Chinese Medicine is Different
Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, is a holistic system that aims to restore balance and promote healing and health by focusing on the root cause of a disease or disorder while at the same time addressing the symptoms.
Each treatment takes your current state into account. Not only is your health condition unique to you but your Chinese Medicine diagnosis may change as your health changes allowing for the fine-tuning of your treatment with each visit. Additional fine-tuning includes finding what works best for you by taking into account what you prefer, how you live, what you need, and what you can tolerate.
All of these answers contribute to structuring a treatment plan that is workable for you and will produce the greatest long-term results.
What to expect from your first treatment
The initial interview and treatment take about 1.25 hours. If you are not filling out the intake forms in advance please come an additional 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork.
Most often there will be a conversation about what has brought you in for treatment where we listen to your concerns, and may ask questions about your overall health. We will discuss your present concerns and your health history which will enable us to tailor a treatment plan specifically targeting your health concerns and goals. In Chinese medicine we take your pulse, look at your tongue and may palpate the meridians (the primary pathways the Qi of your body moves along).
From all this information a personalized treatment plan will be synthesized for you, and could include one or several of the following modalities:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a branch of Chinese Medicine that originated over 3500 years ago and is currently used by 25% of the world’s population. Acupuncture is based on the concept that there are patterns of energy flow in the body and when these are disrupted, imbalance is created and pain and disease result.
Cupping
Cupping is a method of moving Qi and blood, of clearing these types of stagnations to restore the body’s natural flow of energy and thus alleviating the pain. It involves using cups with some oil applied to the skin to help form a vacuum under the area being cupped. You can think of this like reverse massage. Instead of using a hand or tool to push into the soft tissue, like in a massage, the suction gently pulls the soft tissue up into the cup. This helps bring blood into the area which can help expedite healing.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is heat therapy that employs burning herbs on an acupuncture needle or above particular acupuncture points. Most patients enjoy the pleasant smell and soothing quality of the heat. I may use moxibustion to enhance your treatment, depending on your symptoms.
Tui Na / Manual Therapy
Tui Na is a form of medical massage used to promote circulation, decrease pain and bring your body back into healthy balance. It is used for both musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions.
Smoking Cessation
This package is designed to help quit smoking or other addiction concerns. It involves 10 Ear Acupuncture treatments that must be completed in the following manner: three treatments the first week, and at least two treatments the following three weeks. All ten treatments must be completed within four weeks.
This treatment plan has been shown to be the most successful in reaching the goals of quitting smoking or the addiction.
To be successful all the other normal steps for quitting need to be in place. This is a powerful tool for helping that shift. There is a $25 deposit that is returned upon completion of the series in the prescribed manner.