Most patients experience little to no discomfort.   Acupuncture needles are extremely thin—much finer than standard medical needles.  Many find the treatment deeply relaxing and even fall asleep during sessions. If any discomfort arises during a treatment, we address it immediately so that the patient is relaxed and at ease.

When performed by a licensed and experienced practitioner, acupuncture is very safe. We use sterile, single-use needles, which minimizes the risk of infection. Side effects are rare and mild, such as slight bruising at the insertion site.  

Licensed acupuncturists complete extensive education and training. They must earn a three-year master’s degree from an accredited program, which includes thousands of hours of classroom study and hands-on clinical experience. Additionally, they are required to pass rigorous national board exams administered by the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) to practice. Beyond this, Dr McFarland has earned her Doctorate in Acupuncture, which reflects advanced training and dedication to providing the highest standard of care.

While dry needling and acupuncture both involve the use of needles, they differ significantly in purpose and practitioner training.   Acupuncture addresses both localized pain and systemic issues such as chronic illness and pain, inflammation, and systemic dysfunction. Licensed acupuncturists undergo thousands of hours of education and clinical training to learn how to treat a wide range of conditions.

Dry needling, on the other hand, is a technique used specifically to relieve muscle trigger points (knots) causing localized pain. In Virginia, physical therapists are allowed to perform dry needling after completing just 50 hours of training focused on this technique.

The key distinction lies in the depth of training and the breadth of treatment goals: acupuncture is a comprehensive approach to healing, while dry needling is a more targeted method for addressing muscle pain.

Acupuncture works by stimulating specific points on the body to influence various systems and functions, and it’s closely aligned with the body’s connective tissue networks, known as fascia. Fascia is a web-like structure that surrounds every muscle, bone, and organ in our body. Acupuncture pathways, sometimes called meridians or channels, align with the fascial planes running through our body. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes that each meridian is associated with specific organs and their functions, such as circulation, digestion, or energy regulation. Acupuncture points are locations on these pathways where needles can be inserted to stimulate the body. By targeting these points, acupuncture promotes blood flow, reduces inflammation, and triggers the nervous system to release natural painkillers and regulate bodily functions. 

In Western medical terms, acupuncture engages the body’s self-healing mechanisms by activating the central and peripheral nervous systems, promoting tissue repair, and improving communication between the brain and body. This makes acupuncture a unique complement to conventional medical treatments, particularly for pain management and chronic health conditions.

Asian medicine treats the patient’s body, mind, and spirit as an integrated whole.  In this way, we can treat the patient’s acute symptoms and the underlying conditions.  For example, a patient who comes in for body pain may also be experiencing chronic fatigue and depression.  In conventional medicine, this may require visiting three different specialists.  In Asian medicine, we understand that these symptoms are all part of a specific pattern of dysfunction.