Questions and Answers about Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

What is an A.P.?

An Acupuncture Physician (A.P.) is licensed in the state of Florida as a primary care provider to administer acupuncture, tui-na (Chinese massage and soft tissue mobilization), herbal medicine and adjunctive therapies such as application of heat, cold, hydrotherapy, low-level laser therapy, point injection, auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture), cupping (suction massage), moxibustion and therapeutic exercise instruction.

What sort of training is involved?

Training is extensive and includes at least 2 years of undergraduate study (60 credit hours, preferably in a health-related field) and 4 years of training at an accredited acupuncture college. During the course of study, acupuncture and herbal medicine are emphasized, along with study of pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy, diagnosis, case study and hundreds of hours of clinical rotations in order to complete the 2700 hours of training needed for graduation. During this time, a student can also study in China for an externship at an affiliated Chinese teaching hospital.

In addition, an acupuncture physician (A.P.) may perform range-of-motion tests, refer for radiographic studies and laboratory testing, and incorporate a "Western" and "Eastern" diagnosis of the patient's condition.

Do all acupuncturists specialize?

Many A.P.'s specialize in treating certain types of conditions, but on several occasions after the initial condition has improved a patient will notice that other symptoms (such as insomnia, headaches, depression) have also decreased.

In this respect, the beauty of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is that several conditions may be addressed at once if needed.

What conditions can acupuncture treat?

In Chinese Medical Theory, all disease is due to imbalance in the body's "qi" or bioelectric flow. Because acupuncture and herbal medicine are so effective at relieving so many conditions, these ancient systems have lasted over 4,000 years! Most commonly, acupuncture has been shown to relieve the following conditions:

For a complete list of conditions, see the NIH report on acupuncture.

How many treatments will I need?

A course of treatment may be recommended if you are a candidate. For most pain conditions, a course of 6-8 treatments is initially recommended, and afterwards a follow up examination is performed. Most patients will see a mild to moderate improvement within this period of time. If more treatment is needed, a new course of acupuncture will begin, until the patient is ready for maintenance care.

For infertility: Whether or not you are planning to undergo IVF during acupuncture treatment, a course of treatment is usually three months, with once weekly acupuncture visits. We also recommend that the patient undergo acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer and can arrange to schedule visits around this when given at least 24 hour notice. A 10 percent discount is offered for treatments paid in advance. If less time is allotted in preparation for an IVF cycle, treatment frequency may be increased.

For pregnancy: During the first trimester, acupuncture treatment is recommended once per week for three months. During the second and third trimester, treatment frequency is reduced to twice per month until the 34th week, when weekly visits resume. After delivery, acupuncture is recommended once per week for the first six weeks to combat postpartum depression and replenish the mother's energy.

Acceptable forms of payment include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and personal checks. Some forms of insurance are accepted, depending on whether or not you have acupuncture coverage as part of your policy. (Please call our receptionist to ask her to verify coverage for you.)

What research has been done on acupuncture?

A consensus panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded there is clear evidence that needle acupuncture treatment is effective for postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, nausea of pregnancy, and postoperative dental pain.

The 12-member panel also concluded in their consensus statement that there are a number of other pain-related conditions for which acupuncture may be effective as an adjunct therapy, an acceptable alternative, or as part of a comprehensive treatment program, but for which there is less convincing scientific data. These conditions include but are not limited to addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia (general muscle pain), low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma.

"We need more high quality research to validate what appears to be useful for the millions of Americans that have used acupuncture in this country. The challenge in studying acupuncture is to integrate the theory of Chinese medicine into the conventional Western biomedical research model and into the conventional health care arena," said panel chairman David J. Ramsay, D.M.D. Phil., president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Since the late 1990's, research on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine continues to increase.

Public awareness and use of acupuncture increased in the United States following President Nixon's visit to China in 1972 and New York Times reporter James Reston's account of how physicians in Beijing eased his post-surgery abdominal pain with needles. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 10,000 acupuncture specialists in the U.S., and an estimated 3,000 practicing acupuncturists are physicians. In 1993 the Food and Drug Administration reported that Americans were spending $500 million per year and making approximately 9 to 12 million patient visits for acupuncture treatments.

Does acupuncture hurt?

Most patients describe an acupuncture treatment as extremely relaxing and look forward to their next treatment all week long. At the most, a patient might feel a sensation at the sight of the insertion similar to a mosquito bite. At Florida Complete Wellness, Inc., rest assured that your acupuncture treatment will be gentle yet effective.

How can I make an appointment and where are you located?

Florida Complete Wellness, Inc. is located at 3363 Sheridan Street, Suite 214, Hollywood, FL 33021. Call 954-241-0271 for an appointment for your complimentary consultation to determine if acupuncture is right for you.