Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not answered here, please feel free to ask one of us directly, either by phone or by coming to our office for a consultation. The main question people have is “Can you help me?” The answer to this is “almost always.” We will do our very best to use this effective and elegant system of medicine to help you.

Can Classical Five-Element Acupuncture help me?

This is the most commonly asked question. Because western medicine primarily focuses on treating symptoms, it is common for people to assume Acupuncture operates the same way. The ancient Chinese understood that illness and any sense of feeling out of sorts is an indication of an underlying imbalance in our fundamental energy. Each person is unique, thus you will be treated uniquely. Between us, we have almost 40 years experience of using this system of medicine to help many people who come with a wide range of problems.

What most people mean when they ask …

What most people mean when they ask, “Can you cure migraine, high blood pressure, back pain, sleep disorders, addictions, etc.” is “have you had success with conditions similar to mine?” Even though we are classically trained acupuncturists who have successfully treated many people with those and other diseases and conditions, we can be more certain how much you will benefit from treatment when we complete an examination and see how you respond to the first few treatments.

Can Classical Five-Element Acupuncture help me get pregnant?

Yes and it should be administered by a qualified and seasoned practitioner because when you become pregnant, the unborn child is being influenced and treated also. An experienced practitioner can use CF-EA to promote fertility and a healthy pregnancy, free from morning sickness, weight problems, depression and so on. In the final month of pregnancy, treatment often facilitates a natural delivery.

Is Classical Five-Element Acupuncture effective with children?

Absolutely, there is no age limit. We took our daughter to Dr. J.R. Worsley when she was two years old. She was having a difficult time sleeping. He inserted one needle into her wrist for just a moment. She spontaneously threw her arms around him and said “Oh, thank you, I appreciate that!” and slept 7 hours straight that night (something she’d never done before). Perhaps what is even more telling about that treatment is that when she was 4 years old a friend asked her if she remembered her consultation with the Professor and she said: “Oh, yes. Before I saw him my spirit was in a little box and after his treatment, my spirit filled the whole world!”

Can it help with non-physical problems?

Yes, definitely. Physical disorders can cause an imbalance in your mental outlook. This may manifest as depression, anger, sadness and the like. Mental disturbances, stress and emotional conflict can cause a host of physical complaints. All the treatments aim to restore the harmony of the body, the mind and the spirit and as one improves, so do the others.

What is Classical Five-Element Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the oldest healing modalities known to humankind. It originated in China over five thousand years ago. Very fine needles are inserted in points that lie along energy pathways in the body and small cones of the herb moxa are burned on these points. It follows the natural law and thus the five elements are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood which correspond to the seasons of Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring which govern the health and well being of all the organs and systems within the person in their body, mind and spirit. It is elegant and effective.

How does it work?

When very fine acupuncture needles are inserted into particular points that lie along the pathways of energy, imbalances are corrected and innate balance and harmony are re-established.

Classical Chinese medicine recognizes a vital force in the body that governs the balance and health of all the organs and systems of the body. This vital force, or qi energy as the Chinese call it, circulates from one organ to another along channels, or pathways, called meridians.

Each meridian is associated with one of the main organs/functions of the body: heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, heart protector (pericardium), triple-heater, gall bladder, liver, lungs, colon, stomach and spleen. The qi must flow freely and in the correct strength and quality through each of the meridians and organs in order for us to be healthy in our body, at ease in our mind and vibrant in our spirit. If you are sick, the qi is out of balance. The pain or symptoms you experience are a distress signal, which notifies us of this imbalance, be it due to physical, mental or spiritual causes.

What About the Needles?

Do the needles hurt? Ah! This is one of the most commonly asked question. The needles are about the thickness of 1-2 strands of hair and insertion often goes unnoticed. There can be a sharp or a dull aching sensation when the needle touches the energy, the qi, of the acupuncture point. These sensations are momentary and much less unpleasant than a hypodermic injection.

A classically trained practitioner uses the fewest needles possible to get the most benefit for you in any given treatment.

The needles are in sealed and sterilized packets and are properly disposed of after each use. We use only the highest quality stainless steel disposable needles.

What are the “nuts and bolts” of treatment?

The initial examination includes a thorough medical and personal review and description of your complaints, a review of your body systems and a physical examination, which includes a structural exam, and the “reading” of the 12 pulses. Only then can we develop an effective treatment plan, unique to you.

What is “reading” the pulses?

A unique and elegant aspect of classical Chinese acupuncture is the palpation of the 12 pulses upon the radial artery of the wrists. This reading gives an enormous amount of information related to the quantity and quality of energy in each of the meridians and their associated organs and functions.

At each of your treatments, your pulses are “read” and moxa and needles are used. Your response to treatment is carefully monitored. Lifestyle recommendations will be discussed when appropriate. Each time you come for treatment, you’ll have time to tell us of any changes that you notice within yourself.

Moxa

Often the acupuncture points are heated with a special herb, artemesia vulgaris latiflora, (called moxa) which is rolled into tiny cones and placed on the skin over an acupuncture point, ignited, and removed when you feel its heat. Like needles, moxa revitalizes, reinforces, invigorates and restores balance and harmony to the vital ch’i energy.

How many treatments will I need?

The number of treatments needed varies from person to person and depends upon the severity of your situation, how long you’ve suffered from it, your lifestyle and other factors including your own unique constitution. Typically treatments begin on a weekly basis for the first 3-4 weeks. As you improve, visits are reduced to every two weeks, three weeks, once a month and so on.

Is it preventative as well as curative?

It is advisable for healthy patients to come in seasonally for checkups and maintenance, because your pulses reveal a problem before you experience symptoms. seasonal tunings, like a get well-stay well plan are recommended.

What do we mean by spirit?

It is the divine sparkle within each and every one of us. It is the natural and spontaneous recognition we see in each other’s eyes. It is the part of us that gives purpose and meaning to our lives and our innate ability and need to love and to be loved.

Without spirit, we’d be nothing more than clever robots. It fuels our lives and the clearer, stronger and more resilient it is, the better chance we have in resisting and/or coping with sickness and all the challenging situations that come our way.

What about medication and other medical care?

Western medical care may certainly be used in cooperation with Classical Five-Element Acupuncture. We need to know what medications/doses you are taking as this is taken into account in the planning and assessment of your treatments. Massage/PT, osteopathic, chiropractic and other therapies can be very helpful.

As you progress, the need for certain drugs may decrease and it may become appropriate to reduce or even discontinue medications, which needs to be done only with the cooperation and approval of the prescribing physician. Many people have reduced or come entirely off their medications for such conditions as high blood pressure, pain, sleep problems, depression, digestive and menstrual disorders and many others.

What are your office policies?

The initial examination and treatment costs $150 and takes about two and one half hours. Subsequent treatments cost $90 unless prior arrangements have been made. Treatments after the first session take about 1 hour. Some insurance plans recognize acupuncture as a covered benefit. Please speak with us if you need financial assistance, as we make every effort to make this system of medicine available to everyone.

Do you accept credit card payments?

Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover card payments.

Cancellation Policy

Except in cases of emergency, we require a 24-hour notice prior to cancellation of your appointment or you will be charged the full fee.

Acknowledgment

We are deeply grateful to all of our teachers. Much of the material on this page is from Is Acupuncture for You? by J.R. Worsley and is used by permission from Worsley Inc. and J.B. Worsley.