Curious about Acupuncture?

Reproduced from Sonas Acupuncture blog written by  our Acpuncturist Carol Cooke on 12/9/16

In talking to people about what I do, I notice some recurring ‘headlines’ to the conversation…. I decided to have a go at discussing 3 of these here. My FAQ page answers some common questions but there’s always more to discuss! If you’re curious about Acupuncture, read on….

Hold the front page: Acupuncture does not have to hurt!
One of the biggest surprises for people who come to the clinic is that Acupuncture is not a painful experience. “Oh! I didn’t feel anything” is becoming a commonly heard phrase in the clinic!

If we’re not familiar with Acupuncture needles, our only association with having needles inserted into our bodies might be receiving injections or having blood taken at the Doctor or Hospital. Acupuncture needles are not like this:

• They are extremely fine needles that are designed to subtly stimulate the body’s natural autonomic responses.
• They are not thick enough to cause the sensations we associate with the type of medical needles we might be familiar with (the commonly quoted statistic is that you can fit 24 Acupuncture needles inside the end of a standard hypodermic needle… that gives you an idea just how fine these wonderful tools are).
• They can create strange sensations, like a momentary tingle or prickle around the area being treated. This is the norm.

So, Acupuncture practiced by a qualified Traditional Acupuncturist is not a painful experience. However, it can be a relaxing experience. Many patients are very surprised at how deeply relaxing it is.

Acupuncture works on the whole system – this means it can help with a broad range of conditions
People are naturally curious about what Acupuncture can do… can it help with x, or y, or z? The fantastic thing is that Acupuncture is beneficial to almost all conditions as it helps with the underlying root imbalances that can cause these conditions to occur.

The gardening analogy is one that is used to describe this system a lot. So, if you had a plant that didn’t flower as well as expected, and seemed not to be thriving, what would you do? A gardener’s response would be to assess the conditions – the quality of the soil it was in, the amount of water it was receiving, the level of sunlight, shelter and space it had – and consider each of them in balance. You wouldn’t focus on the shrivelled flower head and tackle the problem there – until you get the right conditions, the same problem will keep occurring. This is exactly the same as the way a Traditional Acupuncturist looks at our health. We consider any imbalances of the whole system, which can influence which ailments we seem more prone to as individuals.

Acupuncture can be a short, medium or long-term part of your life!
“How many treatments will it take?” is another common question. The short answer is it varies hugely.

Historically, Acupuncturists in China were paid to keep their patients healthy – if any patient developed illness, this was viewed as a failure on the Acupuncturist’s part and they were not paid! In this way, Acupuncture is viewed as sustaining balance. But once we have developed a condition or ailment – which is when we in the West often seek treatment – it can take some time to restore balance. This depends on the severity of the problem and how long it has been an issue. Some conditions are cleared in 3-6 appointments, some take longer. If it is an acute condition it may only need 1 session.

It can be necessary to have regular treatment initially, to get on top of the problem, so often we recommend weekly treatment for up to 6 weeks. Following this, appointments can be spaced out, until it becomes ‘maintenance’ of health, only as and when the patient feels the need. This is very much tailored to the individual.

…more ‘Acupuncture Headlines’ coming soon!

If this has sparked any other questions in your mind please get in touch!