The Consultation

Your first session will involve a full consultation to find out about your main concerns, and to assess your overall past health history. Since Oriental Medicine takes a more holistic approach to patient care, you may be asked questions that appear unimportant (questions about your sleep habits, your ability to tolerate heat or cold, your dietary habits, etc.) but are actually vital to the type of care you will receive.

After reviewing your history, the practitioner will begin diagnosing your ailment. Using all of the information obtained during the history and diagnosis, the practitioner will then determine the cause of your symptoms.

Your practitioner will work out a treatment plan from this information that is tailored to your individual needs. Information about any medication/supplements you are taking will be useful to us at this stage, as well as any recent test results. After the consultation, there will be time for a short treatment.

It is best to wear loose clothing for your acupuncture sessions, and best not to eat a large meal or drink strong coffee or alcohol just prior to a treatment.

Depending on the seriousness and the length of your condition, your first visit may take between 30-60 minutes. It may take several visits to see significant improvement or cure your condition. As with any treatment plan, however, make sure that your questions are answered completely, and that the treatment plan seems viable and reasonable. If you don't understand a particular technique or type of treatment, make sure to ask.

 What are the main objectives of Acupuncture treatment?

The main objectives are four:

• Relieve pain and other symptoms.
• Strengthen the immune system.
• Degenerative diseases
• Balance, harmonize, and integrate functions of the organs with each other, making for a unified, healthy person, rather than a collection

 How safe Is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is extremely safe. It is an all-natural, drug-free therapy, yielding no side effects except feeling of needle sensation, relaxation and well-being. There is no danger of infection from acupuncture needles because they are sterile, used once, and then discarded. As a system of health care, acupuncture has some 5,000 years inherent evidences of safety. So, patients do not have to worry about taking acupuncture treatment, herbal medication and suffering an adverse reaction.

Even for the children, acupuncture is very good. In some instances children actually respond more quickly than adults. If your child has an adversion to needles, your acupuncturist may massage the acupuncture points which is called acupressure or tuina.

Properly administered, acupuncture does no harm. However, there are certain conditions you should notify an acupuncturist about before undergoing treatment. If you have a pacemaker, for instance, you should not receive electro acupuncture due to the possibility of electromagnetic interference with the pacemaker. Similarly, if you have a tendency to bleed or bruise easily, or if you are a hemophiliac, you may want to consider a different type of care.

 How many treatments and How often?

The number of treatment will vary from person to person. Some people experience immediate relief; the other may take months or even years to achieve results. Chronic conditions usually take longer to resolve than acute ones. Plan on a minimum of a month to see significant changes. Treatment frequency depends on a variety of factors: your constitution, the severity and duration of the problem and the quality and quantity of your Chi. Once the problem is identified, the appropriate treatment plan is selected. This is discussed with you. Because each patient’s health problems and response to treatment are unique, the number and frequency of treatments vary. An acupuncturist may suggest one or two treatment per week, monthly visits for health maintenance or seasonal cares. You can be assured the very best treatment and understanding of your condition from both his medical experience and her knowledge of Traditional Oriental Medicine.

  What are needle treatments like? Are they painful?

Patients who have received inoculations or other Medical injections from a hypodermic needle are as painful. But such is not the case. Medical hypodermic needles are stiff, hollow, and thick for forcing liquid into the patient’s flesh, usually an uncomfortable, if not painful, procedure. Typically, acupuncture needles are fine and flexible, no bigger around than a human hair or piece of thread. Deftly inserted into an Acupoint by a skilled Acupuncturist, the slender needle produces little or no sensation at all. When the needle makes contact with Chi, the energy, most patients experience a slight tingling sensation. First-time patients are usually amazed at how comfortable they are during treatment.

 Chi? What is it? What does it do?

One English translation of the word Chi means energy, and though Chi is invisible, its presence becomes especially apparent in the workings of the bodily organs and systems which require prodigious amounts of energy. Yet the Chinese view Chi not only as powering a function, they see it as inseparable from function as though there’s no Chi without function and no function without Chi. Chi is also known as the life force, and since the total absence of Chi is death, obviously one’s good health depends on a balanced distribution of Chi throughout the Meridian network that influences the organs as well as the bodily systems: skeletal, muscular, endocrine (glands) circulatory, digestive, respiratory, urinary reproductive, and nervous. When Chi flows smoothly and harmoniously throughout the meridians, each bodily system and organ interacts with and affects all the other systems and organs, which in turn are independent, interrelated, and integrated. Everything works together to make us feel whole and healthy, thanks to Chi.

 What happens when the flow of Chi becomes blocked?

Chi is meant to flow freely throughout the Meridian network carrying its balanced vital force to all the body’s parts, organs, and systems, thereby encouraging them to function with each other in a natural, harmonious way. That leads to sound health. But any sustained blockage or other disruption of Chi may bring on pain, a weakened immune system, and ill health. It’s important to realize that while such blockage causes diminished Chi in one organ or part, it may also cause excessive buildup of Chi in another area. That phenomenon can be understood by visualizing a Meridian carrying Chi as like a freeway carrying cars. On a freeway we know what happens when one or more lanes become blocked. Its a similar idea on a meridian. A blockage may cause a deficiency of Chi beyond the blockage and a buildup of Chi behind the blockage, which may mean diminished activity of some organs and accelerated activity of others. Either way, Chi is unbalanced, so it’s flow must be normalized through an Acupuncturist’s skilled and expert care.

  What is the herb medicine?

Oriental medicine uses natural herbs like plants, roots, and leaves. And minerals.
There are several types of herb medicine….Decoction (Liquid type), powder, pills or tablets. Decoction is strong but very effective. Others are very mild. If they get both acupuncture and herbs treatment, they can expect much better result. That’s why we strongly recommend the herb medicines to the patients.

 Do you accept insurances?

Yes. We accept major insurances plan.

 Cost Per Treatment

Prices vary dependent on the type of treatment required.