, alcohol and recreational drugs. · Others: depression, anxiety, insomnia · Beauty: Anti-aging face lift Click here to view “A Consumers Guide to Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine” (PDF file) published by Acupuncture Board of California.
  

• Q: Does acupuncture hurt?
  

• A: No, acupuncture needles are hair-thin needles made of stainless steel. It is designed to penetrate skin layers quickly and painless.
  

• Q: Is acupuncture safe?
  

• A: Yes, part of professional training of acupuncture is mastering how to administer needles safely, properly, including depth, locations, and choosing the size/length of needles.
  

• Q: How do you sanitize needles?
  

• A: Only disposable needles are used in our practice. They are not reused and later be sent to the medical waste processing plant to be destroyed.
  

• Q: Will you draw blood after inserting those needles?
  

• A: No, acupuncture needles are unlike those used in the hospital lab to draw blood. These needles are not hollow in the center and are primarily inserted in muscles/tissues.
  

• Q: What To Expect From Your First Treatment?
  

•  A: The initial consultation and treatment will take approximately an hour to an hour and a half. The consultation period allows you to discuss one on one with your acupuncturist about the problems you are having. Your acupuncturist should then ask other relevant questions regarding your health conditions to apply the proper treatment to heal and prevent your illness. There will also be examinations of your pulse and your tongue to help the acupuncturist understand your condition better and treat your illness. Information regarding the state of you Qi and status quo of your internal organs will be drawn upon by the acupuncturist, and treated to help you restore balance. A physical examination will be necessary for any muscular-skeletal related problems and may be treated through acupuncture. Each treatment may vary from person to person as it is tailored according to the individual’s condition. If acupuncture is recommended, expect anywhere from twenty to forty five minutes as the duration of the treatment. Electro-acupuncture is a commonly used today as a means to allow better flow of Qi through stimulation
  

• Q: Are There Any "Do's" and "Don'ts" For Me On The Day Of A Treatment?
  

• A: Yes. To enhance the value of a treatment, the following guidelines are important: - Do not eat an unusually large meal immediately before or after your treatment. - Do not over-exercise, engage in sexual activity, or consume alcoholic beverages within 6 hours before or after the treatment. - Plan your activities so that after the treatment you can get some rest, or at least not have to be working at top performance. This is especially important for the first few visits. - Continue to take any prescriptions medicines as directed by your regular doctor. Substance abuse (drugs or with or without alcohol) especially in the week prior to treatment, will seriously interfere with the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments. - Remember to keep good mental or written notes of what your responses is to the treatment. This is important for your doctor to know so that the follow-up treatments can be designed to best help you and your problem. After having a few treatments, you will realize the effects acupuncture has on you. So before you do know them, try to maintain the guidelines. You will be able to adjust them as you progress in your health status and your treatments.
  

• Q: Are There Any Side Effects To The Treatment?
  

• A: Usually not. As energy is redirected in the body, internal chemicals and hormones are stimulated and healing beings to take place. Occasionally the original symptoms worsen for a few days, or other general changes in appetite, sleep, bowel, or urination patterns, or emotional state may be triggered. These occasional reactions should not cause concern, as they are simply indications that the treatment is starting to work. It is quite common with the first one or two treatments to have sensation of deep relaxation or even mild disorientation immediately following the treatment. These pass within a short time, and never require anything more than a bit of rest to overcome.
  

• Q: How Many Treatments Will I Need?
  

• A: The number of treatments needed differs from person to person. For a complex or long-standing conditions, one or two treatments a week for several months may be highly recommended. For acute problems, usually few visits are recommended, and for health maintenance, four sessions a year are recommended and may be all that is necessary. The number of treatments might range from a few times a year to a few times a month, depending on the patient as well as the symptom.