Treatments

First Appointment

The first appointment is typically an hour and a half consultation. During this visit we will speak at length about your health concerns and address any questions you may have about acupuncture and the healing process.

We will also discuss your health and personal histories in detail, followed by a physical examination. The primary objective of the first appointment is to assess the underlying conditions that have led to your current concerns. The fee for this first new patient appointment is $300.

Please download and fill out the Patient Intake Form if this is your first visit.

Download and fill out the Patient Intake Form

Initial Consultation

Following the initial consultation, ideally you will be seen in weekly one-hour sessions for 6-8 visits. During this time, significant signs of progress will likely appear. As patients experience improvement in their condition and enjoy a greater sense of ease in life, treatments may be extended to every other week, every three weeks, monthly and eventually seasonally. The fee for follow up appointments is $125.

Treatment Options

Acupuncture.

Acupuncture is one of the therapeutic tools of Eastern medicine, originating in China. Its history was first recorded in 2776 BC. It is a system utilizing a science of wholeness. As such, its practice includes the use of six particular modalities: diet, exercise, herbal medicine, massage, meditation and acupuncture specifically. Here in the West, the term acupuncture has been limited to the use of the insertion of thin needles placed in the body at specific sites to marshall the innate healing of the body. This approach leaves out the underlying wholeness of Eastern science. As stated, the insertion of thin needles in the body stimulates the (primary healing) system of the body no different than what the surgeon depends upon when s/he performs surgery knowing that the body will heal itself.

Moxibustion.

Moxibustion is the use of the mugwort plant to stimulate the innate healing system of the body through the use of heat. This plant cannot be used in this manner until it has been aged for a minimum of three years. There are several ways and forms through which this procedure is performed. Traditionally, a small (rice to bean sized) cone is formed and placed on an acupuncture point. Sometimes these cones are placed on a slice of garlic or ginger adding to its effect. At times it can be wrapped on an acupuncture needle and ignited allowing the heat to travel down the needle and into the body. Another way it is applied is indirectly through a “moxa stick”, once again initiating healing through warming and stimulating the acupuncture points.

Massage and Acupressure.

Massage takes many forms, all of which fall under the umbrella of acupressure. Some examples of these modalities are Shiatsu, Jin Shin Do, and Tuina. These modalities also have Western names such as Reiki, energy healing, deep tissue massage, and other forms of bodywork. All of these involve hands-on pressure with an understanding and consideration of the acupuncture anatomy of the body, that is often referred to as “meridians”. All intending to increase the circulation of both blood and qi/chi (energy), its movement is a fundamental necessity to healing the body. This approach to healing is as old as humankind.

Cupping and Gua Sha.

Cupping is the use of warmed glass jars to create suction on certain points of the body, creating an increase in the circulation of the superficial blood flow, leaving circular marks resembling bruises. Cups can be made of glass, bamboo, earthenware, and silicone.

Gua Sha is literally translated as “scraping technique”. Through this technique, a small, smooth-edged instrument is rubbed over various points on the body to once again stimulate the circulation of blood and qi/chi in the body. It also leaves marks resembling bruises.

Qi Gong.

Qi Gong literally means working with qi/chi (energy). Qi is an abstract concept that means various things in context, and like the word energy, has no specific meaning as a thing in and of itself. In one context it means energetic function in the body, in another it may refer to breathing and respiration of gases. Qi may also refer to specific functions of bodily systems such as the workings of the liver metabolism or the endocrine system, or it may refer to circulation or vitality, depending on the context of use. Qi is tangible in the sense that one may perceive sensations related to the increase and flow of various types of qi. Just like energy may be felt from the heat of a flame, qi may be felt when focus is applied and energetic work is achieved in therapy

Herbal Medicine.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine varies slightly from traditional Western herbal medicine. Although both systems of medicine use individual herbs, herbs in Chinese medicine are most frequently combined into formulas that are composed of four to twenty-five different individual herbs, and correspond to a TCM diagnosis. Diagnosis in TCM is quite complex and involves descriptions not found in Western medicine. Descriptions such as damp heat, excesses of kidney yang, deficiency of lung qi, blood stasis, internal cold and many, many others, all indicate imbalances. Each formula is combined and formulated to address the diagnosis.

Nutritional Consulting.

Dietary considerations are again slightly different than Western approaches to diet and nutrition, in that the flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty are taken into consideration when advising which foods are to be eaten and/or to be avoided. These flavors happen to correspond to the five taste buds that we have on our tongues. The combination of all of these flavors within one’s diet need to be balanced for there to be a healthy body. As one may have observed, it is rare to see ice in drinks served in Asian restaurants, rather most often hot tea is served. The focus is on the quality of foods, such as cold/hot in contrast to the content of foods (i.e. vitamins and minerals) in Western medicine. Both systems, however, use seasonal harvesting as a basis for food consumption.

Wellness Coaching.

Wellness coaching in Chinese Medicine takes on what may be considered in the Western approaches to healing: psychology and spirituality. The term “Shen” is found throughout Chinese Medicine and is translated as “spirit”. In this regard, “Shen” means how a person approaches life on a day to day basis, as well as how one approaches life in the context of a lifetime.