Gao Acupuncture Center

Welcome to Gao Acupuncture Center!

 

Call us at (240)513-4038 or click this               button and fill the form to schedule your first appointment.

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After set up your first appointment, You will get an email titled Thanks for Booking. Please click the Fill Out Intake Form button to complete the intake form online prior to your appointment.

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How to prepare for your visits

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EAT BEFORE YOU COME

Eat something before your acupuncture treatment. If you come in hungry, we may have to limit what we do because acupuncture stimulates your body’s innate ability to heal itself which requires energy. Having nutrition and energy provides your body with something to work with. Ideally, you have eaten 1-2 hours before your visit. If less, eat light meal or snack. Full meal right before your visit may cause you to feel uncomfortable during your treatment.

 

AVOID COFFEE AND ENERGY DRINKS 

Caffeine can increase your body’s fight-or-flight response, aka stress. Try not to drink these stimulants for at least two hours before your visit for the maximum benefit.

 

WEAR LOOSE COMFORTABLE CLOTHING

Wear comfortable loose-fitting clothes and minimal jewelry. This will make it easier for the practitioner to provide the best care. Dress prepared, bring your own set of comfortable clothing, or we provide hospital gowns for your convenience.

 

AIM TO ARRIVE EARLY

Arrive 10-15 minutes early for your appointment and give yourself time to relax. Acupuncture works better when you are relaxed.

 

PLAN YOUR DAY AFTER TREATMENT

Try not to overbook yourself on the day of your appointment. For best results, try to limit strenuous activities for 3-4 hour safter treatment.

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Common Questions

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How does acupuncture work?

How exactly acupuncture works depends on who you ask. It has become accepted within the medical community that the human body is a complex, integrated system that is usually best treated the body as a whole. For example, giving a patient medicine for a stomach ulcer may alleviate the pain symptoms, but it’s not a cure for the cause, which could be stress. Your outlook and emotions, physical self, and spirit all play a part in your health.

Acupuncture accomplishes this rebalancing by the insertion of fine, hair-thin needles into the body at specific points. Biochemical and neurological research has shown that the technique works by signaling the centers in the brain that control systems and organ functions.

Similarly, acupuncture has also been shown to have the effect of stimulating and strengthening the body’s immune system and organ function by just such a feedback mechanism. Acupuncture affects the levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and hormones in the blood. It balances gastrointestinal, endocrine and nervous system function in the body. Acupuncture can also improve circulation and reduce inflammation.

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Is acupuncture safe?

Yes, acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in China. Acupuncture is the treatment of choice for one-fourth of the world’s population!

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Do you reuse needles?

No, the needles are pre-sterilized, disposed after one single use. After the needles are extracted they are put in a medical sharps container. When the container is full, professionals come and dispose of the needles properly.

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Does it hurt?

If your practitioner has obtained the correct stimulus of the needle, the patient should feel some cramping, numbness, distention, tingling, or electric sensation either around the needle or traveling up or down the affected meridian. Some Western cultures may categorize these sensations as types of pain. In any case, if you experience any discomfort, it is usually mild and temporary.

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Will acupuncture conflict with my other medications?

Acupuncture will not conflict with any of your medications. Acupuncture is used to complement and supplement your physician’s treatments not to replace them. You should discuss this issue with your physician and acupuncturist.

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How many treatments will I need?

It is impossible to predict up front how quickly your body will respond to acupuncture.  We must wait until you have had your first treatment, and according to your body respond, we may have a better idea. Since every person is unique in their own condition, the numbers of treatments will vary. The nature, severity and history of each patient’s problem, as well as the individual himself or herself, are all factors that are involved in how many treatments will be necessary.

One course of treatment is typically considered to be ten treatments. This ideally is scheduled in close succession, usually 2-3 treatments per week at beginning, then fall to 1 treatment per week. Although some patients respond favorably after only one or two treatments for an acute condition, some may not improve until the eighth or ninth visit. In general, acute conditions require less treatment than chronic conditions as they are usually of recent onset rather than a long-standing condition.

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What can I expect after treatment?

Patients often experience the most dramatic results in the first treatment. Some patients experience an immediate total or partial relief of their pain or other symptoms. This relief may last or some pain may return. In a few cases, there may be no immediate relief only to notice the pain diminish over the next couple of days. Generally, you should expect to feel better.

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