acupuncture
A safe and effective way to not only manage pain, but treat disease and restore your long-term health to all systems.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an effective form of treatment, that functions as part of a complete medical system. Traditional Chinese Medicine addresses your symptoms while looking at them as part of your whole body’s natural balance. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine have used acupuncture for thousands of years to diagnose and treat millions of people, helping them to not only find relief but stay well.
Your Acupuncturist or Naturopathic Doctor will place very fine, sterile needles at different sites over your body to stimulate and balance the flow of energy (Qi) and blood throughout the body. Your practitioner may also use heat, acupressure, cupping, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate these points. Often no pain is felt upon insertion, however some points can be uncomfortable for a brief moment once the needle is inserted. You will be given time to rest and relax while your treatment takes place and there is rarely any sensation when the needles are being removed.
Who Benefits?
Since acupuncture functions as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine it’s extremely useful and appropriate for a wide variety of health concerns. It’s been shown to reduce pain, improve sleep, stimulate the immune system, balance hormone levels, lower blood pressure, treat digestive pain and dysfunction, and even support the production of red and white blood cells.
How Many Sessions are Needed?
Acupuncture treatments build on themselves, meaning you may need to come 1-3 times per week for the first few weeks to help get your symptoms properly managed and provide a strong foundation for your body to heal and rebalance. After your first few sessions you may find your symptoms improve for 1-2 days and then return, but as treatment progresses you’ll notice that you have longer stretches of time before your symptoms come back and even on return often they are less intense. This is our signal that your body is ready to transition to a less frequent, maintenance schedule. You can then reduce your treatments to 1-4 times per month, or even just a few sessions every year to help your body stay well balanced.
conditions treated
what to expect
Acupuncture sessions are 45 minutes long, and are focused on providing treatment (as per the protocol outlined in your initial naturopathic appointment). For the first few weeks you may need to come in 1-3 times per week, and as your symptoms improve you can move to a maintenance schedule of 1-4 times per month or even once every few months, depending on the level of support you require.
If you have not seen us as a patient in 1-2 years, we ask that you book a 60 minute Naturopathic Follow Up appointment to allow us the time needed to get caught up on how you have been since your last visit.
Looking for Support?
dr. simone pirita, nd
Dr. Simone Pirita is a Naturopathic Doctor and Birth Doula. Her practice is focused on skin and women’s health. She has a special interest in acne, the mind-skin-gut-connection, and hormonal health including prenatal care. You can learn more about her practice here.
dr. Mitchell Schroeder, nd
Dr. Mitchell Schroeder is a Naturopathic Doctor whose practice is focused on Digestive Health and Fibromyalgia, as well as other chronic pain conditions (Lyme Disease, Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis, Lupus). You can learn more about his practice here.