Frequently Asked Questions

Acupuncture F.A.Q.

Q: What is acupuncture and how does acupuncture work?

A: Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into the body at specific points to restore harmony to one's energy flow.

Q: Does acupuncture hurt?

A: For the most part, no. However, if you're weaker in certain areas, you may feel a little pressure, soreness and/or numbness.

Q: Are the needles reused?

A: Acupuncturists today use sterilized, individually packaged, disposable needles to avoid the possibility of transmitting communicable diseases.

Q: How many treatments will I need?

A: It depends on the duration, severity and nature of the illness. You may need only a single treatment for an acute condition. A series of five to fifteen treatments may resolve many chronic problems. Some degenerative conditions may require more treatments over time.

Q: Could acupuncture conflict with any Western medical treatments I may be receiving at the moment?

A: No. Acupuncture basically stimulates your own immune system to cure the illness. However, if the patient is already physically too weak, we would recommend against getting acupuncture.

Chinese Herbal Medicine F.A.Q.

Q: Why herbal medicine?

A: Chinese herbal medicine is used as an addition to acupuncture to assist in the healing process. The herbs influence the organs and acupuncture channels, or also known as meridians.

Q: Are there any conflicts between herbal medicine and any medicine I may be taking now?

A: It completely depends on what medicine you're taking now. It's very important that you make sure your Chinese medicine practioner knows what other medicine you may be currently taking.

Q: What is herbal medicine made out of?

A: All herbal medicine are made with natural plants and minerals. The herbs are then cooked and made into either tablet or granule form. Finally, the herbs are tested in modern labs before they are released to the market. Our clinic carries Gloden Flower and KPC brand Chinese herbs.

Q: What does herbal medicine taste like?

A: Usually tonifying herbal medicine tastes a little sweet. Herbal medicine that clears heat tastes a little bitter. Herbal medicine that moves your qi, or energy, tastes a little pungent.

Q: Are there any side effects to herbal medicine?

A: In general, herbal medicine doesn't have side effects. However, if you're pregnant, there might be some herbs that you should avoid taking.

Moxibustion F.A.Q.

Q: What do you use for moxibustion?

A: Mainly mugwort leaf because it has strong warming and penetrating function to disperses cold and alliviates pain. Sometimes, we may need to add some other herbal medicine for special purposes.

Q: How do you do the moxibustion?

A: A moxibustion stick is lit and placed on proper acupuncture points necessary to create warmth and improve circulation.

Q: Why do I need a moxibustion treatment?

A: the main function of moxibustion is warming, so as long as there is a cold sign, such as constipation due to cold accumulation in the intestine or cold congealed in abdominal muscles then moxibustion in that area will help the movement of intestines. Moxibustion can also help with frost bites.

Q: How often do I need a treatment?

A: The practitioner will prescribe moxibustion treatment base on diagnosis. Usually if there is a cold, stagnation involved the moxibustion will take care of it.

Q: What does moxibustion feel like?

A: There are mainly two kinds of moxibustion treatment, one is direct moxibustion treatment which the moxa material will be placed directly on the skin. But to avoid any unnecessary inflammation we usually don't adopt this method in our clinic. The other one is indirect moxibustion which is conducted with ginger slice, garlic slice, salt and some other herbs as a medium between the moxa and the skin to enhance the moxa effect and to avoid unnecessary burns.

Auricular Therapy F.A.Q.

Q: What is auricular therapy?

A: Auricular therapy is a subject which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disease by the observation and use of the auricle. There are corresponding points on the ear for all the human organs, tissues and systems.

Q: How do you do auricular therapy?

A: After the regular acupuncture office visit interview we check the ear shape, size, skin texture, skin color, vessels mapping etc. with probe or electric detecting device to ensure the correct points are selected. After the points decided practitioner will use either filiform needle or vacarria seeds paster to apply on the selected points.

Q: What can auricular therapy cure?

A: Generally speaking, the auricular therapy can take care most of the disease or discomfort.

Q: How often do I need auricular therapy?

A: Usually the auricular therapy is done with body acupuncture. Some times, it can be just auricular seed therapy by itself if the patient really can't take any needle treatment. Discuss with your practitioner how often you need to come back and more details about how to do the auricular therapy.

Q: What does auricular therapy feel like?

A: For It feels like a mosquito sting and maybe a little soreness similar to the feeling of acupuncture. The vacarria seed paster usually feels warm on the spots. It's recommended to keep the seed pasters on for three to four days unless it falls off by itself before then.

Cupping F.A.Q.

Q: What is cupping?

A: Cupping is a method of treatment in Chinese medicine which a jar is attached to the skin surface to cause local congestion through the negative pressure created by introducing heat in the form of an ignited material. This type of treatment has been practice by the Chinese, the Arab and South American Indians for thousand of years.

Q: What does cupping do?

A: Cupping has the function of warming and promoting the flow of energy in the blood this dispelling cold dampness, toxic and winds. It is also diminishing swellings and pains.

Q: What kinds of problems can cupping cure?

A: Cupping responded very well with the following problems: Diseases caused by dampness, such as low back pain, lumbago, sciatica, pain the arms and shoulders, pain in the legs and muscular part of the body, stomachache, vomiting, headache, migraine, sprains, insomnia etc.

Q: What are the tools used in cupping treatment?

A: Ancient time people will use animal horn to suck out the pus, or they will use bamboo jar. Modern time we use glass jars which are easy to clean and easy to monitor the cupping progress. We use alcohol soaked cotton ball, ignite it and put it into the cup to create a vacuum then remove the cotton ball immediately and place the cup on selected position.

Q: What would happen after the cupping?

A: There is no pain involved during and after cupping. Usually if there is stagnation then the skin on the cupping area will becomes congested with violet colored blood stasis formation. It'll look like big hickies which will go away few days later.

NET F.A.Q.

Q: Does everyone have stuck emotional patterns?

A: Yes, we've found this to be true. While our emotions bring richness to our lives, many times they don't fully resolve on their own. When they don't, their residual charge can diminish our health, affect our relationships and sabotage our sucess.

Q: Why are stuck emotions stored in the body?

A: No one knows for sure. It seems emotions don't resolve properly at times when our body's resistance is compromised. Our job is to find these unresolved emotions and help you finally discharge them in a healthy way.

Q: Does this take the place of psychotherapy?

A: No. Locating and resolving these emotional snapshots from the past does not take the place of counseling, analysis or other types of therapy. Actually, many psychotherapists use NET in their practice. Rest assured that we make appropriate referrals as necessary.

Q: Why are homeopathic remedies sometimes recommended?

A: Since emotional patterns are stored in the body, long-standing negatively-charged emotional patterns can often deplete or weaken affected tissues. The remedies we use help promote healing and the return of balance and harmony.

Ear Candling F.A.Q.

Q: What is ear candling?

A: Ear Candling is a technique that dates back as far as Biblical times, when hollow reeds from swamp areas were utilized as candles. It has been passed down for many generations by the North and South American natives, (especially the Hopi Indians now located in Arizona), as well as the Egyptian, African, Oriental and European cultures. The process had been basically lost for numerous years, but has come back into practice again and is now being used by a wide variety of people.

Q: How does ear candling work?

A: The burning candle acts like a chimney and draws from the ear. The drawing effect, plus the warmth of the candle relaxes the body, thus giving back to the body the ability to heal itself. Once relaxed, the body starts to function naturally to heal itself, the wax starts to move again, the circulation returns to the whole head area. In the outer ear, we have reflex or pressure points, (the same as in hand and foot reflexology). As we work around the ear area, these reflex points are stimulated by the warmth of the candle and the stimulation of these reflexes can assist in wellness of other areas of the body as well.

Q: Does ear candling hurt?

A: Absolutely not! There is no discomfort. It is a very relaxing and soothing therapy. Most people nod off to sleep during this treatment.

Q: How long does it take?

A: It takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to burn 4 candles.

Q: At what age can ear candling treatment be performed?

A: This can be done on anyone over 3 years old. One of the main considerations in candling younger children is whether or not they can sit still long enough to perform the treatment.

Q: Who should not receive the ear candling treatment?

A: Anyone who has in the last year had any ear, nose, throat or sinus surgery or has had tubes in their ears in the last year. The same holds true of anyone with tumors in the ear, a punctured or bleeding ear drum or any other serious ear conditions.