4 Questions to Ask Your Acupuncturist

Acupuncture is a form of treatment that involves an acupuncturist inserting very fine, metallic needles through a person’s skin at specific points on the body at various depths. Extensive research has shown that it can help relieve pain, and it is used for a wide range of other complaints, including stress management, mental health, high or low blood pressure, and labour induction! Not only is acupuncture effective, but it is also highly safe with minimal to zero side effects, can be safely and effectively combined with other treatments, and can serve as an alternative treatment for patients who are unable to take pain relief medications.

Acupuncture works by stimulating a response in your central nervous system, releasing chemicals into the brain, muscles, and spinal cord that activate your body’s self-healing mechanisms. The hair-thin needles used in acupuncture are placed in strategic anatomic points known as acupuncture points or acupoints.

Before we can safely move forward with acupuncture, one of our acupuncturists will have an initial discussion with you to review your medical history, assess any problem areas, and what you hope to achieve from acupuncture. They may also perform a brief physical exam to develop a treatment plan catered to help you best. Once we can guarantee that you can safely receive acupuncture, we will get started!

First, the Acupuncturist will ask you to lie comfortably on the treatment table, either on your back or stomach, depending on the specific treatment area. The specialist will then place the acupuncture needles in strategic locations to stimulate your body’s healing response. Once the needles are in place, they will likely stay there for five to 30 minutes. While you may feel some pressure during the needle placement, you should not feel any pain and only minimal discomfort. Most patients report feeling exceptionally relaxed after an acupuncture treatment!

Acupuncture is used to treat all sorts of conditions and symptoms! Some of these conditions and symptoms include the following:

• Addictions 
• Allergies & sinusitis
• Back pain
• Dental pain
• Depression
• Endometriosis & amenorrhea
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches & migraines
• Hiatal hernias
• Hypertension
• Knee pain
• Immunity Health
• Menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Neck pain
• Postoperative pain
• Pre- and post-pregnancy health: morning sickness, infertility, post-recovery, milk supply, labor induction, malposition of fetus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sciatica
• Sleep Disturbances, including insomnia
• Stroke
• Tennis elbow

If you think you could benefit from acupuncture treatment, we welcome you to Prosper Health & Rehab! We serve patients from Vancouver BC, Surrey BC, Burnaby BC, Richmond BC, Langley BC, and Coquitlam BC.