FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL APPLICATIONS OF ACUPUNCTURE
In general, the acupuncture and Oriental Medicine therapies practiced at exhale excel in treating four main areas:

MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND DYSFUNCTION
Using various methods, your acupuncturist can effectively treat acute sprains, strains, and even minor tears of muscle, tendon, and ligament. Problems with range of motion and flexibility may also be addressed, as well as injury due to trauma (such as automobile accidents, falls, and sports-related events), and pre- and post-surgical conditions. Chronic postural problems which contribute to many symptoms such as headache, neck stiffness, upper and lower back pain, and sciatica are also treated with our therapies.

STRESS MANAGEMENT
Although seemingly counterintuitive, deep relaxation occurs as a side effect of the insertion of acupuncture needles. For that reason, exhale's acupuncture program excels at managing stress. Stress is a fact of life, and plays an important role in our day to day lives. However, the impact on your physiology is the same with good stress (ie. winning the lottery) as it is with bad stress (ie. your house burning down). In our competitive environment, stress gets our adrenaline pumping and helps us maintain our edge. On the down side, the same stress that helps us perform certain activities has an overall negative impact on our bodies. Over time, it may manifest as insomnia, mental agitation and inappropriate displays of anger, or even depression in extreme cases. We may begin having trouble concentrating and staying on task. Stress can also cause imbalances with our systems of digestion and elimination, among other things. Acupuncture offers many tools for the management of stress and its negative impact on your day to day performance. Combined with good nutrition, exercise, and the other therapies available at exhale, you will be well prepared to not only survive your stress, but to thrive with it.

PEAK PERFORMANCE
In the view of acupuncture, the body's health and functionality depend on the unrestricted flow of Qi (chee). Qi is the equivalent to life energy, and sets the difference between the animate and the inanimate. When we are "out of balance," it takes every bit of our energy just to accomplish the simple tasks of daily life. Once we regain our energetic balance, we are able to function more economically, resulting in a net gain of usable energy.

INTENTIONAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
At its highest level, acupuncture and Oriental Medicine functions to support the patient's process as they seek to achieve wellness. While Western medicine describes wellness as "the absence of disease," Oriental medicine views it from a different perspective. Far from simply "not being sick," we see wellness as the highest state of health, where a person functions well in all aspects of life, including the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual. This medicine functions as a tool to help you gain personal understanding, insight, and the functional ability to change, while helping you to identify and alter patterns and disharmonies that prevent you from experiencing health, wellbeing, and happiness.

CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED

MUSCULO-SKELETAL DISORDERS
    Neck and shoulder pain
    Back pain, upper/lower
    Sciatic pain
    Pain and numbness of the extremities
    Arthritis/Joint pain
    Tennis elbow/Golfer's elbow
    Pre/Post surgical conditions
    Sports injuries
    Traumatic injuries
    Chronic intractable pain

MIND + SPIRIT
    Stress
    Restless Sleep
    Anxiety/Depression
    Lack of mental focus
    Fatigue
    Emotional trauma
    Life transitions
    Growth support

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
    Headache
    Migraine
    Vertigo
    Bells palsy
    Trigeminal neuralgia
    Gastrointestinal disorders
    Gastritis
    Colitis
    IBS/IBD/Crohns disease
    Constipation/Diarrhea
    Gas/Bloating/Distention
    Weight loss/Weight gain

OB/GYN (from the perspective of Oriental Medicine)
    Fertility/ IVF support
    Dysfunctional Menstruation
    Irregular Menstruation/Ovulation
    Absent or painful menstruation
    Endometriosis
    PMS
    Fibroids/Cysts
    Pre/Peri/Post-Menopausal conditions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: DOES ACUPUNCTURE HURT?
Most people find acupuncture to be quite comfortable. The most commonly described sensation is a light pinch. Acupuncture needles are very thin and easily inserted with little or no discomfort.

Q: IS ACUPUNCTURE SAFE?
Acupuncture is extremely safe. Needles are FDA approved medical devices. They are sterile, single-use and disposable. In addition, your practitioner is certified in "Clean Needle Technique", the Western medical gold standard in needle safety. Acupuncture has no significant negative side effects. As a result it is a very safe and effective medicine.

Q: IS THERE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE EFFICACY OF ACUPUNCTURE?
In fact, acupuncture has been undergoing the longest human trials in the history of medicine - 5,000 years. During this period it has been the main system of medicine for over one third of the world's population. When a healing system has been around that long it has to be doing something right! However, in the last 10 years or so acupuncture has been the subject of numerous western style scientific studies. Most of them have shown acupuncture to be both safe and effective. As a result the National Institute of Health (NIH) wrote a position statement calling for acupuncture to be available to all Americans through their health networks and through State and Federal programs.

Q: DOES INSURANCE COVER ACUPUNCTURE?
Some insurance does cover acupuncture. If your insurance covers acupuncture "out of network" then ask your exhale acupuncturist for a "super bill" at time of treatment. You can submit this to your insurance company for direct reimbursement of a portion of your treatment charge.

Q: HOW CAN ACUPUNCTURE HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS, SMOKING AND OTHER ADDICTIONS?
There is excellent work being done in the field of addiction recovery using acupuncture as part of a comprehensive treatment protocol. Addictions arise and continue as an individual's life energy becomes increasingly imbalanced... Restoring this healthy balance along with learning new behaviors is at the heart of the recovery process. This is true whether a person struggles with cigarettes, narcotics, or ice cream. Recovery, like all healing, requires dedication, good support, inspiration and a vision of oneself without the addiction. Acupuncture treatment can support you in your quest to become free of the dependency; acupuncture will not cure your addiction. Your acupuncturist at exhale will partner with you in this process as one component of a comprehensive program.