Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a very safe, effective, and gentle form of ancient healing that has been used in East Asia for 5,000 years. Acupuncture works with the energy, or Qi (pronounced chee) in your body to relieve physical and/or emotional pain as well as a variety of ailments. This technique helps to restore your body’s own innate wisdom to heal itself.
When Qi is not free flowing in your body, such symptoms as pain, emotional suffering, and disease may result. By inserting needles into points along the main channels where the energy could be blocked, or is no longer flowing optimally, the body is naturally able to regain health and balance.
What can I expect in a treatment?
During an acupuncture treatment, very thin, sterile, stainless steel needles are shallowly inserted into the skin at points on channels related to your presentation. The purpose of the needles is to stimulate the acupuncture point to assist in the movement of vital energy in the body. In treatments at Summer Acupuncture, usually no more than 10-15 are inserted at one time. Through the insertion, we are encouraging the body to send more blood and attention to the area
Many conditions may be alleviated very rapidly by acupuncture and herbs; however, some conditions which have arisen over a course of years will be relieved only with slow, steady progress. As in any form of healing, the patient's attitude, diet, determination and lifestyle will affect the outcome of a course of treatment. Traditional Asian medicine is also an educational process in which the patient becomes more aware of his or her own body, thus increasing its ability to maintain well-being.
Although there are techniques in traditional Asian medicine for healing most conditions, there are medical circumstances which can be dealt with more effectively by Western medicine. In such cases, your acupuncturist will recommend that you contact a physician.
Is Acupuncture safe?
In the hands of a licensed acupuncturist, your safety is assured. The needles are sterilized and disposable.
Is Acupuncture painful?
Acupuncture bears no resemblance to the feeling of receiving an injection, since the main source of pain from an injection is the larger diameter, hollow needle, and the medication being forced into the tissues by pressure. Acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, about the diameter of a human hair. In most cases, insertion by a skilled practitioner is performed with a minimum of discomfort. Most patients find the treatments relaxing and many fall asleep during the treatments. In some cases it is not necessary to use needles at all. Non- needle insertion treatments are an option and are especially helpful in treating children.
Summer Acupuncture also offers Acutonics® and needle-free acupuncture as a gentle alternative to traditional acupuncture. If you have any questions about acupuncture, please see our Frequently Asked Questions, review our suggested Resources, or feel free to contact us.
Cupping
Cupping is an old technique used by many different cultures around the world. In Arabic, it’s translated as “wind cups.” The most common use for cupping is for back pain and noticeable muscle tension, mostly in the upper back and between the shoulder blades. Another area to use cupping is on the Iliotibial bands (upper leg muscles) if they’re very tight.
The second most common reason to use cupping, and referring back to the “wind cups” translation, is upon first sign of what we call a “wind cold” in Chinese medicine. When we catch a cold, sometimes we get that achy neck and back feeling. If you can visit us during that time, cupping on the upper back can help “vent” the pathogen that is said to be lodged in the skin layer.
What is cupping though? Essentially, cupping involves the suctioning of rounded glass cups on an area. Summer uses fire cupping. In this technique, Summer dips a cotton ball in alcohol and lights it on fire. She quickly inserts the cotton ball in and out of the cup, and then quickly onto the skin to create a vacuum so that the cup latches on to the skin. The heat is creating a suction.
