Frequently Asked Questions
What should I expect on my first visit?
Your first visit is devoted to gathering information about your goals for treatment, your medical history and important aspects of your life; it will also include your first treatment. Subsequent visits involve acupuncture and/or massage therapy treatments that are designed specifically for your needs. Chinese herbs, nutritional advice or Qi Gong may be prescribed to complement your treatment.
Does it hurt? Acupuncture needles are solid and very fine. They are the width of a human hair, and thus feel nothing like a doctor’s hollow injection needle. You will usually not feel the needle go in at all. What you will feel is a mild dull sensation as the needle touches the energy of the point.
Are the needles left in? In Classical Five Element Acupuncture most of the time the needles are inserted and then removed immediately.
How long are treatments? Treatments are between 45 mins. and 1 Hour long. The first treatment may be up to 1.5 hours. In this time the acupuncturist will take a full history spend time getting to know you and give you time to ask questions you may have.
How many treatments will I need? This varies between patients and the severity of the condition. Generally I like to see patients once a week for 3 or 4 weeks and then the patient and I decide the frequency of future treatments.
Are the needles sterile? Yes. Since the early 1990’s high quality disposable needles have become very affordable. We use brand new needles opened from individual sterile packages every treatment.
How do I know if my acupuncturist is well trained? The best way is to inquire into the practitioners’ affiliation to professional associations. These associations like the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork have very stringent qualifications that the practitioner must adhere to.
Are there any good books on 5 Element Acupuncture?
Recently some very good books have become available to the public.
“The Simple Guide to Acupuncture – The Five Elements” Nora Franglen
“Consitiutional Five Element Acupuncture” Hick Hicks Mole
Handbook of Five Element Acupuncture Nora Franglen
“Traditinoal Diagnosis ” by J.R. Worsley;
In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor by Peter Ekman
Characters of Wisdom – Taoist Tales of the Acupuncture Points by Debra Kaatz
“Treating a Earth C.F. using Five Element Acupuncture” by Gye Bennetts