Phranque Wright

Acupuncture can help with digestive function, reducing cravings, increasing energy and other such things, but it cannot by itself help people lose weight. You will also have to work on a dietary level. This does not mean you need to "go on a diet" but means you need to be aware of the foods your eating because it's food that adds weight.

You would also need to be on an exercise program - nothing over-the-top, but we need to increase our activity to burn calories in addition to being aware of the foods we're eating.

Find an L.Ac. who has experience with weight loss patients and do not fall victim to any "easy fix" weight loss program, diet or pill. We really do need to create a fuller healthy lifestyle to maintain proper weight, so go to someone who can help you in the long run, not just short term.

Good luck.

Yes. I have helped many people with migraines as have many of my friends and colleagues. Find a licensed practitioner in your area - an L.Ac. They will have to differentiate the type of pain from a Chinese medical point of view and it may take a few treatments for the success to last. So, please be patient and if for some reason you don't like your practitioner, feel free to find another - this is true for any doctor or service provider.

Good luck and enjoy.

There is no answer to this question that will be true for all people. The range can vary from one needle/one treatment success for life all the way to a variety of needles and still needing to come in once every few months.

Acupuncture is part of a medical system and it is not only trying to stop your migraines but to keep the body in a healthy functioning pattern long term. I do not know the cause of your migraine, nor the condition itself, so you would need to be evaluated and see what other aspects of your life and health are related.

Find a licensed practitioner in your area - an L.Ac. - and have them evaluate your case. Most people start to see a range of success from day one, but it may take a few until it sticks for longer term. Then again, it could help long term right away - no one knows the future.

Good luck, and remember that if you don't like the first practitioner you meet, you can go find anther one. Just like any other doctor or service provider you want to work with someone who you trust and feel comfortable with.

Acupuncture can help and if you find a practitioner who is good with emotional issues and can help you work through your life's path it can be very rewarding for you. Go find someone in your area who is good with emotions, make sure they are a Licensed Acupuncturist, not an MD or DC who "also does acupuncture." If you can find a Five-Element practitioner that might even be a bit better. Let them work on you a few times and if you don't feel comfortable or feel they're not helping, feel free to go find another practitioner - some are better than others and everyone needs to find a practitioner they click with well. It might also be helpful to just go find a counselor and talk about your situation and experiences. You can do both, many patients I have also have a counselor. Do what you can to help yourself get through this, L.Ac's are interested in your self care and self worth, so start as soon as you can.

Good luck.

The sooner you go the better chances you have, because age is a factor in cases of fertility. Your husband should also get some sessions too because it isn't always the woman's body that isn't working properly.

The practitioner will have different treatment strategies and different herbal remedies for the varying stages of your cycle to regulate the cycle completely. That is the first step. So, the earlier you go the more can be done sooner. Again, have your husband go too. It takes 4 months for new sperm to fully develop, so you want to make sure he's growing them in an environment that keeps them healthy.

Good luck, and be sure to find someone who specializes in Infertility.

Anything can happen after acupuncture treatments, some of the things are a result of the treatment and some of them are things that would've happened anyway. This is similar to putting gas in your car and then getting a flat - not necessarily related.

If the headache IS a result of the treatment, it is usually from the body starting to rid itself of toxins. As the toxins are being eliminated the body feels them coming from all parts of the body (could be headache, could be shoulder pain, etc) headaches are a common result when there is back or shoulder treatments from my experience.

The headache could also be a result of the body being regulated and rejecting dietary or other habits lifestyles one partakes in. One example there is when I treated a patient for shoulder pain and afterward cigarettes tasted gross to her. The headache may be a side effect of another aspect of something.

Not knowing your case specifically, it is best that you go back to your practitioner and tell them what happened, especially if it is still going on. If not, wait til your next appointment to tell them as it may just have been the body ridding itself of toxins.

Good luck.

Yes, it is very effective for migraines, but the practitioner will need to make an assessment as to the root of the migraine. It may take a few sessions, but in time they should reduce if not clear. Be sure to find a Licensed Acupuncturist in your area (L.Ac.) if your first choice isn't working, feel free to find another. Just like any other service, some people fit better, some people don't.

Good luck.

Acupuncture can be a wonderful asset to your mental health regimen. In Chinese medicine we do not separate the physical body from the mental body or emotional body, so through questions and seeing signs symptoms that we recognize we can help diagnose a treatment strategy to balance your emotional health as we balance your physical health.

I work with a style called Worsley Five-Element Acupuncture. It primarily works on the emotional side of a patients health, so if you can find a practitioner who is trained in 5-Elements (Worsley Style) then that can be even better for you. If not, most all practitioners know how to treat emotional imbalances on a general level.

Quite often lifestyle, diet, environment, family, friends, job etc can all contribute to your issue, so expect the practitioner to talk to you a bit like a psychologist might. They'll ask questions to learn how you react and how you think and together they can help guide you to a more fulfilling path or help you navigate your choices in life more appropriately.

Good luck, be sure to find a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.) in your area. If you try it and don't like the first practitioner so much, give another practitioner a try. Just like any other doctor or service, not everyone is a good fit for you. Look around and you'll find one who you click with.

No one can answer that question, because no one knows what tomorrow brings. I have had patients who were done in two treatments and I have had patients who came to me once-a-week for 5 years with a nice steady growth each week. Life has ups and downs, so we work with you on a day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month basis.

Similar to a psychiatrist or psychologist, the issues will gradually get better and if life hits you hard you can fall back a step or two. This is how life works and how treatments work with acupuncture or any other medical treatment. Acupuncture is no more a "magic bullet" than any of the medications on the market, except that acupuncture does not have the negative side-effects drugs can give you.

A patient will heal in their own time and if you find a good practitioner who you click well with, they can help guide you through this journey. Find a Licensed Acupuncturist in your area (L.Ac.) and if you can, find one who is trained in Worsley Style 5-Element acupuncture. The 5-E practitioners are very well trained in emotional issues. If you cannot find a 5E one, find an L.Ac. that you feel comfortable with, who will listen well and work with you. Finding an L.Ac. is similar to finding any other doctor, psychologist or even mechanic - it may take a few to find the one you like, but when you click you'll know.

Good luck.

There are a plethora of studies about this and a whole slew of responses from researchers. For western medical thinkers, acupuncture releases a variety of hormones, it relaxes blood vessels, it stimulates immune system, lymphatic system, etc. In fact, each time there is a study that "explains" acupuncture it has another aspect of what it does from a western point of view.

With that, I can tell you that is stimulates more in the body than we can actually currently explain in western terms. We can say easily that it helps the body promote it's own healing process.

Acupuncture doesn't follow western medical processes though, it has it's own language and it's own theoretical processes based on millennia of hands on experience, trial and error. It evolves with every culture that uses it and every generation there is a growth in it's use, practice and methods. It is rooted in observation of nature and treats according to natural laws of change. I'd explain more, but training is a 4-year medical degree and it's too much for this email.

What does it treat? There is a giant list there too. I can tell you that I have personally treated

Pain of all sorts on all body areas, including headaches, joint pains, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, toothache, trigger finger, menstrual cramps, backache, migraine, anal fissures, hemorrhoids, stomach cramps and more.

I have personally treated people with skin issues including acne, eczema, rashes, shingles, dry skin, bleeding palms, and more

I have personally helped people with emotional issues including bi-polar disorder, depression, anxiety, stress, multiple personality disorder and more.

I have personally worked with patients who have digestive disorders including irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux and more

I have personally treated with patients who had elimination issues such as incontinence, constipation, diarrhea, diverticulitis, anal prolapse and more

I have personally treated on patients with menstrual issues such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, infertility, menopausal syndrome, pre-menopausal syndrome and more

I have personally worked with patients who have had neurological issues such as parkinson's, brain lesions, and more

I have personally treated patients with sleep issues such as insomnia, hypersomniia, disturbed sleep, night terrors, etc.

I have personally treated patients with addictions such as tobacco, sugar, marijuana, etc.

I have treated peoples vision problems, dental pain problems, hair loss problems, and even colds, flu's, allergies, asthma and other respiratory, circulatory issues.

There are others I know who work on issues i don't such as facial rejuvenation, infertility, weight loss, post-cancer/concurrent cancer assistance, blood born pathogenic diseases, post-stroke treatments and so much more.

Acupuncture is a part of Chinese medicine, it is a medical treatment that is different from western medicine in it's practice/actions but similar to western treatment in the variety of issues that it helps with. In China, they go to western doctors and Chinese medical doctors. If more people used Chinese medicine here, they wouldn't need to go to a western doctor as much.

Good luck on your new journey.

Yes it does, for a wide variety of issues, but it is a part of the realm of Chinese medicine and is not the only tool in their profession. For cases like anemia, you may also need some dietary suggestions and/or herbal treatments.

Have fun and enjoy.

Anxiety is a physical issue and it is an emotional issue. In Chinese medicine we do not separate the physical body from the emotional or psychological issues that result or create them. I have had tremendous success with patients who experience anxiety at many levels. A Licensed Acupuncturist will evaluate the situation and come up with a differential pattern that is leading to the anxiety. They will then treat you appropriately and hopefully give you advice on lifestyle choices, activities, dietary suggestions, thought patterns and other aspects of your life that can help reduce or prevent recurrences.

It will take a few sessions and you may need to return in time as your life experiences dictate, but you should definitely get good results.

As for the bigger question, "What can be treated with Acupuncture?" the answer is pretty much anything you'd go to a doctor to treat. it is part of a medical system and treats people who have diseases of all sorts.

Yes, it can, it can be very helpful, but there is also an aspect of emotional issues you may be experiencing, which it can also assist on. There could also be some dietary or genetic issues at hand, which can be addressed. You would need to go see a Licensed Acupuncturist, not just a chiropractor or md who "does acupuncture too".

The L.Ac. would assess you fully and find the best course of treatments to follow based on your differential diagnosis. It may take a few sessions, so don't give up after one treatment. If you don't like your practitioner for whatever reason, you can also find another who suits your personality better.

Good luck and have fun.

Acupuncture is part of the field of Chinese medicine, and Chinese medicine is a complete field of medicine that treats most every ailment. In the USA, we are limited to what we are legally allowed to treat based on the individual state laws on medicine. So, what an acupuncturist is "allowed to do" varies by different states. However, to answer your question a bit more directly, here is a list of issues that I have treated personally:

1. Headaches/migraines
2.Joint pain / muscle ache (any body area)
3. Abdominal issues such as indigestion, acid reflux, vomit/nausea, muscle cramp, etc
4. Digestive issues that relate to stomach, intestines or colon
5. Diverticulitis, anal hemorrhage, prolapsed anus, hemorrhoids
6. Menstrual issues, PMS, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, peri-menopausal syndrome, menopausal syndrome,
7. Itches, rashes, edema, eczema, dry skin, bleeding palms, etc.
8. Toothache, mouth sores, sore throat
9. Coughing, asthma, COPD, other respiratory issues
10. Colds, flu, allergy
11. Low energy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia syndrome
12. Emotional disturbances, including anxieties, sadness, lack of direction in life, mood swings, etc.
13. Sleep issues, insomnia, hypersomnia, restless sleep, etc
14. Arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, knee pain, post surgery issues
15. Assist with smoking cessation, addiction to foods, addiction to flavors, assist with drug addictions
16. Elimination problems, ie loose stools, diarrhea, constipation, lower abdominal cramps, etc
17. Hyper sweating, parkinson's, Bell's Palsy, partial paralysis, deviated septum, poor memory, etc.
18. Visual issues, eye pains, pink eye,
19. Impotence, premature ejaculation, incontinence
20. scoliosis, muscle tears, tendon tears, sprained joints, frozen shoulder

Those are things I have personally helped people with and treated with great success. There are more, I'm sure, but these just came off the top of my head. There are issues friends of mine treat that I do not, such as infertility in men and women, anesthesia for child-birth or surgeries, infectious diseases, facial rejuvenation, cancers, weight loss, etc.

Again, it is a part of Chinese medicine, so it is a medical practice. Be sure to go to someone who is a fully trained Licensed Acupuncturist - do not go to someone who is a DC or MD who has taken some courses but someone who is a fully licensed acupuncturist trained in the medicine.

Good luck.

As long as your practitioner is a trained professional Licensed Acupuncturist, you should have no problems getting e-stim acupuncture. We are trained to avoid areas that can cause problems and we use proper amounts of the electric stimulation so as not to cause damage to our patients.

Go to someone who has good experience with e-stim and let them know your concerns so that you can work together more smoothly.

Good luck.

It can, but not all practitioners are good at treating all issues. Find a Licensed Acupuncturist who has experience with anxiety and they can help you get to the root of your issue and help you relax. It may take a while before it has long lasting results, but that depends on how your body personally responds to treatments. If you go and the practitioner isn't helping, feel free to find someone else who might do better. We all do want to help you get better and emotions can be treated very successfully.

Good luck.

Acupuncture treatments release the tension that is held in the muscle by a variety of ways, including just allowing the muscle to relax. The needling also helps the body regulate endorphin and hormonal release so the body over all calms down and relaxes. The needling also helps the body's circulation of blood and other body fluids, so it aids in the body's natural healing process and helps the body rid itself of waste materials like lactic acid that builds up and keeps muscles tense. By clearing the lactic acids the muscles relax and the blood flows more easily, thus allowing the body to regenerate properly and heal itself properly.

You should feel a good percentage better even after the first treatment, though it may take a few treatments to get fully recovered.

Good luck and enjoy.

I treat all kinds of pain patients every week. including arthritis pain Arthritis is a western term, but in Chinese medicine we can differentiate various root causes of this pain and can treat the body accordingly. The practitioner may use needles or moxa (a warming technique) or may use electric stimulation or suggest an herbal plaster or formula, etc. Most likely there will be a combination of these tools used. We have a large variety of tools in our system to help you recover from this.

Please go soon, the longer you let things linger the harder they become to treat. You should start to feel relief after your first treatment, but if not let them have a few more tries - if they don't work, do try another practitioner because just like any other field, some practitioners do better than others. So, with that you may want to look up someone who has experience with arthritis, but again, most practitioners are very good at relieving all types of pain.

Good luck and enjoy.

Please keep in mind that acupuncture needles are not the same as a hypodermic needle - the kind MDs use to draw blood or give a shot. It is a very thin wire barely the size of a human hair. We can actually stick up to 44 of our needles into a hypodermic needle. So, the fear of needles is really based on your not experiencing our needles and so compare them to hypodermics and this is not how it will actually be.

When you have a needle session, you will feel the prick of the needle (but not always) and then you may feel a sensation that varies from warmth, a muscle jump, a moving sensation, a heavy feeling or any variety of other sensations. Some areas of the body are more sensitive, so you may feel it more in one place than another. Sometimes you don't feel the needle at all and sometimes it may be too much for you. In all cases, you just let your practitioner know and they will adjust accordingly. None of us want our patients in pain, especially when we are treating them to relieve pain, so if you the needle does cause pain, just let the Acupuncturist know and they will adjust the needle accordingly or remove the needle completely.

Most times and with most techniques the needles are barely noticed - some treatments do require a muscle release and so you'll feel a sensation, but it wanes very quickly. If you are tense during the treatment it will generally make the needling more difficult, so please do the best you can to trust the professional to do their best to help you instead of worrying if it will hurt or not.

Good luck and enjoy the experience. Remember, most of my patients fall asleep while needled, even on their very first acupuncture session.

Acupuncture treats all kinds of pain problems including arthritis. I have treated many patients with this condition with great success. Arthritis, is a western medical word, so in Chinese medicine we have a variety of names for what we call "root causes" of the issue called 'arthritis". With a differential diagnosis the treatment plan varies according to the root cause.

So, your practitioner may use needles or may use moxa (a warming treatment) or may use electric stimulation or may suggest and herbal paste or herbal soak or herbal formula to drink or take in a pill form or may have some other strategy - most likely there will be a combination of things done.

We have many tools in our medicine to help patients get the relief they need. Some treatments may work right away or some may take a while depending on how your body responds, how chronic the problem is or other such variable issues all medical fields deal with.

I suggest you find someone in your area who is experienced with arthritis, but again, most all practitioners know how to treat pain issues. Let them treat you a few times if the relief doesn't come right away - if you don't like them, you are free to go find another practitioner that suits you better. Just like any other service it is important that you feel comfortable working with the one providing the service, not all acupuncturists are alike.

You want to start soon if you're choosing to see us, as with any other health issue, the longer you take to get it taken care of the harder it is to help you.

Good luck and enjoy.