Is acupuncture good for me?

Acupuncture is good for:

• Anxiety related symptoms and stress

• Dental pain

• Headaches, including tension headaches and migraines

• Menstrual cramps

• Infertility

• Morning sickness during pregnancy

• Neck pain, back pain and low back pain

• Osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia

• Fatigue

• Respiratory disorders, allergic rhinitis and asthma

• Addiction

• Tennis elbow

• Myofascial pain

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• Chemotherapy induced and post-operative nausea and vomiting

• Post-stroke sequelae

Is it safe? 

The risks of acupuncture are very low if you have a competent, licensed acupuncture practitioner using single use sterile filiform needles. The most common side effects are related to the site of needle insertion. Numbness, heaviness and tenderness are quite frequent but they only last for a couple of hours, at most. Bruising around the insertion sites some times happen, yet they disappear in a couple of days.

What is the difference between a Licensed acupuncturist and a Certified one?

Certified

In New York State, a certified acupuncture practitioner is a licensed physician or dentists who use acupuncture in their professional practice. In order to achieve this certification they have to attain at least 200 hours of instruction in acupuncture and at least 100 hours of supervised experience acceptable by the NY Department of Education.

Licensed 

In NY State, a licensed acupuncturist is someone who completed and approved a professional acupuncture program registered by the New York State Education Department and the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) or another accrediting agency accepted by the Department as a reliable authority, or the equivalent.

An acupuncture program must consist of a minimum of 4,050 hours of classroom instruction, supervised clinical experience, and out-of-classroom or out-of-clinic study assignments. 

An acupuncture program is composed of:

• At least 200 classroom instructional hours in the biosciences including anatomy, physiology and pathology

• At least 600 classroom instructional hours in acupuncture including acupuncture principles; acupuncture channel and point theory; acupuncture physiology; acupuncture pathology; acupuncture clinical examination and diagnosis; acupuncture techniques; acupuncture treatment principles; and sterilization and precautions

• At least 650 hours of supervised clinical acupuncture experience in general health problems to include acupuncture diagnosis; therapeutic treatment planning; acupuncture needling technique; moxibustion; electroacupuncture; pre- and post-treatment instruction; contraindications and precautions; treatment of emergencies; when to refer to appropriate health professionals; and acupuncture hygiene

I am a licensed Acupuncturist

What happen on my first visit?

After all paperwork is done (20-30 min), we are going to talk about your chief complaint. Then, I’m going to ask a lot of questions about your general health (past and present). I’m going to take your pulse and ask you to show me your tongue. Depending on the Chinese pattern discrimination, then I’m going to give you Tui Na (Chinese medical massage) and/or insert the needles. After the needles are placed I’m going to let you rest for about 15-30 minutes. when the time is done I’ll came back to the room and remove the needles. Needle removal could be followed by Tui Na, Ba Guan Fa (cupping), Gua Sha (soft tissue mobilization) and, some liniment.
During this time I’ll answer questions and give you recommendations on movement, posture, diet or lifestyle that can help you with the healing process.

How can I get the most out of my treatment?

For the best treatment results, keep a few things in mind:

• Please show up on time

• Don’t eat a large meal before your visit

• Don’t come if you are very hungry, eat something light before your appointment

• Wear loose, comfortable clothes. In case you need, we can provide you a medical gown and/or shorts

• Refrain from overexertion, drugs or alcohol for at least six hours prior and after the treatment

• Follow your treatment plan between visits

• Keep all of your appointments, as the effects of acupuncture are cumulative

• A short visit to the “washroom” before the treatment is highly recomended to avoid any “urgent” needle removal. And is also helpful to enjoy your treatment.
  
  

What happen if I feel uncomfortable and I have to interrupt the treatment?

I will give you a “call button” that you can press in the rare event that you need to interrupt the treatment.

Can I move when the needles are inserted?

To a certain extent, yes. You can adjust your arms and legs, lightly stretch your arms and legs. You can reposition your head and stretch your neck. Small natural movements are completely allowed. If you need to perform bigger movements I highly suggest that you call me (by pressing the button) and ask.

Do you use herbs?

I personally don’t use herbs. Patients interested in herbal medicine will be referred to a trusted colleague with formal herbal training. We will work together to select a custom formula that best suits your needs.

How deep does the acupuncture needle go?

There are several considerations. It will depend on the selected point, the region of the body, the affected tissue and the manipulation technique chosen. That being said, needle insertion varies from 0.3 inch, just below the skin, to 3.5 inches, in big muscles. Commonly, it’s around 0.5 to 1.5 inches. I am a licensed acupuncturist with more than 5000 hours of training, I approved several anatomy courses, hundreds of supervised clinic hours and approved all national board exams to be able to practice in NY state.

What are the acupuncture side effects?

First, it is important that you make sure that you are receiving acupuncture from a licensed acupuncturist.

As with any other medical intervention there are some side effects that are common. Around 10% of patients report that they have experienced some side effects like:

• tiredness

• pain/tenderness in the site of the insertion

• headaches

• bruising on the site of the insertion

• drowsiness, worsening of the symptoms

To see entire list follow the link below. The good news is that around 90% of the patients do not report any side effect.

If you want to read more about, please follow this link to Andrea’s post in The Channel Project.

Do you do “Dry needling”?

Short answer: I do much more than just “Dry Needling”!!!

If you are interested in the full answer visit my Blog post published on Sep 28th, 2021 here.

Do you have parking?

Yes, the clinic has a big parking lot and the specific parking spaces for people with especial needs are clearly marked and closer to the entrance. My office is in the first floor. Take a short virtual tour here