Acupuncture is an ancient form of medicine with a history that dates thousands of years. With its ancient roots, needles and Chinese terminology, acupuncture is mysterious to many westerners who are unfamiliar with traditional Chinese medicine. Questions about acupuncture are common. Below are the most frequently asked questions about acupuncture.

What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture traces its roots to China where it originated over two thousand years ago. This ancient form of medicine spread throughout Asia to other nations such as Japan and Korea with variations having been developed by these nations over time.  

The word acupuncture is used in the west and is made up of the words “acus,” the Latin word for needle, and “puncture,” an English word. However, needling is only half of the story. When you look at the Chinese word for acupuncture, the picture is more complete. In Chinese, the term for acupuncture is Zhenjiu with “Zhen” referring to the art of needling and “jiu” referring to moxibustion which is a heat treatment involving the burning of an herb called mugwort. Technically, acupuncture should have been called “acupuncture-moxibustion” when it was translated because acupuncture treatments may involve a combination of needling and moxibustion, needling only, or moxibustion only.

Acupuncture treatments involve the application of needles and/or moxa to specific points, called acupoints, of the body. Acupoints are located along meridians (or pathways) which have been identified inside and outside of the body. Depending on the treatment and area, needles may barely penetrate the skin or they may be inserted quite deep at points along these meridians with each point affecting a different part of your body.  

How does acupuncture work?
In order to understand how acupuncture works, you need to understand a couple of key Chinese concepts. The first is Qi, or “Chi.” Qi is life energy that flows through meridians. When meridians are blocked, Qi cannot flow properly and balance is thrown off. The other concept is that of yin and yang. The Chinese believe that everything in the universe is either yin or yang with yin and yang being opposites such as light and dark, black and white, right and left, up and down, and so on. Not only are opposites considered, they must be in balance. Too much yin or too much yang is associated with certain health conditions in Chinese medicine.

As Qi flows through your body along its pathways, your body is balanced and healthy. However, when a blockage occurs, balance is thrown. Stress, lack of sleep, deficiencies, and excesses (like smoking, overeating, or toxins in your body) can disrupt Qi and cause an imbalance in yin and yang. Disharmony, disease, and other ailments are said to be the result of blocked Qi. The application of needles and/or moxibustion seeks to unblock the meridian and restore the flow of Qi and your body’s yin and yang balance.

The peripheral nerve pathways (meridians) and acupoints work in conjunction with acupuncture needles as when a needle is inserted, a tiny electrical current is generated. From there, the current travels along the meridian to the spinal cord and brain triggering the release of hormones and anti-inflammatories. These natural responses heal the body by reducing pain, stopping muscle spasms, reducing inflammation, and improving circulation. In short, your body is being stimulated through acupuncture to heal itself.

Does acupuncture hurt?
Inserting a needle into the body sounds more painful than it really is. Any time you insert a needle into the body, a bit of discomfort is to be expected. In addition, different people have different thresholds for pain, so what might be painful for one person may be mild for another. Fortunately, most patients find that the pain is tolerable and not nearly as bad as they had anticipated. 

What about the acupuncture needles?
Our Houston acupuncture clinic uses only sterile, disposable needles to ensure your safety. Antiseptic techniques are also used. Needles are never reused and disposed of immediately in proper receptacles once the treatment is complete.

Is acupuncture safe?
Yes. As discussed above, needle safety is of utmost importance. The Houston acupuncture clinic was one of the first to move to using disposable needles exclusively to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In addition to needle safety, acupuncture has no known dangerous side effects, addictions, or allergic reactions.

Considering the thousands of years of acupuncture practice, acupuncture mishaps have been rare. Carelessness and ignorance were the cause of most recorded acupuncture accidents, most of which took place in China. At the Houston acupuncture clinic, the acupuncturists are highly trained, capable, caring, and licensed.

What health problems can acupuncture solve?
Acupuncture is a safe, natural form of medicine that treats a number of health problems – far too many to list. To give you an idea, a 1979 report published in China, Jao Guoru’s Cumulative Clinical Experiences on Acupuncture, listed three hundred diseases and ailments that acupuncture can treat. The World Health Organization’s Inter-Regional Study Seminar recommended acupuncture for about 40 types of diseases such as muscular, neural, and gastrointestinal disorders as well as respiratory, mouth, and eye disorders. Drs. Lings’ Houston acupuncture clinic specializes in treating a variety of ailments and health problems with acupuncture treatments including:

• Weight control
• Stop smoking
• Stop drinking
• Arthritis, allergy, and sinus relief
• Sciatica pain control
• Headaches and migraines
• Back, neck, and shoulder pain control
• Joint pain control
• Stress and anxiety relief

In fact, many different ailments can be treated at once. For example, if you are suffering from allergies and stress and want to also stop smoking, there’s no reason that you cannot receive multiple treatments for these ailments at once, unless you are physically weak.

How soon does acupuncture deliver results?
As with any treatment, results vary. Pain treatments often deliver immediate results while treatments for chronic ailments may require many treatments before you notice improvements.

How often should treatments be rendered?
This too varies. The Lings believe that acupuncture treatments shouldn’t be too close because the improvements continue for several days. Scheduling treatments too close together, such as daily or every other day, isn’t in the best interest of the patient. Instead, the Lings recommend twice a week treatments as a general rule of thumb. Patients suffering from chronic conditions or paralysis will require more frequent treatments.