Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine located in Columbia, MD & Gaithersburg, MD
Whether you’re feeling stressed or have chronic pain, acupuncture works! At Integrative Family Medicine (IFM), located in Gaithersburg and Columbia, Maryland, Anahita Seyedan, DOM, L.Ac, MS, and other doctors of Oriental Medicine help reduce pain and stress using acupuncture and other natural remedies to restore your quality of life. Call her office to learn more, or schedule an appointment online today.
Acupuncture Q & A
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a traditional medical technique in Oriental medicine used for healing, pain relief, and a wide range of medical conditions. During acupuncture sessions, IFM's doctors of Oriental medicine place fine, sterile needles into your skin to stimulate specific points that improve the way your body functions.
What are the benefits of acupuncture?
Insurance companies commonly cover acupuncture treatments, as studies show numerous health and wellness benefits of using this ancient technique. Examples of benefits associated with acupuncture include:
Pain management, including low back and dental pain
Stress relief
Immune system support
Enhanced healing
Reduced vomiting and nausea from chemotherapy or surgery
Headache and migraine relief
Respiratory disorder relief
Reduced labor pains and menstrual cramps
Improvements in osteoarthritis symptoms
Emotional healing
The exact way acupuncture works to relieve pain and enhance healing isn’t entirely clear to modern science, but it’s effective for many patients with chronic health conditions. If you suffer from any form of pain, ask one of our doctors of Oriental medicine how acupuncture can improve your quality of life.
What should I expect during an acupuncture session?
When you arrive at Integrative Family Medicine for your acupuncture appointment, our practitioners:
Ask you about your health history
Talk about what you can expect from treatment
Provide a comfortable treatment table for you to lay on, and a soothing environment for the healing process to begin
Insert fine needles into specific areas of your body
May gently manipulate the needles or use heat or electric pulses to stimulate the body's healing
Acupuncture needles stay in your skin for about 10-30 minutes. You experience minimal (if any) discomfort during needle insertion and removal, but you might feel mild aching sensations, similar to working out a muscle at various times in the procedure.
After the procedure, you should feel relaxed or energized. You might notice improvements in pain soon after treatment, but our doctors of Oriental medicine may recommend multiple sessions to maximize your results.
How many acupuncture sessions do I need?
Your Oriental medicine doctor lets you know how many acupuncture treatment sessions you need to achieve your desired health and wellness benefits. He or she may recommend one to two treatments weekly for several months. Everyone responds differently to acupuncture, which is why there’s no "one-size-fits-all" recommendation.
If you’re tired of pain or stress making you feel miserable, call Integrative Family Medicine to book your next acupuncture appointment or schedule online with Dr. Seyedan, Dr. Hunter, or Dr. Dougherty today.
Acupuncture Testimonials
“Here is one for comparison to the acupuncture session. This is the one that I used to go to sleep last night, same music track. Major differences and anomaly with my heart rate going up once I fell asleep (stillness flat). Must’ve been a good dream. Mind was very active throughout and only 28% calm compared to 62% during acupuncture. Same 30-minute session.”
