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Q: What conditions can acupuncture treat? A: The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture and traditional Oriental medicine’s ability to treat over 200 commonly encountered clinical disorders. Among these are: Gastrointestinal Disorders, such as food allergies, peptic ulcers, constipation, chronic diarrhea, indigestion, gastrointestinal weakness, anorexia and gastritis. Urogenital Disorders, including stress incontinence, urinary tract infections, and sexual dysfunction. Gynecological Disorders, such as irregular, heavy, or painful menstruation, infertility in women and men, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Respiratory Disorders, such as emphysema, sinusitis, asthma, allergies, and bronchitis. Disorders of the Bones, Muscles, Joints and Nervous System, such as arthritis, neuralgia, migraine headaches, insomnia, dizziness, and low back, neck, and shoulder pain. Circulatory Disorders, such as hypertension, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis, and anemia. Emotional and Psychological Disorders, including depression and anxiety. Addictions, such as alcohol, nicotine and drugs. Many Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders. Supportive therapy for many other Chronic and Painful Debilitating Disorders. Q: What does acupuncture feel like? Is it painful? A: Acupuncture bears no resemblance to the feeling of receiving an injection, since the main source of pain from injections is the larger diameter, hollow needle and the medication being forced into the tissue by pressure. Acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, about the diameter of a thick hair. In most cases, insertion by a skilled practitioner is performed with a minimum of discomfort. However, if the practitioner has obtained the correct stimulus of the needle, the patient should feel a dull ache, heaviness, distention, tingling, or electrical sensation either around the needle or traveling up or down the affected meridian. These sensations are the presence and movement of Qi. Despite these sensations, most patients find the treatments very relaxing and many fall asleep during the treatments. Q: What are the main objectives of treatment? A: There are three main objectives:
Q: How long does a treatment last? A: A first time visit will take one and a half hours and each visit thereafter will take one hour. Depending on the patient’s condition and the treatment plan, the treatment itself averages thirty minutes. Q: How many treatments are necessary and how often? A: Because each patient’s health problems and response to treatment are unique, the number and frequency of treatments vary. Typically for the patient with a disease of the internal organs, the trunk of the body, or an old, chronic injury, the recommendation is two to three treatments per week for two to three weeks. By doing this, the practitioner is able to see if acupuncture is a good treatment to use and if treatments should continue until the patient is satisfied with the results. For the patient with an acute injury, the recommendation varies. This patient may need only one treatment or a couple treatments in a row depending on the disease condition, the patient’s body constitution, and the type of injury. In general, acute conditions require less treatment than chronic conditions. Q: What can I expect from an acupuncture treatment? A: Each acupuncture visit will start with a brief discussion of your condition with the acupuncturist. You will then be asked to relax while the practitioner performs the treatment. Depending on your condition, there are a variety of techniques that may be used in your treatment in addition to acupuncture:
Many patients experience results in the first treatment. Some patients experience immediate full or partial pain relief, which may last indefinitely or only a couple of hours. In a few cases, there may be no immediate relief but pain may diminish over the next couple of days. Generally, you should expect to feel better and with more treatments, you should see a consistent decrease in pain. A: In the hands of a Licensed Acupuncturist, your safety is assured. The needles used come in a sterilized, individually wrapped, disposable form. Each needle is used only once and then properly disposed of. This practice eliminates the possibility of transmitting a communicable disease by a contaminated needle. Q: What brought acupuncture to the United States? A: In the early 1970s American newspaper reporters covering President Richard Nixon’s visit to China wrote about a “miraculous” healing art virtually unknown in the US. The method immediately caught the American imagination. According to the news reports, instead of using chemical anesthetics, Chinese acupuncturists were able to block the pain of surgery using only tiny acupuncture needles inserted into the patient at specific points. Even more astonishing, it was said that these simple acupuncture techniques relieved a wide variety of human illness, and had worked reliably for people as their only form of medicine, along with herbs, through thousands of years. That publicity brought acupuncture into great demand by many Americans, some of them seeking a last resort remedy for serious afflictions. However, at the time, this demand was impossible to meet. There were only a few acupuncturists in the United States, so it took several years for acupuncture colleges to establish themselves in the US and train American acupuncturists. Today it is estimated that 15 million persons each year try acupuncture for the first time. In response to this, more than 60 colleges throughout North America graduate some 1000 new acupuncturists each year. A: As a patient, your privacy is protected by the HIPAA Compliance. You have many rights, which include the right to receive, read, and ask questions about your health and billing records. At the Oriental Medical Center, we are required to keep your health information protected, to follow the HIPAA Compliance, and to give you our Privacy Policy information when you arrive at our office. If you have any other questions about your privacy, please contact our office at (206) 343-7223 or visit www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa. Q: Is acupuncture practiced in American medical institutions? A: Acupuncture has become universally accepted. It’s being utilized in more and more hospitals, wellness centers, pain management centers, doctor’s offices (chiropractic, dental, medical, veterinary), and rehabilitation centers, where acupuncturists are a welcome and valuable part of the team. Q: What do the initials after an acupuncturist's name stand for? A: Acupuncturist’s may have different initials depending on where their schooling took place, what type of program they studied in, and what state they are licensed to practice in. These are some examples of initials and their meanings:
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