tcm/acupuncture

questions & answers

Is acupuncture safe? What about side effects? 
With modern sterile, single-use, disposable needles, acupuncture has an outstanding safety record. The NIH report states: "one of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions."
Rarely, patients experience temporary, mild worsening of symptoms before improvements begin to occur. Often the relaxing effects of acupuncture are so profound that patients feel a greater sense of well being and vitality.

What does Acupuncture feel like? 
Acupuncture needles are very different from hypodermic needles used for injections or blood sampling; they are twenty times smaller and generally painless. Patients typically have little or no sensation of the acupuncture needle insertion when applied.
To obtain a therapeutic response, needles are manipulated until the patient feels a light distending, cramping, warmth, or tingling around the insertion site. Sometimes these sensations are felt to travel along pathways in the body. The sensation typically subsides within seconds, but may be re-enforced through manual or electrical stimulation of needles (barely perceptible milli- or micro-amps).

What is an acupuncture treatment like? 
Acupuncture diagnosis and treatment begins with a detailed interview to obtain information about the patient’s medical history, symptoms and goals for treatment. The acupuncturist proceeds to perform a physical examination that begins with taking vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, etc.). The acupuncturist then inspects and carefully palpates the disease or injury site, and/or acupuncture vessels associated with the affected area. Special tests may be conducted to further define the nature and cause of the condition. The practitioner may also inspect the patient’s tongue and feel the qualities of the radial pulse, which give important clues to the patient’s overall health status. 
Information gathered from the interview and examination is used to reach a diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. If acupuncture is indicated, the practitioner chooses a combination of related nodes at locations that may include the limbs, torso, and head.

Acupuncture is usually performed with a patient lying comfortably on a treatment table. The acupuncturist inserts typically from four to a dozen needles at the chosen locations. After the needles are manipulated for a few seconds to produce a therapeutic stimulus, they are retained while the patient lies quietly for 45-60 minutes. Supplementary techniques may also be performed, including:

• warming of the needling sites with a smoldering Chinese herb called moxa;
• applying friction (gua sha), suction, or herbal liniments or plasters to the skin;

Chinese medical massage (tui na and acupressure).
Following a treatment, your practitioner may also recommend traditional Chinese herbal and dietary remedies, as well as exercises and stretches (taiji, qi gong, dao yin).

How many treatments are necessary? 
After the initial consultation, your acupuncturist will explain your diagnosis and discuss a treatment plan, including number of visits, expected benefits, costs, risks, and alternative treatments. The number of treatments required varies with each patient and their condition. 
Symptomatic relief is often felt during the first treatment. In many conditions, significant and lasting improvement is evident by the 3rd or 4th treatment, or even sooner. Chronic or complex conditions may require 1-3 treatments per week for several months. More recent conditions may be effectively resolved after only a few treatments. Q: What does modern research say about acupuncture efficacy? In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus report that concluded "The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western Medical therapies…There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value" (NIH 1997) .

Is belief necessary for acupuncture to work?
No. Beneficial effects of acupuncture have been demonstrated on animals and children, as well as on adults who have never received acupuncture before. Other studies have shown that acupuncture effects are not dependent on psychosocial variables . As with any medical modality, a positive and open attitude towards healing can only serve to re-enforce the therapeutic outcome.
Acupuncture can be used as a stand-alone treatment, or may be safely combined with other Chinese medical or conventional Western treatments. Patients are advised not to quit their current treatments without discussion with the physician who prescribed that care.

What are acupuncture "points" and "channels?"
Ancient Chinese studies identified over 600 sensitive sites on the surface of the body that reflect internal disease states, and can be stimulated for pain relief and other benefits. Modern science has found that these sites (usually called "points" or "nodes") have special properties including higher electrical conductance and inter-cellular communication, and a greater density of fine neural, vascular, and lymphatic structures. Working through the neural and vascular systems and through organizing networks in the body's electrical field, the nodes regulate muscles, blood vessels, lymphatics, organs, and the body's biochemical and hormonal balance

What is the role of acupuncture in modern healthcare? 
The extensive history of clinical usage, and the excellent safety record, make acupuncture a reasonable complementary treatment for almost all diseases and conditions. Acupuncture has almost no known contraindications, and is not reported to interfere with other treatment modalities. It may be safely used to complement and enhance other treatments, and to reduce the adverse side effects and complications that are sometimes associated with surgery, pharmaceuticals, and other more invasive procedures. 

For some conditions, conventional treatments may be contraindicated or deemed undesirable because of risks of inadequate or even adverse outcomes. Patients' prior medical history and experience may also indicate that they are not likely to respond well to certain conventional therapies. In these cases, acupuncture is a reasonable alternative. Acupuncture is a safe and conservative first-line treatment choice, not only for those conditions where its efficacy has been proved, but also where the efficacy, safety, or appropriateness or other therapies is in doubt.

Increasingly, acupuncture is being practiced in integrative medical settings in conjunction with conventional therapies. For example, acupuncture may combine with conventional therapies to reduce post-surgical pain and swelling, and increase range-of-motion. Using acupuncture lowers the need for pain-killing drugs and thus reduces the risk of adverse drug effects. The NIH report states: "One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions" (NIH 1997).

 

Can I claim treatments from medical aid? 
Yes; claims are not processed by us; you pay for sessions when in attendance.

 

Is Dr. Jeff Lan accredited and registered? 

Dr. Jeff is a registered acupuncture practitioner and doctor of Chinese medicine and has a practice number with the Allied Health Professions Council of S.A. (AHPCSA). Biography click here.

 

Why is your fee so nominal? 
The purpose is to allow patients to return; regardless of the amount of sessions it takes to obtain a full recovery. Health remains the first priority.

 

Why are there more sessions for some and less for others? 
Every condition manifests differently in each individual; same condition, different circumstances. No two treatments are alike; they may be similar.

 

Can I train after treatment and how soon?

Depending on the extent of ailment and treatment; some conditions require mild excises such as stretching, qi gong, taiji and meditation.

 

After a session; I find that acupuncture has treated some issues not addressed to the doctor; why is this? 
Treatment cannot be singled into one symptom, one treatment concept; many symptoms may stem from a single ailment. The body is a linked network system; treatment will cure as such.

 

How often is treatment needed.

This depends on the nature of the condition. Generally patients attend until the symptoms and root of the problem are fully treated.

 

Follow up treatments can range between 1 and 3 days after initial sessions. Acute conditions take far less time to heal than do chronic ones.

Seeking treatment early greatly reduces the length of healing time. This can range from 2 to 10 or more sessions dependant on ailment and recovery to treatment.

 

Can I maintain my body with acupuncture? 
Yes; like a car the body needs a regular service too; a recommended once a month session, helps to maintain the bodies balance.

 

Can I use it with Western Medicine? 
Absolutely! In fact, Chinese Medicine can help alleviate side effects of surgery and medication and aid certain “untreatable” conditions.

Just notify your practitioner of any medication you may be using to avoid interactions. 

 

Acupuncture can treat most conditions.

Dr. Jeff will advise when a condition is not treatable? 

 

 

Is it painful and sore when getting acupuncture.
If you are alive; then yes you will feel. The first "pain" is the finger pressing;  point location prior to needle insertion.

 

Energy surges happens on insertion or removal of needles. Like hitting the funny bone; or a sensation of warm, tingling, heaviness, or numbness can be felt after the initial insertion. This is the sensation of Qi and is normal and desired for a beneficial treatment.

Most patients generally feel relaxed both during and after the treatment. 

 

 

Possible reactions that could be felt after:
After treatment some patients may experience discomfort or further reactions. These can last for 1-3 days.

This is due to the fact the body is still responding to treatment.

The areas in the body that are affected are the places where the "Qi" is blocked, this is translated as "energy breaking through the channel".

 

Some patients feel 'spaced out' after a treatment or just deeply relaxed & sleepy. Care must obviously be taken if returning to work or driving after a treatment. This is simply an indication that the body is starting to re balance itself & is nothing to be concerned about.

 

 

Symptoms and reactions to treatments;

Differ From Person To Person

• Shooting sensation (same as hitting the funny bone) is an instant surge of blocked energy or involuntary body movement may occur.
• Emotional outbursts can also be experienced i.e. laughing, crying etc.
• With insertions and manipulation of the needle, various reactions are felt on different points causing different sensations i.e. dizziness, nauseousness or fainting; this is due to a strong imbalance that is being corrected.
• Bleeding after the needle is withdrawn or bruising may also occur. This is sometimes done purposefully to boost the immune system.
• Reactions to treatment can last up to 1-3 days after a session. This is due to the fact that the body is still responding to treatment.
• Relief can be felt immediately or delayed or the opposite could occur.
• Imbalance/illness develops gradually over time; treatments assist through stages therefore more than one session is often needed.

Acupuncture and dry needling what's the difference.
Acupuncture takes years of continuous study – needles are inserted up to 3 Qi (intrinsic energy) layers deep (1.5 to 3 inches) over the body along the constantly moving meridians. Treats deeper more intense and bigger proportion of ailments.
Dry needle therapy – can be done as a short course (weeks) and is practiced by most medical practitioners; needles is placed lightly in the upper layer of the skin; almost non penetrating also known as "painless" acupuncture. Treats milder conditions and ailments.

Are the needles reused? 

Never. We only use disposable needles; they are completely sterile.