FAQs About Acupuncture

However, you might feel something. Sometimes you may feel a prick—like getting a mosquito bite. You may feel tingling or fullness when I adjust the needles. But in most cases, you’ll forget about the needles as you rest on the table.

When people complain of worsening symptoms or fatigue from acupuncture, often it is actually a sign of healing. If your Qi has been blocked, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms as it resumes flowing. To understand this, imagine a garden hose with a kink in it. The kink stops the water from flowing; when you straighten it out, the water bursts out of the hose before it begins flowing normally again. Qi behaves the same way.

If you notice your symptoms getting worse after a treatment, contact me. I can suggest ways to reduce your discomfort and speed your healing.

But research has mixed results and it’s hard to weed through all the studies to come to a conclusion. Many studies about acupuncture are poorly designed with too small a sample or subjective results. Some studies focus on acupuncture for a single disease or condition and don’t translate their findings into broad conclusions. And of course, “acupuncture” is a broad term describing many techniques and many styles of practice. It’s hard to study all the variations.

One big stumbling block to proving that acupuncture works is that western science doesn’t understand how it works. There are many theories but none of them cover all the effects of acupuncture all of the time. Since scientists can’t figure it out, they continue to question if it really exists.

I think the biggest question to ask yourself is if you have seen results. Does acupuncture work for you? Do you feel better after an appointment?

Instead of answering each question individually, I’ll share a list of the types of conditions it helps. If you don’t see your condition answered here, call me. This list is not comprehensive.