Bay Oriental Medical Clinic - Antioch

安提阿市海湾中医诊所

Painless Acupuncture & Acupressure

Q & A

Q: what do you expect during first visit?

A: The first visit usually begins with practitioner taking a detailed health history and reviewing your present condition. Physical

examination is conducted, your pulse taken and your tongue examined according to the Chinese Medicine diagnostic system. Then

practitioner will discuss your health history and current complaints, including any Western diagnoses and lab results you may already

have, as well as any current pharmaceutical drugs you are recurrently taking. Using all of the information, practitioner will determine

the cause of your problem at a Chinese medical diagnosis. Once a thorough intake has been completed, diagnosis and treatment plan

determined, any remaining time will be devoted to a treatment and you will receive an acupuncture treatment at this time.

Treatments usually consist of acupuncture including electric stimulation or foot reflexology or medical massage(acupressure) or other

modalities such as cupping, hot/cold herb infiltration pack and moxibustion. Finally practitioner may provide you herbal consultation

and recommendations for Qigong therapeutic exercise and nutrition if necessary. Practitioner may discuss your diet, lifestyle, stress,

sleep, et al. and set a treatment plan that works best with your health needs and lifestyle.

Q: What do I need to do to prepare for acupuncture treatment?
A: It is recommended that you have eaten within 2-4 hours prior to your treatment. Do not come for acupuncture on an empty

stomach or drink alcohol prior to treatment. It also best to avoid receiving treatment immediately after a heavy meal.

Q: What diseases can Acupuncture treat?
A: Acupuncture is one of TCM modalities. It can be used in

promoting health and well-being,

preventing illness,

treating various medical conditions.

While acupuncture is often used in pain control, it also has much broader applications. Acupuncture can be effectively used

separately or integrated with Western Medicine in treating many medical and surgical disorders. The World Health Organization and

the National Institutes for Health regard Acupuncture as useful way in the treatment of:

Chronic and Acute Pain - Injuries, headaches, neck and back pain, tendonitis, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia,

Neurological Disorders - Post-stroke recovery, Bell's Palsy and Trigeminal Neuralgia, movement disorders, neuropathy,

Upper Respiratory Disorders - Asthma, allergies, bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat, laryngitis, colds and flu,

Digestive Disorders - Irritable bowel, colitis, constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, heartburn, food allergies, ulcers,

Urinary, Menstrual, and Reproductive Disorders - Cystitis, menstrual cramps, irregular or heavy periods, infertility (male and female), menopausal symptoms,

Immune Function - Recurrent infections, supportive treatment for cancer and AIDS patients,

Addictions - Addictions to nicotine, alcohol and drugs,

Eye and Ear Disorders - Tinnitus, Meniere's disease,

Depression, Anxiety and Insomnia,

Tension, stress and emotional conditions.

A more comprehensive list of the conditions we treat can be found here.

Q: How does acupuncture work?
A: Acupuncture works on the premise of meridian theory. It is thought that there are patterns of energy flow called "Qi" and vital

substances called throughout the body which are related to the organs and tendino-muscular system. When the body is in good

health, energy flow & vital substances are balanced and consistent. However, when energy flow is disrupted or vital substances is in

stasis / deficiency due to trauma, poor diet, medications, stress, or other factors, pain and illness result.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points of the body to adjust imbalance of Qi & Xue by promoting

them where their flow are slow, circulating them where their flow are impeded, reducing them where they are in excess, and drawing

them into areas where they are insufficient. In this way, acupuncture restores the balance of Qi & Xue throughout the body, and the

body will recover soon.

Modern western science can not explain how acupuncture works but it has been shown empirically effective to heal the illness over

thousands of years. A lot of scientific studies are investigated in recent years to provide evidence of effectiveness of Acupuncture

treatment and elucidate its mechanisms in western scientific terms.

Q: Who can benefit from acupuncture treatment?
A: Acupuncture is beneficial to people of all ages and all stages of disease. People suffering from a wide range of disorders are able

to move towards a state of balance and harmony at any stage of life with acupuncture treatment. Many people receive acupuncture

treatment as a way to keep their body in good health and balance. It is absolutely not necessary to wait until you have a complaint

before looking for acupuncturist. One of the great strengths in acupuncture is its ability to prevent disease by removing the effects of

everyday stress and imbalances in the body at early stage before a symptom generally arises as a last-stage effect of a long term

accumulation of stresses and imbalances in the body. In TCM, elimination of the symptom is not just the goal of treatment, the

greater value in using acupuncture is to restore the body to optimal balance state and maintain it there.

Q: Are there any specific acupuncture points which cure specific disease?

A: This is a common misconception about acupuncture that there are specific acupuncture points that cure specific diseases. In fact,

the acupuncture points selected are focusing and targeting on the individual, not for disease. It is more accurate to say that there are

specific acupuncture points which cure specific imbalances rather than disease. Two patients with the same illness or symptoms may

have totally different imbalances, therefore totally different acupuncture points selected.

Q: Can children be treated with acupuncture?
A: Certainly Children are often treated with acupuncture. Many children are comfortable with acupuncture needles which are very

fine and painlessly inserted. Children respond very well to acupuncture treatment which can help them through the common

childhood illnesses in a way that supports their ongoing growth and health at that stage.

Q: Is acupuncture good for the elderly?
A: Using acupuncture, elderly patients are able to gain support, increase vitality, and reduce or eliminate the unwanted symptoms.

Very often elderly patients experience symptoms which are not being taken seriously at this stage of life and are told it is normal to

have these symptoms when they age. Using acupuncture, many of these so-called symptoms can be removed in the elderly. A body

at any age can be adjusted to its balance using acupuncture, and this is also true when we age.

Q: Can pregnant women receive acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine?
A: Acupuncture and Chinese herbs have been used for more than thousands of years to treat pregnant women. There are a number acupuncture points and some Chinese herbs that are contraindicated during pregnancy. A qualified practitioner know how to use acupuncture and Chinese herbs safely to treat various symptoms occurring during pregnancy, and provide benefits to the developing fetus. Lactating mothers can also take Chinese herbal medicine safely or receive acupuncture treatment. In fact, small babies are sometimes treated with herbs by supplying those herbs to the mother, who then makes them available to the baby through her breastmilk.

Q: Is acupuncture safe?
A: Acupuncture is extremely safe when performed by a licensed acupuncturist. All needles used are sterile, disposable and used only once. There is virtually no chance of infection occurring as a result of acupuncture treatment. The needles are generally inserted from one quarter to one half inch in depth within the superficial layers of skin and musculature of the body which never touch the organs. Blood vessels and small nerves are flexible and could be moved aside when the fine needles are inserted. In some cases a small blood vessel may be punctured and a small bruise may appear for a few days after treatment. Occasionally, patients experience a slight light-headedness during or after treatment which resolves within minutes.

Q: Is it painful when performing acupuncture?
A: Actually you won feel pain during needles insertion. Acupuncture needles are normally extremely thin, and their insertion is virtually painless. In many cases you will not even notice that the needles are being inserted. Once the needles are inserted, they are manipulated gently and at this time you will feel a characteristic sensation of tingling, heaviness, sourness, tension or movement of energy along the meridian. The sensations associated with these types of needling are unique and more pronounced in the treatment.

Q: How many treatments will I need?
A: The number of treatments required depends on the nature of your complaint and condition of your disease. For an acute condition, a single treatment may be sufficient to resolve it. A series of three to ten treatments is found to be effective for many common complaints. Some chronic conditions may require many treatments over time. Chinese herbs, dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, specific exercises, meditation and relaxation techniques, as well as self- massage or home administration of moxibustion can be used to accelerate your progress and reduce the number of treatments required.

Q: Is it benefit to include in acupuncture maintenance program?

A: It is recommended that you seriously consider including regular acupuncture maintenance in your health care program. By receiving regular acupuncture treatments to maintain balance in the body, you can avoid developing serious symptoms in the future and sustain greater vitality. Some people receive monthly acupuncture treatment to stay in balance. At minimum, four acupuncture treatments a year at the change of seasons are also effective in supporting the immune system and keeping you healthy.

We will work with you to look at the most effective way to heal your condition and maintain your health, and make recommendations in accordance with your financial and time requirements.

Q: Are there different styles of acupuncture?
A: There are many different styles of acupuncture in the world. Over time, as acupuncture spread throughout Asia, the styles diverged based on different cultures and experiences. Also, it was very common in China and throughout Asia to have family lineages among the TCM practitioners. These families typically developed an emphasis on one approach over another. The specific branch of treatment was more developed within that family lineage and spread from generation to generation. All of this knowledge and experience is becoming available to us nowadays. Therefore, different practitioners may utilize very different styles of treatment in their practice. Actually, any of these approaches will have the capacity to treat your body and restore balance. We are three-generation practitioners of TCM in our family lineage. We focus on Classical Chinese Acupuncture combined with our own family lineage approach.

Q: Can Acupuncture be used for Sports Injuries and Performance Enhancement?
A: Acupuncture is a drug-free treatment that is used by many athletes to enhance their performance and recover from sports injury.

Athletes all over the world use acupuncture as a drug-free performance enhancement.

Acupuncture has effects which can be used for Sports Injuries :

Decrease the amount of swelling, inflammation, pain and bruising.

Relax muscle spasms and stop the associated pain.

Decrease healing time dramatically and recover soon.

Increase the range of motion of joints and muscles around the area of the knees, ankles, fingers, neck, back or

shoulders and promote their functions.

Q: What is Chinese herbal medicine used for?
A: Chinese herbal formulas are used for a wide range of diseases or disorders, from the common cold to allergies, indigestion, insomnia and hot flashes, et al. Herbal formulas are often recommended in combination with your acupuncture treatment to increase effectiveness and accelerate progress. They can be taken at home and help to reduce the number of acupuncture treatments required to resolve a condition. The options of different ways to take herbs are as follow:

Tea herbs which are simmered to make a strong, medicinal tea

Powder or granule herbs which are just added in warm water

Tablet or capsule herbs

Q: How are Chinese herbs taken?
A: The most common way of taking Chinese herbs has traditionally been through decoctions. A blend of raw medicinal herbs which are made up of leaves, flowers, twigs, roots and barks is cooked into a and then consumed twice or three times a day according to patient different conditions. Some Chinese herbal teas tend to taste very bitter due to their medicinal ingredients which is the most potent form of administering herbal medicine. Herbs can also be ground into a powder and mixed in water for consumption. These have almost same effects as raw herbs and taste similar to the teas but save the time of preparing a decoction for those with limited time. Tablet herbs are also available in TCM pharmacy and are the most convenient to administer. This is also the form of choice for those unable to tolerate the taste of herbs. Tablet herbs use the formula that tends to approximate your condition rather than being designed specifically for you, so they have effects that are not totally suitable for you.