Ask me your questions, and I’ll answer them here!

How does acupuncture work?

It works quite well :) Jokes aside. It works because of fascial channels, bio-electricity, manually breaking up adhesions, stimulating collagen, creating micro-traumas in the tissue, through endorphins and pain receptors, with electro-stimulation for chronic inflammation and pain, etc. etc. etc. There is TONS of research out there that you can delve into if you’re interested in learning the details of how acupuncture works. Youtube has some amazing fascia videos. Basically we are using little needles to elicit bigger changes, and that’s the gist of it.

How many sessions will I need?

This totally depends. Generally speaking, the longer you’ve been dealing with the condition, the more treatments you will need to recover. I typically give a baseline recommendation - give it 4 to 6 sessions over the course of 4 to 6 weeks. Within this time frame, you’ll typically see how your body integrates treatment, how much or how little you enjoy the experience (hopefully how MUCH!), and how much your condition is improving. Then we go from there, where many people come in for “tune ups,” maintenance, or just to relax and re-center.

What do I need to do before and after treatment?

Try to come somewhat hydrated, and having eaten at least a snack within the last hour or two. After treatment, try to avoid strenuous exercise, drink extra water, and if you’re sore in the area we treated, heat and topical magnesium can go a long ways.

What does Health at Every Size mean?

So glad you asked! The Health at Every Size paradigm includes the following basic components:

Respect: Celebrates body diversity; Honors differences in size, age, race, ethnicity, gender, dis/ability, sexual orientation, religion, class, and other human attributes.

Critical Awareness: Challenges scientific and cultural assumptions; Values body knowledge and people’s lived experiences.

Compassionate Self-care: Finding the joy in moving one’s body and being physically active; Eating in a flexible and attuned manner that values pleasure and honors internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite, while respecting the social conditions that frame eating options.

*From the Health at Every Size website!*

Do you treat my condition?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a long list of diseases and conditions for which acupuncture has proven effective in controlled clinical trials. You can find the study here, and the list of conditions here. The WHO only includes conditions for which controlled clinical trials have already been conducted. Further research is in progress and consistently updated.

If you want to talk about your specific condition, I am happy to chat more!