Acupuncture & Natural Medicine              Dr. Peng, Rockville, MD

Frequently Asked Questions

Where was Dr. Peng trained for acupuncture?
Dr. Peng is a graduate from Beijing University of (Traditional) Chinese
Medicine in Beijing, China in 1982. The school is the highest ranking
medical school for training of physician to practice acupuncture and
Traditional Chinese Medicine in China.

What is Dr. Peng's approach for acupuncture treatment?
Dr. Peng practices acupuncture according to the principles of Traditional
Chinese Medicine. It emphasizes the balance of Yin-Yang, regulation of Qi
movement and adjustment of functions of internal organs. His practice also
incorporates concept of current medical diagnosis/treatment into the
treatment design to improve therapeutic efficacy.

What is the concept of individualized medicine in Dr. Peng's practice?
Individualized medical care is at the heart of Dr. Peng's practice.
Individualized medicine that focuses on personalized information, genetic
basis, and individual response to drugs are the future of medical practice.
Dr. Peng uses traditional approach to define the diagnosis and to design
the treatment strategy that is based on individual situations.

According to the principal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, each patient may
present different body conditions (background) while having similar
symptoms or diseases. The acupuncture is designed based on the goal to
correct overall patient's abnormal body condition as well as treating the
presenting symptoms.

How do I make an appointment?
To make appointment, you can call 301 340 8444. Walk in is welcome.

What is Dr. Peng's office hour?
9:30am to 11:00am on Monday.
9:30am to 5:30pm on Tusday, Wednesday, and Friday.
1:30pm to 5:30pm on Thursday.
9:30am to 12pm on Saturday.
Dr. Peng will be at NIH on Monday afternoon and Thursday morning.

Where is the Dr. Peng's clinic?
Dr. Peng's clinic is located at 9711 Medical Center Dr. Suite 114, Rockville,
MD 20850. The clinic is in the Medical plaza II, the building adjacent to Shady
Grove hospital.

Does Dr. Peng accept insurance?
Yes. Dr. Peng accept most insurances that covers acupuncture. Insurance
for acupuncture various significantly. Dr. Peng is a member of CareFirst
BlueCross BlueShield Network. The best way to check if you are covered for
acupuncture is to call your insurance before you come. Or when you come
to the clinic, we will call your insurance to verify the coverage.

What are the fee for the acupuncture treatment?
Unless you are paid by your insurance, you can pay a fee for each clinic visit.
Current rate at Dr. Peng's clinic is $85 for the first visit and $70 for each of
following visits. The rate is determined based on the survey of average rate
in local areas.

How is patient billed?
After clinic visit or a course of treatment, patient will be billed for co-payment
(if covered by insurance) or full payment. Patient may choose to pay upfront
or pay at the completion of the treatment. Cash and check are accepted. As
of now, we do not accept credit card.

Do I need to pay a fee for consultation?
Patient is welcome to visit the clinic and to inquire information about
acupuncture. If you did not receive the treatment, you don't have to pay.
Consultation is free.

Does acupuncture hurt?
Modern acupuncture is largely a painless procedure. It uses hair-thin
needles. The needles penetrate top layer of skin quickly. In most cases,
patients feel no more than prickle-like feeling. However, in a few cases,
patient may feel some pain when needles accidentally reach the nerve or
blood vessel. When it happened, the needle would be taken off or replaced.

How long is each acupuncture session?
A typical acupuncture treatment takes about 40 minutes. It includes placing
needles to the acupuncture points and allowing needles remained at the
points for 30 minutes. During this 30 minutes, patient is placed in a relaxed
environment which helps to improve the effect of treatment.

How many and how often is acupuncture treatment required?
Numbers of required treatment depend on the patient's condition. As a
general rule, 1-2 times of treatment are sufficient for acute condition such
as acute low back pain. 4-6 times as one course of treatment are needed
for chronic condition.

As effect of acupuncture usually last a few days, patients usually visit the
clinic once or twice a week for his or her conditions. For maintaining general
well-being, patients may come to clinic once a month.

How does acupuncture works?
Acupuncture inserts the fine sterilized needles into acupuncture points.
Acupuncture points are located in 14 different meridians distributed over the
entire human body. According to the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine,
each meridian regulates a set of body functions. Acupuncture through
needling on acupuncture points adjusts the body's conditions and corrects
the dysfunction of human body. Description of meridians and acupuncture
points has existed at least three thousand years. In modern times, many
scientific research have been done on acupuncture points and acupuncture
effect in both basic research and clinic aspects.

Does acupuncture have side effects?
Adverse effect of acupuncture is very rare as acupuncture is a moderate
approach to adjust body's physiological condition and procedure is very
mild.

Common side effects maybe things such as occasional pain when needles
touch the nerve or occasional bleeding when needles touch the small blood
vessel. In some occasions, small bleeding maybe seen when needles
touch the vein. The bleeding can usually be stopped by pressing the point
for 5 seconds.

Who should be careful when deciding to receive acupuncture?
Women in pregnancy or has intent to be pregnant at the time should inform
doctor before receiving acupuncture. Acupuncture on certain points
according to ancient literature may abort pregnancy.

Patients has low platelet count or bleeding tendency should inform doctor
before the treatment to avoid bruise or unnecessary subcutaneous bleeding.

Can I receive other therapy while I am getting acupuncture?
Yes. In fact, acupuncture in most of cases can work together with other
therapies. It is common for patients receive acupuncture treatment while in
meantime receiving physical therapy or other method of treatment.
Medication usually does not affect acupuncture. However, patients should
inform the doctor the other treatments he or she is receiving so that the
doctor can incorporate this consideration into treatment design.