Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM) are practiced on nearly every continent and are used for a wide range of concerns, from pain and digestive issues to stress, sleep and seasonal colds. TCM is a professional medicine with standards of care: treatment guidelines based on research and collaboration between leading practitioners in the field.

Rather than focusing only on a diagnosis, acupuncture addresses patterns and the root of an imbalance. Side effects are generally minimal. Medications are powerful and sometimes absolutely necessary; acupuncture can work alongside your physician's care. Your body is a complex, intelligent system that always seeks balance, and acupuncture helps support that.

Acupuncture uses single-use, sterile, extremely thin solid needles placed at specific points on the body, sometimes with gentle twirling or other stimulation while they are in place.

Needling stimulates the nervous system and encourages a parasympathetic (rest and digest) response. In other words, the whole system lets go of tension and relaxes deeply, which supports the body's own healing. Specific points also encourage circulation to and from an area, bringing in oxygen and nutrients and carrying away waste. In Chinese Medicine this flow is described as qi (pronounced “chee”; in Japan, ki).

Acupuncture has a subtle, cumulative effect. Treatments are often more frequent at first to build momentum; as your condition improves you may come in less often. Frequency depends on what is being treated, how long you have had it and how closely you follow your treatment plan.

Sessions last about 45–60 minutes; your first appointment takes about 90 minutes. Chronic conditions often call for 10–12 treatments and acute conditions around 4–6. Many people notice changes in sleep, digestion and stress within 1–2 treatments. Every individual is unique and responds differently.

No, but you do feel it. Unlike hypodermic needles, acupuncture needles are solid and hair-thin. Most people feel only a minimal sensation as the needles are inserted; some notice tingling, warmth, heaviness or a mild ache. Once the needles are in, most patients feel very relaxed and often fall asleep.

At Firewater Acupuncture Healing Arts we ask about your condition and symptoms, then examine your pulse in three positions on both wrists and look at the color, texture and other aspects of your tongue. Pulse and tongue are like a window into the body, helping us understand what is causing the imbalance and guiding a more accurate diagnosis.