Tai Chi Acupuncture & Wellness Center

At an acupuncture appointment, you can expect to speak with the acupuncturist about what your concerns are. They may tell you where they will need to place needles so that those areas of your body can be easily reached. Once you are resting on the table, your acupuncturist will place the needles and also may place heating lamps to keep you warm while you rest. You will be given a "call button" to press and alert your acupuncturist that you need assistance, if needed. After resting with the needles placed for approximately 25-35 minutes, the acupuncturist will come and remove the needles. They may provide some acupressure or manual therapy after the needles are removed. After that, you will be given some time to get yourself ready and leave your treatment.

Cupping is a treatment where plastic or glass cups are placed strategically on the body, usually the neck and back, to encourage blood flow to the areas being suctioned. Some cups are vacuum suctioned to draw the skin up unto the cup, other styles can include glass cups which are applied using a small lit, long matchstick-like tool to create the suction. The benefits include muscle tension relief and detoxifying effects.

Cupping should not hurt. The sensation you may feel is a pressure or suction on the areas the cups are applied. The cupping often leaves circular redness or what will appear to be bruising, but that usually fades away completely within a few days.

There is no age minimum or maximum for acupuncture. Depending on the situation, children may not get a treatment where the needles are placed and they lay still for 30 minutes. For young children, an acupuncture treatment may consist of acupressure, press needles or auricular (ear) seeds.

Absolutely! It has been proven that acupuncture safely and effectively treats low back pain. Many insurance companies include this benefit in their insurance plan because acupuncture is a very effective treatment for chronic pain, especially low back pain. Low back pain can be caused by a number of factors including nerve pain, tight muscles, injury and inflammation. The ability to treat low back pain with acupuncture in lieu of pain killers and muscle relaxers gives another option for treatment that is not addictive or harmful to your body.

One thing to remember is that everyone is different. Some feel relief from their very first session, others may require several sessions to feel relief. Due to the individual's age, condition severity, current overall health and other factors, there is no set number of treatments per condition. The recommendation is 1-2x per week at first, until the condition seems to be relieved between treatments, then reduction to 2-4x per month, 2x per month and so on. Once the condition has reduced significantly enough, the acupuncture treatments can either continue monthly or stop until needed again.

There are little to no side effects of acupuncture treatment. That is one of the main reasons people choose acupuncture to manage their health conditions. Sometimes, there may be a small amount of blood from one of the needle points. There can be some bruising around certain points or due to other treatments during the session. Some may experience some emotional release during or after the treatment. This is due to the energy movement created during the treatment. All of these side effects are totally normal and should go away quickly. If you are experiencing discomfort that does not seem usual to you, it may be due to energy stagnation or muscle tension related to a previous treatment or recurring physical movement. If this happens, you may feel free to call your acupuncturist and discuss your concern.

People often feel very relaxed and calm after acupuncture treatments. You may also feel a little light headed or "spaced out". This can be due to the endorphins released during the needling process or perhaps if you may have taken a short nap during your treatment. We recommend drinking plenty of water and trying to get some rest after treatment.

After scheduling for first appointment, you will receive some paperwork via email which includes a Health History Questionnaire, Waivers and consent to treat forms. We also offer the forms upon arrival to your appointment if you prefer to fill them out in person. For your appointment, we suggest that you do not eat a heavy meal, but a small snack or light meal id fine. Try not to drink too much fluid before the appointment. You will be in treatment for 60-90 minutes, depending on the type of appointment,. We recommend wearing loose fitting clothing so the practitioner can easily reach the areas of concern. Sheets are also provided to help keep you warm and covered. You will be able to discuss all of you concerns during your consultation with your acupuncturist.