Huntington Coast Acupuncture
Is acupuncture safe?
The simple answer to this question is yes! It has been used for well over 2500 years to help billions of people to get well and stay healthy. All without drugs and surgery. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practioners in 1996. The FDA requires that acupuncturists follow strict safety guidelines and use only sterile, non toxic needles that are labeled for single use only.
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Naturally, people associate needle pain with their past experience with hypodermic needles. You can fit close to 10 acupuncture needles inside the tip of one hypodermic needle. Acupuncture needles are tiny, thin and flexible, about the size of a cat's whisker. Once the needles are inserted, some patients may experience a mild tingling or a sensation of fullness, along with an increased sense of relaxation. These are all quite normal and suggest that the treatment is working.
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Each patient is different. The initial phase of the treatment plan is usually between 4-10 visits. The length of treatment depends on how long the condition has been present and how quickly the patient responds to treatment. Generally, if a condition is more acute, patients respond faster than if something has been chronic.
Do acupuncture needles hurt?
How many treatments will i need?
What other treatment methods do acupuncturists use?
Acupuncturists use various treatment methods to restore and maintain health.
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Acupuncture - Tiny, disposable sterile needles placed gently into specific acupuncture points
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Herbs - Chinese herbal medicine draws from a pharmacopoeia of thousands of herbs for specific conditions.
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Moxibustion - The dried leaf of mugwort is rolled into a stick or placed on the end of needles, then burned as a warming therapy during treatment.
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Oriental nutrition- Specific foods used to strengthen, rebuild and balance the body.
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Qi Gong- Specific movements and breathing exercises used to improve health and vitality,
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Electro-acupuncture - Acupuncture points are stimulated using a safe and gentle electrical current
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Acupressure/Tuina - A massage technique that stimulates the meridians, facilitating the flow of Qi.
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Gua Sha - A gentle scraping of the skin surface using a Gua Sha tool to increase circulation of Qi and blood
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Cupping - Using glass or bamboo cups to create a vacuum in order to increase warmth and circulation.
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Tai Chi - Movement exercises that help develop harmony and balance, and promote maximum health.
How does acupuncture work?
Scientists and doctors have come up with theories to help explain the benefits of acupuncture.
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Neurotransmitter Theory - Acupuncture stimulates the release of specific neurotransmitters that affect immune system function.
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Autonomic Nervous System Theory - Acupuncture stimulates the release of nor-epinephrine, acetylcholine and several types of opioids, affecting changes in the autonomic nervous system, and reducing pain.
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Gate Control Theory - Acupuncture activates specific receptors that inhibit the transmission of painful stimuli.
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Vascular-Interstitial Theory - Acupuncture affect the electrical system of the body. This facilitates healing by allowing the transfer of material and electrical energy between normal and injured tissues.
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Blood Chemistry Theory - Acupuncture can both raise and diminish peripheral blood components, thereby regulating the body toward homeostasis.
Acupuncture has helped billions of people over the past 5,000 years.
Acupuncture care helps to relieve symptoms and signs of many health problems. It can also uncover the underlying root cause(s) of those symptoms.
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The goal of this dynamic and integrated health care system is to acticate the natural, self-healing abilities of the body. It can also strengthen. and support the bopdy to prevent future illness and disease. Acupuncture is safe, natural, drug-free and effective. The perfect way to get well and stay healthy.