Short Interview
Q: Obviously, acupuncture involves needles, and today we’re just asking different questions about acupuncture. So, I think one of the questions I’m wondering is, is acupuncture painful?
Chad Johnson: Yeah, that’s a very good question, people ask it all the time, and there are many different styles of acupuncture, and many different ways to practice. For me, I’ve used a lot of Japanese-style acupuncture, which focuses on thinner needles and less needle sensation. Now, I do integrate that with Chinese acupuncture, and other types, and some of these types can be a little bit more aggressive and uncomfortable, but you generally, when I start working with someone, I use the most gentle techniques possible, and then kind of work my way in.
Some people need a little more aggressive treatment; some people need very gentle treatment. If someone is very robust like a football player, you can pretty much go as hard as you want with acupuncture, but someone with a deficient kind of disease, like chronic fatigue syndrome, you want to be very gentle with these types of patients, and very little stimulation.
Q: And what I’m wondering is, as you work with somebody and they get healthier, and they want to come see you on a more regular basis, do you typically use bigger needles, or it just depends?
Chad Johnson: Nope, and again, it depends on the person. If they’re more robust, we can use thicker needles, and generally we use those when we’re going right into these big, hard muscles, like a football player might have. But with a deficient person, who’s had chronic … Say they’ve had cancer, they’ve gone through chemo, they can’t take a lot of stimulation, so we use thinner needles and a lot less stimulation.
Q: Okay, definitely. Well, you can learn more. Just go to ChadJohnsonAcupuncture.com, or you can call Chad directly, 828-668-5322. Thanks a lot for your time.
Chad Johnson: All right, thank you.