My name is Kelly Hoeffner and I am licensed acupuncturist. Practicing out of Bellingham, Washington has been an amazing experience. While I have been in practice for 10 years, most of those where in Denver. In this article I will go over some of the most common questions I have gotten over the years, a brief history of this advanced medicine and what I have learned from my journey.
When people ask me about acupuncture, I answer with something along the lines of, “Acupuncture is one of the most effective, affordable and safest medical systems on the planet.” Which is extremely true. But that kind of takes all the detail and history out of this amazing medicine. Let’s dive in a little further shall well.
I think one of the most common questions I get is, “What does acupuncture do?” Well, in short, everything! It includes preventative care, ailment resolution, athletic enhancement, mental health and increases an overall feeling of wellbeing. People come in with complaints ranging from hip pain, digestive disturbances, stress, anxiety, depression, migraines and everything in between.
“Ok, great! But how long does acupuncture take to work?” That is a pretty loaded question that not everyone likes the answer to. It ranges greatly from person to person and can depend on everything from age, health and diet. In general, however, acute issues take 4-8 treatments while more chronic conditions can take 10-12 treatments to see a shift. The closer these treatments are together the quicker we will see the symptoms alleviate. Acupuncture is given in a series of treatments and can be incredibly effective in alleviating pain, increased energy, decreased inflammation and better sleep.
“What was your training?” Licensed Acupuncturist must have at least a Master’s of Science to practice. They log thousands of hours of classroom, clinical and internship hours. This is much more training than someone who practices dry needling. Dry needling is usually learned a couple weekends. Please find a licensed acupuncturist in your area for more information.
“Does it hurt?” Acupuncture needles are very thin, about the diameter of a strand of hair. There may be a small prick on insertion but for the most part it is a very relaxing experience.
“How does it work?” Small needles are placed in specific acupuncture points. These points are telling the body how to heal itself. The points work along the nervous and cardiovascular systems to release your body’s own chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins which cause a systemic anti-inflammatory response. Your body heals itself, we just flip the switches.
Acupuncture is part of a bigger system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM for short. This includes, cupping, Gua Sha, Tui Na, Herbology, electrical stimulation, Nutrition and many other modalities used to help bring the body back to balance. Evidence can be found as far back as 5,000 years ago of its birth. Systemized acupuncture as we know it today arose 2,500 years ago. It has been tried, tested and proved to be incredible detailed and effective. Eastern Medicine is still the most widely used medicine in the world!
While this brief overview of questions and history can be wanting, it at least gives an idea to what Acupuncture can do and how long it has been around. The main thing I have taken from my years studying and practicing this medicine is how complete it is. I still learn something with every new case, and it seems to be able to tackle anything. We get the people who have tried everything, and nothing has worked. Doctors can’t find anything, and they are on their last leg. If you take anything from this, it is to make acupuncture a part of your life now as a preventative therapy. And, if you suffer from something that seems will always be with you, find an acupuncturist and see what can happen.
Resilient Acupuncture & Fire Cupping serves the greater Bellingham, WA area with affordable and focused treatments.
We treat pain, anxiety depression, athletic performance and recovery among many other ailments.
The patient and their road to health is our only goal and people trusting us with their well-being is our only passion.
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