Learn More About Natural Health Acupuncture

How does acupuncture work? 

A reknowned San Diego Licensed Acupuncturist, Dr. Richard Tan  (www.drtanshow.com), describes it most simply, yet accurately, by holding a hand in front of your face and exclaiming "Five!" Acupuncture is a perfected practice that has successfully helped elevate health naturally for the past five thousand years.  

5,000 years. 

Successful techniques have passed through generations, crossed overseas and now are available to help our community of Austin.  Acupuncture stimulates the flow of blood, oxygen, and vital nutrients to dormant areas that are in desperate need of proper nutrients.

This movement of blood is what is referred to as "qi."  When an area of your body, such as your stomach, does not receive proper blood flow (qi flow) symptoms such as stomache pains, ulcers, or bloating will appear.  An acupuncturist is trained to know how to use tiny needles to improve the blood flow to those areas of blockage. 

DOES IT HURT? 

No.

The needles are about the width of a human hair!  You may feel a slight stimulation when it first enters the skin, but the average person does not feeling anything, or the stimulation is relieved directly after insertion.  Some patients actually feel a welcomed slight tingly sensation that lasts up to three seconds. After the human hair width needles are in place (the number of needles varies from 4 to 20 depending on the person and problem being treated) most people feel very relaxed and may even fall asleep. 

HOW LONG DO THE NEEDLES STAY IN? 

Typically the session lasts for about 15 minutes, but occasionally the treatment is longer if the patient has the time, and can last for up to 45 minutes. 

In younger children this time is shorter.  In babies, the needles are inserted and quickly removed.  In our office, the usual treatment time is about 30-45 minutes from the time someone walks in the door to the time they leave. 

WHAT SORT OF TRAINING DO ACUPUNCTURISTS HAVE? 

Acupuncturists in the state of Texas must have attended a 4-year postgraduate college of Traditional Chinese Medicine that includes classes in Eastern as well as Western or allopathic medicine.  Courses on anatomy and physiology, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and pathology are examples of what we learn at an acupuncture college.  In addition to thorough education, each acupuncturist experiences extensive apprenticeship and clinical training (over 2,000 hours). After completion, acupuncturists in Texas must pass 2 national board exams goverened by the NCCAOM.  

The Natural Health Center of Austin supports continuous education of the employees, and requires a minimal of 17 hours of further education each year.