FAQ

Q: Who should you see for acupuncture?
A: See your registered acupuncturist (R.Ac.). Check the CTCMA website for your qualified professional. Registrants of the CTCMA (BC Ministry of Health) have the highest standards of training in BC and Canada of any medical professional employing acupuncture.

Q: Is acupuncture painful?
A: When done by a skillful, qualified, and traditionally trained acupuncturist, acupuncture is not painful.

Q: I want to come in for treatment, but I’m scared of needles. What should I do?
A: Come in for treatment! Fear is a sign that your constitutional energy is weak. We can strengthen you to remove your fears…it’s painless anyway, remember?

Q: Do you work on mental or emotional problems, or just physical illnesses?
A: There are no separate parts to the individual (i.e. mind, body, spirit). You come in one beautiful package, so when we treat you, we are treating all aspects. When you are physically ill, you won’t feel well emotionally, etc. As for mental illness, we are all mentally ill to the degree that we are not enlightened. Oriental medicine does not attach stigma to disease because we are treating the deficiency of the person, rather than the disease.

Q: How often will I need treatment?
A: Usually, acute conditions are resolved after two or three treatments. Chronic conditions take longer, but that depends on how long the condition has gone on, how far the condition has progressed, and the vitality of the individual. But remember, your body wants to return to an optimal state of health, given the correct treatment and conditions. Patients should come in three times per week during the initial phase of treatment. Traditionally in China and Japan, patients would receive treatment on consecutive days until the condition was resolved.

Q: What should I expect after the treatment?
A: You may feel sleepy or relaxed after the treatment. There are generally no side effects from the treatment, except for improvement in health.

Q: What should I wear?
A: Your regular clothes are fine. (We provide slippers and bath robes for your comfort and cleanliness of the clinic.)

Q: How can I pay?
A: We currently accept cash or cheque.

Q: What conditions can you treat with acupuncture?
A: In acupuncture and Oriental medicine, we do not treat conditions, we treat the person who has a condition. Therefore, we improve the health of that individual, resulting in an improved condition and resolution of disease. That means, come in if you want to recover from illness or improve your health and well-being. Please check the link for a complete list of illnesses treatable by acupuncture, according to research done by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Q: There are many types of acupuncture, what type should I try?
A: Appropriate acupuncture! Acupuncture done by a traditionally trained acupuncturist (R.Ac.) will be the most effective and least painful. Many other health professionals attempt acupuncture; however, their training, knowledge, and experience is far below that of the traditional acupuncturist and/or Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

To find out more about acupuncture, visit John’s Acupuncture, email us, or see About Acupuncture or About Moxa.