Licensed acupuncturists in the United States receive 3 to 4 years of intense and comprehensive graduate school training. The schools are nationally certified and accredited by NCCAOM. Acupuncturists must pass a national exam and meet strict guidelines to practice in every state. Find a licensed acupuncturist in your area at www.acufinder.com

During the first visit, Ms. Silver will discuss with you in detail your main symptoms or concerns as well as a number of other functions of your health and lifestyle, including energy, digestion, sleep, and stress. This information, along with observations of your tongue and pulse, will be used to form your individual diagnosis of the pattern of disharmony, or the details of how your underlying energy is out of balance.

Your acupuncturist will then place tiny, sterilized needles at specific points on your body to affect specific organ systems and restore balance and health to your body. Adjunctive therapies such as infrared heat, moxibustion, cupping, or Tui Na will be administered as necessary. You are then left to relax for about 20 minutes before the needles are removed. Most patients experience a deep relaxation during the treatment and leave feeling both relaxed and energized.

Follow up treatments will involve a shorter intake, and discussion of any changes since the last visit. Your treatment will be adjusted each visit to change as your energy changes, so the focus is always personalized for your specific needs each step of the way to wellness.

The number of treatments necessary varies depending on the individual patient’s condition. Sometimes a problem is resolved within the first or second treatment; other conditions take many months of treatment. In general, acute conditions resolve faster than chronic conditions, and patients with healthier lifestyles tend to respond more quickly. A minimum of four treatments is recommended before deciding whether acupuncture will be able to help.

Yes, it is extremely safe. Because the needles used are pre-sterilized, individually packaged and used only once, there is virtually no risk of infection. Acupuncture is a therapy that uses the body’s own energy to heal illness naturally, so there are no side effects.

No, acupuncture is not painful. When an acupuncture needle is inserted, patients may experience sensations such as tingling, heaviness, or energetic movement in the area, but many feel nothing at all. The needles used are extremely tiny and most patients find treatments quite relaxing.