During an acupuncture treatment, your acupuncturist inserts very thin needles into specific spots on your body. Insertion of the needles usually causes little to no pain or discomfort. Each person who performs acupuncture has a unique style, often blending aspects of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine. To determine the type of acupuncture treatment that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you about your symptoms, behaviors and lifestyle. He or she may also closely examine:

• The parts of your body that are painful

• The shape, coating and color of your tongue

• The color of your face

• The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse in your wrist

An acupuncture session may take up to 90 minutes, although some appointments may be much shorter. A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week. The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity. In general, it's common to receive 6 to 8 treatments.

During the procedure

Acupuncture points are situated in all areas of the body. Sometimes the appropriate points are far removed from the area of your pain. Your acupuncture practitioner will tell you the general site of the planned treatment and whether you need to remove any clothing. A gown, towel or sheet will be provided. You lie on a padded table for the treatment, which involves:

• Needle insertion. Acupuncture needles are inserted to various depths at strategic points on your body. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort. People often don't feel them inserted at all. A typical treatment uses 5 to 20 needles. You may feel a mild aching sensation when a needle reaches the correct depth.

• Needle manipulation. Your practitioner may gently move or twirl the needles after placement or apply heat or mild electrical pulses to the needles.

• Needle removal. In most cases, the needles remain in place for 10 to 15 minutes while you lie still and relax. There is usually no discomfort when the needles are removed.

• Moxabustion. a traditional Chinese medicine treatment that involves burning of moxa, a herb that has been known to facilitate healing. It, like acupuncture, is meant to stimulate circulation and decrease inflammation. In the direct moxibustion therapy, it can be burnt at an acupuncture point and can either be allowed to burn out completely once lit, or is extinguished before it burns the skin. Moxa can also be applied to the end of an acupuncture needle.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kairos today to learn more about how acupuncture can help you.