Jeff Rippey

Drinking water after acupuncture isn't going to hurt anything.

Just like you can't spot exercise (in other words, lots of crunches won't build a 6-pack), acupuncture is more of a systemic treatment. Studies have shown that acupuncture helps to manage insulin and blood sugar and also plays a role in regulating leptin, ghrelin and cholecystokinin - all of which play a role in hunger, satiety and what your body does with excess calories.

The honest truth, though, is that 80% of all weight loss happens in the kitchen. My patients seem to get the best results with a low-carb style diet.

Can a person use acupuncture to enhance a solid diet and exercise program? Yes. Can acupuncture replace a solid diet and exercise program? No.

Yes, acupuncture can typically reduce or relieve allergy symptoms. There is an excellent study out of Germany comparing acupuncture to conventional allergy treatment. Acupuncture performed just as well and, in the long run, was more cost effective.

For the best results, please make sure you're seeing a provider who is licensed as an acupuncturist in your state. You can go to NCCAOM.org and use their "Find a Practitioner" lookup to find folks local to you.

Yes, acupuncture has a pretty good track record when it comes to fertility - both natural and IVF. The thing is, it can take some time for the acupuncture treatments to move the system - most studies show you want to start acupuncture 90 days before attempting to get pregnant. This is a study average, but it's a good rule of thumb.

If you've been trying and experiencing difficulties, I'd strongly suggest a medical work-up for both you and your partner. There may be structural issues or sperm quality issues in play that could best be addressed in a different way.

Fertility is one of those areas where it's fairly critical to see a licensed acupuncturist (rather than a PT or chiropractor who might be offering "acupuncture" services). You really need someone who understands the Chinese diagnostic model and specializes in treating fertility issues. To find local providers, go to NCCAOM.org and choose their "Find a Practitioner" link.

This is a question I get a lot. It's very difficult to answer definitively because each person may experience different sensations as a result of acupuncture needles and a lot depends on who is providing the service. For the purposes of this answer, I'm going to assume you're seeing a licensed acupuncturist in your state - in other words: someone who attended and graduated from a school of Chinese medicine rather than a PT or chiropractor who took a weekend course.

First off, acupuncture needles are solid (filiform), not hollow like a hypodermic. Acupuncture needles are also much, much smaller in diameter than the standard hypodermic needle - I can fit roughly 3 of my acupuncture needles inside the hollow part of the average needle used for a flu shot. A good rough estimate of the diameter of a typical acupuncture needle is something on the order of a cat whisker.

Many people try to market acupuncture as a 'painless' technique and, technically speaking, this isn't necessarily true. You may experience a slight pinching or a sharp sensation on initial insertion - somewhat like a mosquito bite. This sensation should fade in a second or two, if it doesn't you need to tell your provider so that they can either reposition or remove the needle. Some points are more sensitive than others, so you may not feel every needle.

There are certain sensations that are normal with acupuncture. For those who've never had a treatment, these sensations are often interpreted as pain or discomfort. Things we consider normal:

1. A dull throbbing or aching around the needle site.

2. A short lived electrical, pins-and-needles type sensation that propagates up or down from the needle site.

3. A mild distending sensation, like someone is blowing a balloon up under the skin around the needle.

4. Mild itch around the needle site.

It's important that your provider explains fully what types of sensation you might experience and what sensations are "normal" or not concerning. It's also important for you to provide feedback on the needles. If any needle remains sharp or stabby-feeling after it has been in place for a few seconds, make sure your provider either removes or repositions that needle. Part of the idea of acupuncture treatment is that the patient is able to relax with the needles in place for 20-30 minutes. That's hard to do if one or more needles are giving a sharp, stabbing sensation.

Yes, acupuncture can usually help to lower high blood pressure. In fact, studies have shown that acupuncture's effect on blood pressure matches the effect of some prescription medications.

For the best results, make sure you're seeing a board certified acupuncturist who is licensed in your state. If you aren't in CA, you can use the "Find a Practitioner" look up at NCCAOM.org to get some providers who are local to you.

Yes, acupuncture can often be successful treating most kinds of pain conditions including osteoarthritis. It probably won't be a one-and-done type of treatment, as there is a dose dependency in play. Most of my patients are experiencing pain reduction or elimination by the 3rd or 4th treatment. From there, we start spacing things out to find their maintenance interval.

For the best results, make sure you're seeing a board certified acupuncturist who is licensed in your state. If you're not in CA, you can start with NCCAOM.org's Find a Practitioner look up.

Yes, acupuncture has a pretty good track record with fertility. Most studies show you want to start acupuncture treatments about 90 days ahead of any attempts - natural or IVF.

I'd start with a complete medical workup for both partners just to make sure you're not dealing with any structural issues. Then I'd seek out a licensed acupuncturist who specializes in fertility. Best place to start is at NCCAOM.org with their "Find a Practitioner" lookup.

Yes, acupuncture can usually help with both chronic and acute pain. In fact, it's one of the areas where we have excellent science backing up acupuncture as a good treatment option.

To find a licensed acupuncturist in your area, go to NCCAOM.org and use their "Find a Practitioner" lookup

It's easier to list the conditions or issues where acupuncture is NOT a good choice:

1. If a person has severe, life-threatening infection (bacterial, viral, fungal), acupuncture and Chinese medicine are not a good choice.

2. If someone suffers severe, life-threatening trauma like a stab wound, gunshot or car accident, acupuncture isn't a good choice. Conventional medicine excels at the preservation of life in the face of severe trauma.

3. If someone has cancer, acupuncture can sometimes have a dramatic effect on 1 year and 5 year survival rates when used as an adjunct to chemotherapy, but Chinese medicine on its own is not a good choice.

4. If a person has pain due to severe degradation of one or more joints, acupuncture can help to manage things but joint replacement or fusion surgery is sometimes the best long-term answer.

For almost everything else acupuncture is an excellent treatment option. For some issues, acupuncture is a superior treatment option. There is something like 120 health issues where we have either strong or moderate evidence for acupuncture's effectiveness in treatment.

To get the best possible outcome, please make sure you're seeing a board certified and state licensed acupuncturist. If you're not in CA, start with the "Find a Practitioner" link at NCCAOM.org.

Acupuncture in the hands of a board certified and state licensed acupuncturist is very safe. There are a few side-effects and adverse events, but these happen very rarely. Acupuncture needles are solid (filiform), we are not introducing any substances to the body.

You may experience some light-headedness, dizziness or tiredness just after the needles are removed. Take your time moving/getting up after treatment. This usually goes away fairly quickly, and having a light snack just prior to or just after your appointment will help.

Sometimes the needle site will itch for a few hours after treatment. It happens because of a histamine response initiated by your immune system due to the needle.

Occasionally a patient will experience syncope while the needles are in. This is fainting or loss of consciousness due to the needles. It happens more often in people that have a strong fear of needles, but anyone can experience the issue at any time - and it's not just acupuncture needles that cause it hypodermics and blood draws can also result in fainting. Your acupuncturist shouldn't insert any needles until you're laying down on a treatment table and should stay in the room for a few minutes after insertion to make sure everything is ok.

Sometimes the needle may nick a capillary bed or small vein. If this happens, there may be some local swelling or bruising. This typically resolves in a couple of days.

Very rarely the needle may get a little too close to a nerve causing sharp pain. It's important for acupuncturists to solicit feedback as needles causing sharp pain need to be removed or repositioned. If you are experiencing sharp pain after the needle has been in for a few seconds, speak up and make sure your provider moves the needle.

Needling over the chest or abdomen carries a risk of organ puncture. The lungs are most susceptible.

Technically, infection is a risk. However, almost all US acupuncturists utilize single-use factory sterilized needles. These needles are used once on one patient and then discarded in an appropriate container.

For the best, and safest results, make sure you're seeing a state licensed, board certified acupuncturist. These are people who attended 3-4 years of school for Chinese medicine and acupuncture, been certified in Clean Needle Technique and passed a set of nationally recognized board exams. If you aren't in CA, go to NCCAOM.org and use their "Find a Practitioner" lookup to get some providers in your area.

Acupuncture does have some after effects like lightheadedness or tiredness, which can sometimes occur. Usually, having a meal either just before or just after treatment will alleviate those issues. Without knowing what you were being treated for and what you felt post treatment, it's hard to say, but generally, no, we don't expect people to feel worse after acupuncture. I have two suggestions:

1. There are a lot of providers in the US currently who are providing acupuncture-like treatments without having attended school for Chinese medicine. These people are well intentioned, but do not have a full grasp of Chinese diagnostics. If you happened to see someone who is not licensed as an acupuncturist in your state, I recommend you start with NCCAOM.org's "Find a Practitioner" look up and find a board certified, state licensed acupuncturist in your area.

2. If you did see a provider who is licensed as an acupuncturist, talk to them and give them feedback about how your treatment went and what you felt like afterwards. This may help them to adjust their diagnosis and make the next treatment more effective for you.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine do not work like conventional medicine. For an issue like anxiety, there are a variety of potential causes in the Chinese model and there are likely other factors which will make your particular presentation of this issue unique to you. Part of the Chinese diagnostic process is to figure all this out and come up with a treatment plan specific to your presentation.

In addition, there may be lifestyle factors like diet which may have an impact on how you experience your anxiety. Making lifestyle changes would therefore have an impact on how quickly you might notice changes.

A good rule of thumb is: for chronic conditions (something you've been experiencing for more than about 3 months or so), you're probably looking at 6-8 treatments. You might notice changes sooner, but that's a good ballpark.

Please make sure you're seeing someone licensed as an acupuncturist in your state. If you're not in CA, you can start with the "Find a Practitioner" lookup at NCCAOM.org.

Yes, acupuncture can help with migraine. I've treated several patients with migraines/chronic headaches and been very successful in those cases. For best results, please make sure you're seeing a licensed acupuncturist in your state. If you aren't in CA, you can start with the "Find a Practitioner" lookup at NCCAOM.org.

If you're seeing a licensed acupuncturist, yes, acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain.

If you're not in CA, you can find a board certified and state licensed acupuncturist in your area by using the "Find a Practitioner" link at NCCAOM.org.

Acupuncture will most likely be able to relieve your back pain. If you've not already had x-rays taken, it's a good idea to start with your primary care physician and have some imaging done. As long as there's nothing structurally wrong, acupuncture is an excellent choice for first line treatment of back pain (and endorsed by the American College of Physicians).

Make sure you're seeing a state licensed, board certified acupuncturist. If you're not in CA, you can find someone local by using the "Find a Practitioner" link at NCCAOM.org.

Acupuncture can be very effective in the management of arthritis pain - both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. There are a couple of good studies available:

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2018.0297?fbclid=IwAR2YHfKaMQaFz23rnZ0623NeFzOYuZSbivZuauwcSXk0RyL9aru2EZ61O68

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29198932/?fbclid=IwAR13kQ-RZxzAZOdSg6fK38fALMRf-lUqDf1NVYUHbWptMIKBeZS1Psp7-KY

For the best effect, please make sure you're seeing a licensed acupuncturist in your state. If you're not in CA, you can use the "Find a Practitioner" link at NCCAOM.org to find a provider local to you.

It's hard to say. Some people experience immediate results from an acupuncture treatment and some people have to receive a few treatments before they start noticing any changes.

For pain patients I'm typically able to get some reduction on an initial treatment. This reduction tends to last 24-48 hours and the pain will start to come back. Usually by the 3rd or 4th treatment, patients are able to go several days with either decreased pain or no pain.

Most studies show acupuncture has a dose dependency - meaning that, to a point, more treatment is going to yield better results. These studies show that, on average, around 8 treatments produces a pain lowering effect that can persist for roughly 12 months.

In other words, acupuncture is very unlikely to be a "one and done" type of treatment. It can and does happen, but it's unusual when it does. There are a lot of factors which can affect how quickly you might see results and how long those results will last. Those factors include: the specific nature of your issue, how long you've been experiencing the issue, whether there are lifestyle adjustments which can be made that will affect your issue and how well you make those lifestyle adaptations.

Yes, chronic fatigue usually responds well to acupuncture treatment. I've worked with several patients that have this diagnosis and I'm usually able to get good results for them.

For the best possible outcome, please make sure you're seeing a licensed acupuncturist in your state. If you're not in CA, you can use the "Find a Practitioner" link at NCCAOM.org to find a provider local to you.

There are lots of different systems of acupuncture and each one will have a slightly different approach to a given health issue. Generally speaking we can boil these systems down to two categories:

1. Systems that treat locally.
2. Systems that treat distally.

Local systems will place needles in the area where you are experiencing the issue - in this case, your neck.

Distal systems will place needles elsewhere on the body, mostly avoiding the area where you are experiencing the issue.

I practice a distal style of acupuncture and get great results on neck pain by needling at the ankle.

I have colleagues that practice local acupuncture and get great results by needling in the local area.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine differ from conventional medicine in many respects and one of them is: we utilize individualized treatments. Each patient is evaluated separately and a treatment plan is tailored to that individual. We do not have treatment protocols like conventional medicine where every patient with a particular complaint receives the same treatment.

The most important thing is this: for the best results you need to see someone who is licensed as an acupuncturist in your state. If you're not in CA, a good place to go to find a local provider is the "Find a Practitioner" link at NCCAOM.org.