Lafayette Acupuncture & Functional Medicine - Benjamin Dierauf, LAc

Guasha, also known as ‘scraping’ or ‘dermal friction’, involves the use of an instrument with a rounded edge such as a Chinese soup spoon that is scraped along your skin after your skin has been coated with oil. This technique makes for a deep tissue bodywork therapy and the results can be dramatic. Like suction cups, this technique may leave bruises on the skin that disappear after a few days.

Cupping (or myofascial decompression) uses glass suction cups that stick to your body because of a vacuum inside of the cup. The cup sucks in and resets your body’s tissue (skin, fascia, muscles, nerves, veins, and arteries), breaks up adhesions, and the relief is often immediate. This treatment became very popular at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. From an East Asian Medicine perspective, the cups are sucking out stagnation and dampness from your body, and increasing circulation to help your body heal more quickly. Cupping may leave circular bruises on your skin (‘medical hickies’) that go away after a few days. It’s also become very popular in Beverly Hills, where Hollywood starlets are often photographed leaving their acupuncturist’s office with purple circles on their shoulders/back.

Moxibustion, or moxa, is another technique for stimulating your acupuncture points that uses heat. An herb called Artemisia (mugwort) in the form of a cigar or cone is placed close to an acupuncture point and burned. You’ll feel a pleasant warm sensation as the heat slowly penetrates the skin and activates the acupuncture point. Unfortunately the smoke can be overwhelming for some, but there are modern devices that simulate the infrared wavelengths created when the mugwort is burned. These devices, however, are expensive but worthwhile given the benefits of moxa treatment. There are also styles of moxibustion that use very small amounts of burning mugwort that are applied directly to the skin that and are tapped out before they can burn the skin. These styles also create much less smoke.

East Asian Medicine has roots in China that go back 2000-3000 years and is based on the philosophy of Daoism (aka Taoism), which views health, life and the universe through the interaction of Yin and Yang energies (hot/cold, expanding/contracting, active/still, diffuse/dense). In this paradigm, health is defined by the appropriate balance of these phenomena within and with the universe, which is in a state of constant change. East Asian Medicine defines health as a question of balance, vs. the Western scientific view that defines health by the absence of disease. It helps your body recover balance without resorting to harsh/dangerous drugs or surgery. Using acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and other methods, it is a safe, gentle, and subtle but powerful force for 'positive' or 'balanced' change.

This question ”Are Chinese herbs safe?” is legitimate, given that there are thousands of animal, vegetable, and mineral products used within Chinese herbal medicine. The short answer is “Yes!” Chinese herbs are extremely safe in comparison to Western medicine, where pharmaceutical drugs are the third leading cause of death. Some traditional substances are no longer used. For example, at one point in Chinese history lead and mercury were used as part of longevity formulas. Its now know that these elements are harmful and no longer used. There has been a lot of change in China over the past few of decades as its economy has grown dramatically, unfortunately, with very little pollution regulation and it is prudent to use high quality Chinese herbal medicine preparations. Make sure that your practitioner uses herbal products only from companies that do rigorous independent testing for pesticides and heavy metals, and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification.

As part of your Acupuncture & East Asian medical treatment, you may be prescribed a Chinese herbal formula for you to take, often as tablets or capsules. Chinese herbal medicine is a highly refined system of natural medicine that uses plant, animal, and mineral products to harmonize organ systems and gently adjust your body’s physiology back into balance. This complements the acupuncture that you may also be receiving. A Chinese herbal formula usually has anywhere from 5 to 20 herbs in it, and we’re looking at 15-100 active chemicals affecting change. Because the actual dosage of each particular chemical in a traditional Chinese formula is so low, this makes the chance of side effects very low and the herbal formula very safe. In contrast, a conventional drug is composed of a large dose of a single pure chemical, and this greatly increases the risk of side effects. A useful analogy compares how a sledgehammer creates change versus many small levers.

Acupuncture needle retention lasts for about 30 minutes. This gives your body’s qi or energy enough time to finish one complete circuit of the body. The treatment tables are heated; there is soothing music in the background – it’s all very relaxing and restorative, and patients often fall asleep and experience the ultimate power nap.

Acupuncturists typically use anywhere from 5-15 acupuncture needles in a treatment session, with an average of about 9 needles. Your body’s sensitivity to acupuncture and your health condition determine how many acupuncture needles would be needed, along with the style of acupuncture that your acupuncturist uses.

Yes, in the hands of a licensed acupuncturist, acupuncture is very safe. Occasionally (1 out of 20 times or so) there may be a drop of blood when a needle is removed. If this happens, the practitioner will immediately wipe and apply pressure with a sterile cotton ball. Acupuncture needles are so thin you won’t be able to see where the needle was located. Very rarely there may be a bruise caused by an acupuncture needle. The most dangerous events, pneumothorax or organ puncture, almost never happen with a licensed acupuncturist. Infection is non-existent – as only sterile disposable needles are used and there is no hollow tip for bacteria to hide. Perhaps the most convincing fact that describes why acupuncture is safe – malpractice rates are extremely low for Licensed Acupuncturists compared to other health professions – about $700/year for $1 million/$3 million coverage.

The initial acupuncture visit usually takes you about 1-2 hours. After completing the initial paperwork, your practitioner will confidentially discuss your symptoms and health history in detail. As Acupuncture & East Asian Medicine is holistic in nature, this means a lot of questions. They range from how your energy fluctuates during the day to what your sleep and digestion are like. Your practitioner may also gather information by observing, listening, touching injured areas, acupuncture points and channels, feeling your pulse on both wrists, and observing your tongue. They will then administer an acupuncture treatment. Patients usually lie comfortably on their back and get treated on the front of their body. If needed, you may also lie on your stomach with a comfortable headrest and cushioning to get an acupuncture treatment on your back.

Generally speaking, Japanese culture is more squeamish about pain. As a result, Japanese acupuncture needles are much thinner, insertion is shallower, and there is less stimulation of the needle in the body.

If you feel anything with acupuncture, it's usually no more than a light pricking sensation upon insertion‚ but everyone is different and this varies from person to person. The super-thin solid needles of acupuncture feel completely different than the much wider hollow-tubed hypodermic needles used for drug/vaccine injection, which can often be quite painful. Hypodermic needles unfortunately create an unnecessary and unrealistic phobia around the acceptance and use of acupuncture needles. After insertion you may feel the movement of qi/energy in the form of a tingly, warm, cool, or electric sensation - this is a positive sign. The next thing you should feel is a sense of deep relaxation as naturally occurring endorphins and opiates get released in your body and initiate the healing process.

Acupuncture is one the primary treatment methods of East Asian Medicine. It uses the gentle, shallow insertion of very thin sterile stainless steel needles into specific spots on your body called acupuncture points to stimulate and reinforce various healing processes in the body.