What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture involves the insertion of sterile, fine needles into specific points of the body for the purpose of treating disease and increasing health. The acupuncture points form a series of 14 channels or meridians established over 2,500 years ago in China.

How does acupuncture work?

Traditionally, acupuncture works by affecting the flow of natural energy called "qi". The ancient Chinese thought that "qi" flows through the body in channels like water flowing through streams and rivers. It includes but not limited to blood circulation and the nervous system. One simple example of what "qi" feels like is to think of a time when your leg has "fallen asleep" and becomes numb as when you cross your legs, and then tingles when it "wakes up" again as you uncross your legs. The return of blood flow and nerve sensation is what constitutes at least some of the "qi" although Traditional Chinese Medicine would say that it is more than just these physical sensations. In other words, "qi" is an energy at the most basic level of existence, that is the quantum level and it pervades everything in existence. In my practice, I treat "qi" as a natural created force.

When would I choose acupuncture?

Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as effective in treating over 50 conditions. The following is a list of the conditions I treat: anxiety, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, constipation, dental pain, depression, diarrhea, digestive trouble, fatigue, fibromyalgia, headache, hiccough, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, low back pain, migraine, morning sickness, pain, PMS, sciatica, shoulder pain, sleep disturbances, smoking cessation, stress, tennis elbow, wrist pain.