Frequent Questions about Acupuncture

I love questions about acupuncture, sometimes it's hard to answer them in the community treatment room where we are trying to be quiet. During private treatments, there are times when I would like to answer specific questions more completely.

So, every week, I am going to post some of the most frequent questions I get. If you have additional questions, need clarification, or want to make a comment, please post on the blog. We can have a running dialog.

Q: Why do you take pulses? Do pulses change during a treatment?

A: Taking pulses in Chinese Medicine is different than in Western Medicine. I am feeling the status of 6 different meridians (channels) on each wrist for a total of 12. Each finger position tells me how individual meridians are doing. Often I can tell if you're having certain symptoms like trouble sleeping, acid reflux, getting a cold, or sinus congestion. That's why I frequently ask you questions while I'm feeling your pulse.

Yes, pulses do change during and after an acupuncture treatment. This change gives me feedback about how your body is responding to treatment.

COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE

Our Community Acupuncture (CA) Clinic was established 1 1/2 years ago to help provide acupuncture to everyone regardless of income. The clinic is a now quite busy as a result of referrals from established patients!

One big reason for the financial success of the the CA clinic is the commitment of patients in keeping their appointments and giving at least 24 hours notice when canceling. Most patients realize that missed appointments make it hard for us to pay the clinic overhead.


The Community Clinic is my "baby". I wanted to start a sliding scale clinic for over 5 years and am excited that we are up and running! I'd like to thank everyone who comes to the clinic for treatment as you are greatly appreciated. I'm glad to be a part of your health care team.