Needles and Sensation
Acupuncture needles are prepackaged and sterile. They are made of a high quality stainless steel and are discarded after each use. The needles are about the width of a human hair, much thinner than needles used for injections. When the needle is inserted you may feel a sensation, the feeling can be described as an ache, a grab or an electrical sensation. This feeling is unique to each point and lasts only for a moment.
Initial Visit
The initial session is 90 minutes in length. It includes a detailed intake with the acupuncturist that reviews your reasons for seeking treatment, health history and lifestyle. Orthopedic and manual muscle testing will be conducted to identify any musculoskeletal imbalances.
Subsequent Treatments
Subsequent treatments are 60 minutes in duration. There is a discussion on your response to the previous treatment, how you are feeling in the present and if any additional concerns have surfaced. This dialogue is followed by treatment.
Frequency of Treatment
The intention of treatment is not to mask symptoms but to correct the imbalance that is causing them. The nature, severity & duration of an individual’s concerns, along with their response to treatment will determine the course of treatment and the frequency. For some results can be profound and felt immediately. For others the effect may be more subtle and take more time. Typically clients are seen weekly to start. As an individual improves treatments are spaced out until a maintenance schedule is established.
Complementary Medicine
Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment and with most medications. Please provide a detailed list of medications during the initial visit and reports from any western medical imaging.
Acupuncture vs Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a broad term used to differentiate “non-injection” needling from the practice of “injection needling” which utilizes a hypodermic syringe and involves the injection of an agent such as saline or corticosteroid. Though it borrows from techniques used by an acupuncturist it is limited in scope. Dry needling is usually performed by a physical therapist. Orthopedic acupuncture is similar in style to the dry needling being performed by physical therapists.
If you have more questions about this comprehensive and compassionate style of medicine, Beck is available for a complimentary phone conversation or personal meeting prior to the scheduling of a first treatment.
