Frequently Asked Questions
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is based on the understanding of vital energy. Vital energy is consciousness, movement and what powers all the physiological functions that occur inside the body to allow us to be alive.
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Vital energy moves throughout the body much like a network of rivers and streams. Have you ever gone into a river and felt the current pull on your foot? The current inside the river is energy. In much the same way, Dr. Petrov is able to feel the current of energy moving through your body.
Sometimes these currents become impeded and this is where disease begins according to Chinese medical theory. Acupuncture is the art of subtly manipulating that network to allow vital energy to flow freely. By inserting hair thin needles at different locations on the body, it helps to restore the flow of energy there by helping the body activate the self-healing process and return to homeostasis.
Does it Hurt?
Most people’s experience with needles is getting a shot which can be quite painful at times. Acupuncture is nothing close to this. In fact about 20 acupuncture needles can fit into one hypodermic needle. The most common sensations that people have reported are: heavy, achy, tingly even electric, but once the needles are inserted, there is no sensation and in fact 90% of patients will fall asleep on the table because it’s so relaxing.
How Does it Work?
There are a couple theories depending on what the primary action is. More recent research is uncovering that acupuncture works is by activating the pathways between the nervous system and the endocrine system. This process shifts the brain out of the sympathetic ‘fight/flight response’ and into the parasympathetic ‘rest/digest state’ where the body is able to repair itself.
Studies have shown the brain waves of people getting acupuncture are in Theta, which is the state of deep meditation, intuiting, high creativity and spontaneous healing.
What is it used for?
Because acupuncture is activating the body’s self healing process, it’s a medicine in and of itself. For anything that you would seek medical attention for, particularly chronic issues, acupuncture most likely has a treatment for it.
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How many treatments do I need?
It depends on a number of variables, taking into consideration the severity of your symptoms, how long standing your issues have been and how proactive you are in correcting them. Typically patients start with a 3-6 month treatment plan.
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Does Acupuncture work?
Both the NIH and the WHO endorse acupuncture and increasingly more clinical studies are showing acupuncture to be beneficial for many conditions such as, psychological disorders, digestive problems, reproductive issues, chronic pain, high blood pressure, and addiction to name a few.
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Do you accept Insurance?
Dr. Petrov does not accept insurance at this time, but she does accept HSA as well as can provide a super bill for reimbursement.