Acupuncturist Chapel Hill, NC
Gentle acupuncture is the type of acupuncture treatment Dr. Oskardmay utilizes for most patients in her chiropractic and acupuncture practice. Gentle acupuncture instills relaxation while establishing balanced qi flow. We find that most of our patients enjoy this type of acupuncture treatment that emphasizes calm and relaxation.
Chinese medicine recognizes the balance of forces in our minds and bodies- yin and yang. Yin is relaxation, sleep, and parasympathetic nervous system promotion in nature, whereas yang, is more active, awake, and more sympathetic jumpy system promoting. Gentle acupuncture resonates more with building yin or relaxation, thus allowing this healing aspect to increase. But how does acupuncture build yin?
There are many acupuncture points on the body- more than 365 on 12 main channels plus others. Point selection is one aspect of building yin and one we will not cover here. One can build yin using any point, though some are better than others, and each person’s situation is unique. Ideas such as the number of needles used, insertion depth, needle size or gauge, patient positioning on the table (or chair), treatment duration, room ambiance, and sound messaging all matter. She precedes each treatment with palpation and massage to bring clarity and understanding to the cure for the client and herself. Dr. Oskardmay uses specific acupuncture techniques and treatment room qualities to enhance yin and relaxation.
How Gentle Acupuncture is Performed
For instance, we use approximately ten acupuncture needles per treatment to provide an elegant treatment that relaxes the mind-body. Dr. Oskardmay generally inserts the points about 1-3 mm- her goal is not to achieve intense patient reaction nor tremendous sensation at any moment. She understands that some practitioners feel they get good results in that manner, but she finds the opposite at most points and in most situations. Similarly, she finds that most patients relax well with minor needle use- 36 gauge or less as used in our office. On the rare occasion someone needs DNT, dry needling technique, or trigger point acupuncture; she may use larger or longer sources.
Most patients find resting on our padded table in the supine or face-up position most relaxing, and we strive to choose points that accommodate that position. We utilize anti-gravity tables to ensure comfort when point selection or patient comfort mandates the prone or face-down posture. If a patient requests treatment from a seating position, we also provide comfortable chairs that recline if necessary. Most patients can better relax in private treatment rooms, which we provide. We generally leave the needles in for about 20″ to get the best results and leave a call button nearby if someone needs to get up for any reason. We play calm music and suggest that all patients turn off their cell phones so they can also relax. Sometimes, the client wants to hear their music during treatment, and we allow that, too.
Dr. Oskardmay wants to help each person realize and access their healing response using acupuncture and other techniques in our office. She uses gentle acupuncture, as outlined above, to that end. Call today at (919) 929-1400, email us at schedule@acudocnc.com or schedule online at acudocnc.com anytime to learn how peaceful; effective acupuncture can help you. Serving the Triangle since 1995, licensed in acupuncture and chiropractic, Dr. Lisa Oskardmay looks forward to assisting you.