FAQ
1. Your name is Isabella, are you Italian?
2. What is qi?
3. Do the needles hurt?
4. Are the needles clean? Are they sterile?
5. How long is a typical session?
6. Why do you always ask so many questions, especially when I find them irrelevant or unnecessary?
7. I’ve heard that individual treatments, for the same or similar ailments, are different. Is this true?
8. What do I have to do / wear before coming in for treatment?
9. What should I expect to feel during acupuncture treatment?
10. What should I do after the treatment is over?
11. How often do I need acupuncture?
12. Is acupuncture always helpful?
1. Your name is Isabella, are you Italian?
Yes, I was born in Italy (kidding!). actually, Isabella is my Saint's name, Saint Isabella of France. During the early days of my previous career, I had a car accident which made me feel like I needed a change in my life. Despite this, I wasn’t entirely sure what I should do, and continued to focus on my finance career. Around this time, I also began attending bible study classes, with the eventual goal of converting to Catholicism. Eventually, I decided to leave my finance career behind and became an acupuncturist. Although my given (Korean) name is Yeon, I find Isabella generally more appropriate (as well as easier to pronounce for my non Korean patients).
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2. What is qi?
Qi (氣 ‘chee’) simply means energy. It is also known as Qi (China), Gi (Korea) or Ki (Japan).
In India, it is called Prana / shakt, Ka (ancient Egypt), Pneuma (ancient Greek), Great Spirit (North America), Holy Spirit (Christians) and Ha /mana (Hawaii).
Qi is an invisible energy. In Oriental medicine, we believe that there are many things which exist in this world, even if we can’t physically see them with our eyes. We tend to believe what we feel in our heart, which is different from the approach taken in the West, where it is more common to believe something only after “seeing” it (e.g., “I have to see it to believe it”). That’s why science is so well developed in the West, because Westerners insist on “seeing” things that are scientifically proven before accepting it as fact. So in Oriental culture, we feel the qi. We feel the good qi when we’re with happy people or when we’re in a happy mood; in a similar way, we feel the bad qi when we are in a bad mood. When the energy is blocked in our body, we don’t feel that great and we say that the qi is not flowing smoothly. In Oriental medicine, we focus on unblocking stagnation, the feeling of having stuck, complicated traffic struggling to flow through our body. If we are successful with our treatment, then the qi will flow smoothly and our mood should improve.
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3. Do the needles hurt?
Well, yes and no. People have different tolerance levels. Some feel more painful than the others, while some tend to be rather relaxing. However, throughout the session, heavy, numb, achy, dull and electrical sensations are all very normal. If you feel this way, it is actually a good sign that the needles are really hitting the right points! Everyone has their own electrical currents flowing throughout their bodies. The use of needles is an attempt to balance the problems in this flow and the aches and sensations you feel during treatment is simply your body by expressing this process. Our bodies are always busy sending and exchanging electrical signals! So just relax, it’s a positive sign!
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4. Are the needles clean? Are they sterile?
Yes, the needles are clean, sterile and always disposed after use. They are discarded immediately after they are removed from the patient.
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5. How long is a typical session?
Sessions can vary from 15 to 45 minutes, but usually last for around 30 minutes. According to Oriental medicine theory, our energy circulates every 28.7 minutes. In order for my patients to have a complete, replenishing and balanced treatment, I usually end sessions after 30 minutes. However, occasionally we see weak, elderly patients, or patients who forgot to eat and are very hungry, who are susceptible to fainting easily, who have a history of seizure, or who seem too fearful of needles, etc. In such cases, I usually give them shorter treatments. All of these issues will be discussed in detail with the practitioner before actually beginning treatment.
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6. Why do you always ask so many questions, especially when I find them irrelevant or unnecessary?
In Oriental medicine, we focus more on the root of the problem rather than on the symptoms, which means we focus more on the cause of the illness rather than the manifestations. We usually ask about sleep patterns, your emotional state, your diet, digestion, appetite, bowel movements and body temperature (among many other issues). We take this approach because we view the patient as a whole, integrated entity rather than as a specialized, discretely constructed entity. This is one of the reasons why there are so few “specialists” in this field – acupuncturists have to know about all aspects of their patients in order to treat them properly.
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7. I heard that individual treatments, for the same or similar ailments, are different (e.g., different treatments for the same headache). Is this true?
Yes. No matter how many patients come in for the same problem (e.g. headache), we have to assess what is causing the headache by asking many questions. Then the practitioner will be able to develop a customized treatment plan with the highest probability of success.
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8. What do I have to do / wear before coming for treatment?
- It is very important for the patient to eat some food. Never come in with an empty stomach. However, it is ok to come to the clinic without having had a meal if you really have no appetite or if you feel full.
- Please try to intake less caffeine / soda / alcohol / junk food before coming in for treatment. Also, if you feel very tired or dizzy, it is preferably for you to stay home, rest and get better before coming in for treatment.
- Please bring extra loose short pants, or at least something that is extremely comfortable for you to wear. We will normally need access to uncovered arms & legs, and sometimes access to torso, abdomen and or back areas. If you are shy or uncomfortable being needled in your torso/abdomen/back area, please let us know in advance so that we can needle distal points, mostly hands & feet (or alternatively, your ears).
- Please do not wear any jewelry during your visit. Items such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, watches and other accessories will only interfere with treatment. Since both the needles and (most) jewelry are made of metal, there is a possibility that your jewelry may interfere with the flow of qi during treatment.
- If you are planning to conceive and/or working on fertility, please check with your doctor before coming to the clinic. And please be sure to let the acupuncturist know as soon as you plan on conceiving. This is very important in the prevention of miscarriages.
- If you or your family members have a history of stroke or fainting, please let the practitioner know during your first visit.
- If you have a history of fainting or seizure in your past, and if you feel dizzy and feel like fainting, please do not come to the clinic. Call 911 immediately!
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9. What should I expect to feel during acupuncture treatment?
It is very normal for the patient to feel heavy, achy sensations, numbness, or electrical current circulating around their body. It is also normal for patients to feel drowsy, relaxed and feel as if they need to visit the restroom (mostly for urination). Patients also report feeling pain and stress relief. Falling asleep during treatment is also not an uncommon occurrence; some patients snore or release their emotions by shedding tears. After the treatment, it is normal to feel tired and sleepy; patients usually sleep better, and sleep more often than they normally do.
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10. What should I do after the treatment is over?
- After the treatment, your qi should be flowing well, which may make you feel sleepy or tired. We recommend going home and just taking it easy. Have a light meal and try to go to bed early.
- During treatment, everything is open and flowing freely. However, your body is susceptible to cold invasions and patients can catch cold easily. So please cover the back of your head and neck as you leave the clinic in order to prevent catching a cold.
- It is recommended that patients stay away from smoking, caffeine, alcohol, sexual intercourse and stressful work situations for at least a half day after being treated.
- Patients often report that they were “knocked out” the day after their treatment. They sleep more and feel very tired. But after that, they feel great.
- Some acupuncture points are strong points and patients can still feel the pain/ strong sensation even after the treatment is over. This is normal and can even last from a few days up to a week.
- Some patients bruise more easily than the others and so minor bruises are expected to occur occasionally. However, if we find that a patient tends to bruise every time they are treated, regardless of the points used, then we recommend they see their doctor (MD) for further examination.
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11. How often do I need acupuncture?
It really depends. Depending on how acute or chronic the problem is, it can vary from one simple session to up to a few weeks. In some cases, a few months are recommended. This will be discussed and planned during the initial session.
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12. Is acupuncture always helpful?
I would like to tell all my patients that there is no guarantee in dealing with human beings. We have warranty systems for finished goods, products, automobiles, electronic devices, cell phones, etc. However, there is no such thing as a “guarantee” when dealing with patients. So whenever my patients ask me, “do you think acupuncture will help with my problem?” my response is “I will do my best to help you get better.” Trusting the practitioner and having an open heart towards the patient is very important in oriental medicine. I find therapeutic effectiveness becomes truly manifest when both parties have mutual trust in one another and share complimentary states of mind. For the patient: “I know I will get better and I trust this practitioner” and for the practitioner: “I will do my best to help this patient”.
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