Cathy Cao's Acupuncture

Langley: 220-20780 Willoughby Town Centre Dr. Langley, BC (in Peak Valley Active Health)

778-552-5268, 604-371-0715 / or Book Online

Frequently asked question:

• Is it painful?                                                                                                                     

Answer:  Not really.  The acupuncture needle is not the same as the one used in hospital to take blood samples or for injection. Acupuncture needles are very thin and only pierce a very small area of skin. Traditionally in acupuncture, the patient needs to feel something, such as numbness, tingling, slightly soreness, a little bloating or the feeling of hot or cold during treatment, depending upon the aim of the healing.

•  What is the typical session like?  

Answer:  The first visit will include a consultation involving questions about the main complaints of the patient, medical history, and also about other systems in the body (ie. digestion, sleep, urination etc.). To conclude the consultation, I do a tongue and pulse diagnosis, as both are very important diagnostic tools in Chinese Medicine. The consultation will take from 15 minutes depending on the patient's case. After the consultation, I will talk to the patient about the best treatments appropriate for them which may be acupuncture, herbal medicine or some combination of the two.  On additional visits, the first five to ten minutes will be a consultation where questions are asked about the progress of the patient and if any symptoms have changed. If the patient is receiving Acupuncture, every treatment lasts about an hour.  The needles are inserted and generally retained in the body for 20-30 minutes. If the main complaint of the patient includes acute or chronic pain, massage/acupressure will follow the acupuncture. In turn, on the second visit I will give the patient a list of guidelines that they can take home and use for referral.  

• How often do I need acupuncture?  

 Answer:  It depends kind of illness and its serverity. Typically in China, acupuncture is performed once a day for 6-10 days as a healing term. As a break of several days, the second healing term starts if the condition has not been fully improved.  Based years of practice experience, we recommend acupuncture once every two or three days during the first few weeks for the best results.