FAQs

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete and comprehensive medical system that has been used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses for thousands of years (at least 2,500 years, if not 5,000). There are five pillars of TCM: acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, movement (Qi Gong or Tai Chi), and manual therapy (Tui Na, Gua Sha, cupping).

TCM applies the synergy of natural law and order to the human body in alignment with Taoist philosophy. It acknowledges the interconnectedness of our organ systems and the importance of “Qi” for maintaining our health.

Qi is active energy, which serves as a metaphor from a modern lens for the energy and metabolic processes that exist in a living being. Qi flows through the meridian system of the body, which forms the basis for acupuncture, along with other vital substances. These meridians encompass more than simply blood vessel networks and nerve matrices - together they map out a comprehensive diagram of the body that explains how different organs and metabolic functions are connected.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine viewpoint, acupuncture works by stimulating different points along the body’s energetic meridians in order to balance an individual’s Qi. From a biomedical perspective, acupuncture promotes the body’s inherent self-healing abilities by stimulating, moving, and adjusting the body’s energy to restore internal homeostasis.

Needling specific areas on the body stimulates the nervous system to release various chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain which either change the experience of pain and symptoms or trigger the release of additional hormones which further influence the internal regulating system of the body. Acupuncture has the ability to not only down-regulate the body’s response to stress, injury and illness, but also modulate and fundamentally recalibrate it.

Dry needling is another term for a basic form of acupuncture - one used by providers without sufficient experience and training. Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into anatomical locations to treat dysfunction, be that disease, injury or pain, and promote health and wellness.

“Dry needling” is a recently invented name for an acupuncture technique which involves inserting needles directly into muscles and “trigger points” for the relief of musculoskeletal pain.

Licensed acupuncturists have both practiced and documented this acupuncture technique, now referred to as “dry needling,” for decades in the US, and for thousands of years in other countries. Some healthcare providers have claimed that dry needling is “new” and “not acupuncture” because the point locations and needling style are based on anatomical structures and physiological function rather than on traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture theory.

However, licensed acupuncturists receive training in the application of both traditional foundations of acupuncture as well as modern biomedical theories and have done so since long before the term “dry needling” was conceived.

The education requirement for dry needling is only a weekend course on how to insert needles into a patient and there are no regulatory agency controls, training, licensing, or supervision for the procedure. Conversely, the educational background for acupuncture is a minimum of 3-5 years of study and successfully passing multiple national board exams in order to understand both the why and how to needle a patient.

Dry needling is an advanced and invasive procedure. In the hands of a practitioner who has received limited and substandard training, it has the potential to cause real harm. It can be considered safe only when performed by properly trained and experienced acupuncturists.

Acupuncture not only addresses a variety of symptoms in patients, but also promotes general health and well-being as a preventative treatment. National and international authorities like the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Medical Association, have all recognized the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for a wide range of issues, including:

Autoimmune Disease: Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Shingles/Post Herpetic Neuralgia, Vasculitis, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Cardiovascular Disorders: Hypertension, Hypotension, Stroke, Palpitations

Ear, Eye and Mouth Disorders: Dizziness, Vertigo, Conjunctivitis, Central Retinal Myopia, Cataracts, Toothache, Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ), Post Extraction Pain, Gingivitis, Pharyngitis, Duodenal Ulcer, Colitis, Constipation, Diarrhea, Paralytic Ileus

Gastrointestinal Conditions: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Spasms of esophagus, Hiccough, Gastroptosis, Gastritis, Gastric Hyperacidity

Mental-emotional Disorders: Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Addiction

Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Disorders: Headache and Migraine, TMJ, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Facial Palsy, Pareses Following a Stroke, Peripheral Neuropathies, Sequelae of Poliomyelitis, Meniere’s Disease, Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction, Nocturnal Enuresis (bedwetting), Intercostal Neuralgia, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Cervicobrachial Syndrome, Frozen Shoulder, Sciatica, Low Back Pain, Osteoarthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Back and Knee Pain, Neck Pain, Tennis elbow, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Sports Injuries and Pains, Chronic and Post-Operative pain, Adverse Reactions to Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy

Reproductive & Gynecological Conditions: Premenstrual Syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods), Menorrhagia (Spotting and Excessive Bleeding), Amenorrhea (Loss of Menstrual Period), Endometriosis, Impotence, Infertility, Incontinence, Prostatitis, Induction of labor

Respiratory Problems: Sinusitis, Rhinitis, Common Cold and Flu, Tonsillitis, Bronchitis, Asthma, Allergies

While the most common reasons individuals seek acupuncture are typically for pain, fertility complications and stress, there are clearly many applications even beyond what is listed here when done by a fully trained and certified practitioner. If you are wondering if acupuncture can help a condition that is not listed, please reach out!

Absolutely not! The wonderful thing about this medicine is that it is proactive in healing as well as reactive. That means that even if you don’t have anything major going on, it can still help to balance out the body and prevent dysfunction from occurring in the first place. Many people receive acupuncture just to get general tune-ups and find that the effects are far-reaching. Additionally, many times patients come in without a main complaint, but throughout the intake we uncover things that actually aren’t optimal which can be a great place to start treatment before those imbalances get worse.

No, acupuncture does not hurt! At most, you might feel a dull ache or a “spicy” type of sharp sensation when a needle is inserted, which disappears quickly. Some patients fear the use of a needle, but with the comforting and professional care at The Wei, the fear quickly dissipates. Often, patients don’t feel anything at all.

Your first acupuncture treatment will be 75 minutes long, which includes a 45 minute health intake and a 30 minute treatment. The intake usually entails a casual discussion focusing on your medical history, current health concerns and generally about your overall health which we scan from head to toe. This includes covering eating and sleeping habits, mental well-being, and whenever pertinent, details regarding menstrual cycles and prior pregnancies. It's possible that some of the questions posed may not seem to relate to your current problem, but this is deliberate. Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at overall health rather than just treating symptoms, and the information you offer will help us build a holistic picture of your health to design a thorough treatment plan. Part of the intake also includes observing tongue and pulse qualities, as well as abdominal palpation, which helps devise a treatment plan.

After the intake, you will be instructed to lay on the treatment table and single-use, sterile needles will be inserted in various acupuncture points related to treating your main health concerns. Various adjunct therapies may also be applied. Most people feel very relaxed during treatment and some fall asleep.

Post-treatment, beyond noticing improvements in their main complaints, patients tend to feel an increased sense of calm and report having better sleep, digestion, and an overall sense of well-being.

During a treatment you may receive any combination of the following adjunct modalities when appropriate: Auricular acupuncture, cupping, gua sha, moxa, electro-stimulation, and Tuina.

Yes, there are three main types that reflect the culture and history of specific regions. These are: Chinese, Japanese and Korean acupuncture.

Chinese Acupuncture uses tongue and pulse quality for diagnostic purposes as well as comparatively larger needles and inserts them to greater depths within the body with an emphasis on needle manipulation to obtain a sensation that indicates Qi has arrived at the acupuncture point. In these treatments more needles are also used than the other two styles.

Japanese Acupuncture is a more gentle approach and uses thinner needles, less quantity of needles, and insertions of shallower depths along with a focus on abdominal palpation for diagnosis. Additionally, moxa (an herb called mugwort which is burned in various ways for healing) is used as a much larger component in this treatment style.

Korean Acupuncture uses needles in a similar style to Japanese Acupuncture but only requires four needles per treatment. Beyond these categories, every practitioner has their own unique approach.

At The Wei, we do a combination of Chinese and Japanese acupuncture based on both the patient presentation and preference.

Acupuncture has cumulative effects. Each person will have a different prognosis determined by various factors which we will discuss at the start of treatments. Some people see immediate results, but most need 3-5 treatments to see improvements in their main complaint.

Cosmetic acupuncture prompts your system to go into repair mode by creating micro trauma which increases blood circulation and oxygen supply to the skin. The needles encourage new collagen and elastin fiber production, in addition to increasing blood flow and stimulating the muscles on the face, which results in improved muscle tone and conditioning, refined elasticity and firmness, reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, reduction of acne, better texture of skin and a healthier complexion.

Despite the name of this treatment, cosmetic acupuncture actually includes other points on the body as well to encourage transformation from the inside out - this also means that the benefits of acupuncture aren’t just limited to the face! Typically we recommend a series of 8-10 treatments done close together (once or twice a week). The number of sessions required to see full results will vary depending on skin goals, what state your skin is currently in and age.

Cosmetic acupuncture can be done in combination with Botox or fillers but please wait to make an appointment for 2 – 3 weeks after injections.

Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, creates a concentrated amount of micro trauma to the skin in order to promote cellular repair. This action produces collegenease, a naturally occurring enzyme in the body, which breaks down the old tissue and replaces it with a new matrix of collagen. Microneedling treatments have been found to increase collagen production by 400% over 4 treatments. Additionally, the effect of microneedling which creates microchannels in the skin not only provides a new layer of fresh skin, but also increases transdermal absorption for skincare products. It is not a constitutional treatment, which is why we pair the service with full body acupuncture as well as Chinese herbal growth factor serums to treat the cause of the disharmony from a differential diagnosis perspective.

Cosmetic acupuncture does not work exclusively through collagen induction like microneedling does, rather it works multifactorially. From a TCM perspective, cosmetic acupuncture is effective because it balances the qi, yin and yang of the body and thus improves the aesthetics of the face by clearing up disharmony and promoting healthy flow. From a biomedical perspective, it works via four major mechanisms: benefitting internal organ functions to improve appearance, promoting collagen production, releasing muscle tension thus relaxing the face and minimizing wrinkles, and working through the mechanism of subcision which is where the damaged collagen (which creates a wrinkle, blemish or scar) is separated from the underlying tissue, breaking up the bands that pull the damaged area down which causes depression of the skin, and allowing for the formation of new, healthier tissue.

While the frequency of cosmetic acupuncture is recommended to be once or twice a week during a series of treatments, microneedling within a series should be done once every four to six weeks. Both services are within the scope of practice for acupuncturists and are natural anti-aging treatments that offer long term benefits. Microneedling and cosmetic acupuncture can be used synergistically or as separate services.

The Wei is credentialed with several insurance providers, including Regence, Premera, Kaiser, Cigna, Aetna and Triwest. For insurers with whom The Wei is not in network, we can provide you with a “Superbill,” so that you can apply to your insurer for out of network reimbursement. If you have access to FSA or HSA benefits, we also accept those cards. All billing and payments are at listed non-insured rates, unless The Wei and patient agree to have treatments covered by insurance and the Wei has confirmed your insurance coverage prior to treatment. Please reach out if you’d like insurance verification prior to booking a treatment.