Acupuncture is a healing method that involves the insertion of very fine needles through your skin at specific points on your body. It’s considered to be an important part of the healing system of Chinese medicine, and has been effectively used for thousands of years.
Despite its ancient roots, modern researchers have discovered that acupuncture has a number of physiological effects on the human body. Scientists have found that:
-Acupuncture can reduce inflammation significantly in the areas where needles have been placed.
-Being treated with acupuncture can alter your brain chemistry in several ways. It can increase the circulation of feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins; it can ramp up your body’s own pain control system; and it helps to block pain signals traveling to your brain.
-Acupuncture also works to increase circulation throughout your body—an important part of the healing process.
-It can help to balance your hormones; both reproductive hormones as well as those that become out of balance when you become stressed.
-Acupuncture also works to boost immunity and maintain a healthy immune system.
What to Expect
During an acupuncture appointment, Valerie will spend time with you to establish a diagnosis and develop a treatment strategy. She will then insert acupuncture needles into selected points on your body. You will then relax the needles retained for 20-30 minutes, after which time the needles will be removed. Most people describe feeling very relaxed after their acupuncture appointment.
The needles used in an acupuncture treatment are different than those used for injections or blood draws. Acupuncture needles are sterile, used only once, and disposable. What they are not is hollow, as nothing is passed into your body during a treatment. This means that the needles used are much smaller, and therefore produce less sensation than a needle.