Acupuncture restores balance to reduce stress and relieve pain throughout your body. At his office in Portland, Oregon, David Chang, ND, LAC, integrates this type of ancient Chinese medicine into many of his customized treatment plans to help alleviate the symptoms of sports injuries, anxiety and depression, chronic pain, and more. To find out if acupuncture is right for you, call David Chang, ND, LAC, or book an appointment online.
Acupuncture is a complementary treatment derived from classic Chinese medicine. The treatment involves inserting thin needles into preselected areas to stimulate nerves, connective tissue, and muscles.
Dr. Chang is also specially trained in orthopedic acupuncture, which releases muscle tension and stimulates the healing process for sports injuries, nerve pain, myofascial pain, pinched nerves, and more.
As a supplementary treatment, acupuncture has been shown to reduce the symptoms of many different conditions, including:
Acupuncture is even used to boost fertility and alleviate uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness.
An acupuncture session with Dr. Chang is completely individualized, so a patient with the same condition as you may receive a completely different acupuncture treatment. That’s why Dr. Chang always analyzes your medical history and assesses your current condition before making acupuncture recommendations.
At your first acupuncture session, you lie down on a comfortable table and relax before Dr. Chang inserts the sterilized needles into predetermined points throughout your body. Depending on the plan he creates, Dr. Chang may insert the needles at varying depths to maximize their therapeutic potential.
Because Dr. Chang uses extremely thin needles during acupuncture, you should feel little to no pain during insertion. Once inserted, the needles stay in place for at least 30 minutes. As you relax, Dr. Chang may manipulate certain needles throughout your appointment.
How many needles Dr. Chang uses depends on your condition and concerns, but he typically recommends between five and 20 needles per session.
You may feel the effects of acupuncture right after your first treatment. Many patients report feeling very relaxed or energized after just one appointment. However, like any other form of therapy, the positive effects of acupuncture take time.
While every patient is different, experts like Dr. Chang encourage patients to come in for one to two sessions a week for the first six weeks of treatment. To feel the full effects of acupuncture, you should return once a week for the next four to eight weeks. This regimen helps ensure that you continue to make progress throughout the course of your acupuncture treatment plan.
When used as a supplement to therapy, physical therapy, or medication, acupuncture can help increase energy, reduce stress, relieve pain, and more. To learn more, call David Chang, ND, LAC, or schedule an appointment online.
