FAQs

A.

We offer the following services, available by appointment only:

• Acupuncture
• Herbal Medicine prescription
• Services including Cupping, Gua Sha, Moxibustion, and Tui-Na Massage are currently not available due to COVID-19

Payments:

We accept all forms of insurance except Medical and Medicare as they do not cover our services at this time.

For out-of-pocket patients, we accept:

• Credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express
• HSA cards with a Visa or Mastercard logo
• Debit cards with a Visa or Mastercard logo.
• Due to COVID-19, cash, checks, and money orders are no longer being accepted

A.

A first acupuncture visit can be a very exciting event, indeed. The first time you receive acupuncture, you may feel thrilled and excited, but also perhaps nervous and scared. Each of these emotions are perfectly normal.

How to prepare for your first treatment:

Food: Before every treatment, it is important that you have eaten something within the last three hours. This is because you are about to make your body do some work and it needs calories to do that. You don’t want to be hungry during a treatment. If you eat first, you will be more comfortable and your treatment will be more effective.

Clothes: Acupuncture meridians run all over the body. It is important that the practitioner choose and use the correct points for your treatment. Please wear loose fitting comfortable clothes where the shirt sleeves and pant legs can be rolled up without cutting off circulation.

Emotions: If you are feeling nervous or scared, please feel free to let us know at the beginning of the session so that we can make what ever accommodations you need to feel the most comfortable and to help you to get the utmost enjoyment out of your treatment.

Bathroom: Keep in mind that once you are lying on the table with needles in place, it is very difficult to go to the bathroom. If necessary, please remember to use the bathroom before your appointment.

Safety: Make sure you have time after treatment to rest for 15 minutes if it is necessary. Sometimes, treatments can be intense and it is important for your safety that you are not forced to drive too soon after the session ends.

Intake: Your first intake will be longer than usual, We will talk for about 30-40 minutes. This is because it is our first meeting and we will need time to discuss your medical history and what you are visiting for that day. On your return visits, your intakes will be much shorter, approximately ten minutes.

Treatment: After the intake, you will lie on one of our comfortable treatment tables either face up or face down (depending on the prescribed treatment), and a diagnosis process will begin. This will usually entail feeling the pulse and palpating the abdomen, legs and arms. When a plan is reached, the practitioner will begin inserting needles into the body. After all needles have been inserted, the practitioner will then spend time at each needle to ensure that sensation and movement are happening. The practitioner will then turn out the light and leave the room for the patient to rest. The patient will lie quietly, in the dark room, often with heat lamps keeping them at just the right warmth and comfort. After about 15 minutes the practitioner will return to again stimulate sensation and movement in the needles and leave the patient to rest for another 10 minutes.

A.

Generally speaking, no, not really -- but it also depends.

The sterile, single use, disposable needles used for acupuncture are so thin, they usually are not felt on insertion. Certain areas of the body are more sensitive than others, but overall, the needles are far too thin to really cause much sensation.

After the needle has been inserted into the skin however, the ideal is for the patient to sense what we term “De Qi”, or the arrival of Qi. This can be sensed in a variety of ways, and is individual to the patient’s body and what is going on with them at that time. It has been described as a feeling of expansion, throbbing, tingling, buzzing, numbness, and many more. Sometimes this sensation can be strong. This is actually good and what is desired in the treatment. It is the body’s signal that things that used to be "stuck" are now open and moving - Qi, blood, and lymph are circulating. This is a sign that changes in the body are happening to reestablish harmony and promote self-healing mechanisms.

Most of the time it is fear and worry that are the bigger issues. These emotions can cause blockage of circulation making things even more stuck and causing stronger sensation when the Qi arrives. If you are nervous or frightened, please let us know prior to your treatment so that we can make sure you are as comfortable as possible.

A.

Everything.

Like everything, everything?

Yes, like everything, everything. This is because Oriental Medicine seeks only to restore harmony, balance and flow to the body and its systems, therein allowing the body to heal itself. We have amazing bodies capable of keeping us healthy and feeling good, but many things in life can prevent our bodies from performing the tasks they are constantly trying to do. Oriental Medicine simply assists in removing those barriers so that the body can go back to being its awesome self. Each body is different, with different inherent capabilities and strengths.

Some of the most common issues that Oriental Medicine can treat are:

• Musculo-skeletal Pain (acute & chronic)
• Arthritis
• Nausea
• Headaches & Migraines
• Injuries
• Menstrual problems
• Digestion
• Psycho-Emotional disorders
• Asthma
• Colds and Flus
• Allergies
• Urinary problems
• Infertility
• Insomnia
• Pediatric Illnesses
• Pre-, Peri-, and Post-natal care
• Sexual Dysfunctions
• and many more!

Oriental Medicine will provide varying degrees of benefit to every person who uses it. The best way to find out how much it can benefit you is by giving it a try!

A.

Acupuncture is the application of sterile, single use, disposable, filiform needles at different depths under the skin to treat many different diseases of the body and mind. The surface of the skin must be free of debris or visible dirt and clean. 70% medical grade isopropyl alcohol is applied to the area of treatment just before each needle is inserted. In general, anywhere between 2 and 20 needles are used for treatment, depending upon the practitioner's diagnosis.

A.

Oriental Medicine is an ancient holistic art of healing the whole body and mind as one inseparable unit. It is based on scientific observation over thousands of years. Although it was only introduced to the United States some 30 to 40 years ago, Oriental Medicine has been evolving for somewhere between 3,000 to 5,000 years. Over that period, its use has been fine-tuned and its knowledge passed down from one generation to the next. Things that did not prove their effectiveness fell out of use. Each generation of practitioners built upon the discoveries of the last. We continue to gain a deeper understanding of the patterns that govern the human body and mind and how to keep us happy and healthy, knowing the two are the same.

Oriental Medicine utilizes a variety of different modalities to treat the patient depending on what is called for in the particular patient’s situation. These modalities include acupuncture, the prescribing of herbal formulas, gua-sha, cupping, moxibustion, and others.

Unlike western medicine where the patient often takes a passive role in their care, Oriental Medicine encourages every patient to be an active participant in their wellness and healing. Oriental Medicine utilizes a variety of lifestyle adjustments to aide and accelerate the effectiveness of clinical treatment. Patients are encouraged to incorporate wellness techniques such as meditation, modification of certain dietary habits, practicing breathing exercises and gentle movement exercises like Tai Ji and Qi Gong, and making peace in their lives.