Acupuncture F.A.Q.
Chinese Herbal Medicine F.A.Q.
Q: What is acupuncture and how does acupuncture work?
A: Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into the body at
specific points to restore harmony to one's energy flow. (Back to Top)
Q: Does acupuncture hurt?
A: For the most part, no. However, if you're weaker in certain areas,
you may feel a little pressure, soreness and/or numbness. (Back to Top)
Q: Are the needles reused?
A: Acupuncturists today use sterilized, individually packaged,
disposable needles to avoid the possibility of transmitting
communicable diseases. (Back to Top)
Q: How many treatments will I need?
A: It depends on the duration, severity and nature of the illness. You
may need only a single treatment for an acute condition. A series of
five to fifteen treatments may resolve many chronic problems. Some
degenerative conditions may require more treatments over time. (Back to Top)
Q: Could acupuncture conflict with any Western medical treatments I may be receiving at the moment?
A: No. Acupuncture basically stimulates your own immune system to cure
the illness. However, if the patient is already physically too weak, we
would recommend against getting acupuncture. (Back to Top)
Chinese Herbal Medicine F.A.Q.
Q: Why herbal medicine?
A: Chinese herbal medicine is used as an addition to acupuncture to
assist in the healing process. The herbs influence the organs and
acupuncture channels, or also known as meridians. (Back to Top)
Q: Are there any conflicts between herbal medicine and any medicine I may be taking now?
A: It completely depends on what medicine you're taking now. It's very
important that you make sure your Chinese medicine practioner knows
what other medicine you may be currently taking. (Back to Top)
Q: What is herbal medicine made out of?
A: All herbal medicine are made with natural plants and minerals. The
herbs are then cooked and made into either tablet or granule form.
Finally, the herbs are tested in modern labs before they are released
to the market. Our clinic carries Gloden Flower and KPC brand Chinese herbs. (Back to Top)
Q: What does herbal medicine taste like?
A: Usually tonifying herbal medicine tastes a little sweet. Herbal
medicine that clears heat tastes a little bitter. Herbal medicine that
moves your qi, or energy, tastes a little pungent. (Back to Top)
Q: Are there any side effects to herbal medicine?
A: In general, herbal medicine doesn't have side effects. However, if
you're pregnant, there might be some herbs that you should avoid
taking. (Back to Top)
Q: What do you use for moxibustion?
A: Mainly mugwort leaf because it has strong warming and penetrating
function to disperses cold and alliviates pain. Sometimes, we may need
to add some other herbal medicine for special purposes. (Back to Top)
Q: How do you do the moxibustion?
A: A moxibustion stick is lit and placed on proper acupuncture points
necessary to create warmth and improve circulation. (Back to Top)
Q: Why do I need a moxibustion treatment?
A: the main function of moxibustion is warming, so as long as there is
a cold sign, such as constipation due to cold accumulation in the
intestine or cold congealed in abdominal muscles then moxibustion in
that area will help the movement of intestines. Moxibustion can also
help with frost bites. (Back to Top)
Q: How often do I need a treatment?
A: The practitioner will prescribe moxibustion treatment base on
diagnosis. Usually if there is a cold, stagnation involved the
moxibustion will take care of it. (Back to Top)
Q: What does moxibustion feel like?
A: There are mainly two kinds of moxibustion treatment, one is direct
moxibustion treatment which the moxa material will be placed directly
on the skin. But to avoid any unnecessary inflammation we usually don't
adopt this method in our clinic. The other one is indirect moxibustion
which is conducted with ginger slice, garlic slice, salt and some other
herbs as a medium between the moxa and the skin to enhance the moxa
effect and to avoid unnecessary burns. (Back to Top)
Q: What is auricular therapy?
A: Auricular therapy is a subject which deals with the diagnosis and
treatment of disease by the observation and use of the auricle. There
are corresponding points on the ear for all the human organs, tissues
and systems. (Back to Top)
Q: How do you do auricular therapy?
A: After the regular acupuncture office visit interview we check the
ear shape, size, skin texture, skin color, vessels mapping etc. with
probe or electric detecting device to ensure the correct points are
selected. After the points decided practitioner will use either
filiform needle or vacarria seeds paster to apply on the selected
points. (Back to Top)
Q: What can auricular therapy cure?
A: Generally speaking, the auricular therapy can take care most of the disease or discomfort. (Back to Top)
Q: How often do I need auricular therapy?
A: Usually the auricular therapy is done with body acupuncture. Some
times, it can be just auricular seed therapy by itself if the patient
really can't take any needle treatment. Discuss with your practitioner
how often you need to come back and more details about how to do the
auricular therapy. (Back to Top)
Q: What does auricular therapy feel like?
A: For It feels like a mosquito sting and maybe a little soreness
similar to the feeling of acupuncture. The vacarria seed paster usually
feels warm on the spots. It's recommended to keep the seed pasters on
for three to four days unless it falls off by itself before then. (Back to Top)
Q: What is cupping?
A: Cupping is a method of treatment in Chinese medicine which a jar is
attached to the skin surface to cause local congestion through the
negative pressure created by introducing heat in the form of an ignited
material. This type of treatment has been practice by the Chinese, the
Arab and South American Indians for thousand of years. (Back to Top)
Q: What does cupping do?
A: Cupping has the function of warming and promoting the flow of energy
in the blood this dispelling cold dampness, toxic and winds. It is also
diminishing swellings and pains. (Back to Top)
Q: What kinds of problems can cupping cure?
A: Cupping responded very well with the following problems: Diseases
caused by dampness, such as low back pain, lumbago, sciatica, pain the
arms and shoulders, pain in the legs and muscular part of the body,
stomachache, vomiting, headache, migraine, sprains, insomnia etc. (Back to Top)
Q: What are the tools used in cupping treatment?
A: Ancient time people will use animal horn to suck out the pus, or
they will use bamboo jar. Modern time we use glass jars which are easy
to clean and easy to monitor the cupping progress. We use alcohol
soaked cotton ball, ignite it and put it into the cup to create a
vacuum then remove the cotton ball immediately and place the cup on
selected position. (Back to Top)
Q: What would happen after the cupping?
A: There is no pain involved during and after cupping. Usually if there
is stagnation then the skin on the cupping area will becomes congested
with violet colored blood stasis formation. It'll look like big hickies
which will go away few days later. (Back to Top)
Lazuli Oriental Medicine
Houston, TX