What Is Medical Acupuncture?
How a session works
- Clinical assessment and a tailored plan (needle number and placement vary).
- Needle insertion; may include gentle manual stimulation or low-frequency electrical currents.
- Short rest, followed by review and next steps.
Course & cadence
- Typical course
- 5 - 8 sessions
- Frequency
- Starts weekly, then tapers as symptoms improve
- Needle time
- Short retention periods
How it works
From a scientific perspective, acupuncture works by stimulating nerves in the skin and muscle tissue. This stimulation prompts the body to release natural pain-relieving chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, altering how pain signals are processed in the brain and spinal cord.