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How do I prepare for my first treatment?

Please arrive 10 minutes early for your first treatment to fill out some very simple paperwork. No long forms with check boxes, I promise.

Before a treatment:

Do not eat any big meals within a couple hours.

Do not wear a lot of make up or wear any fragrances such as perfume or cologne.

After a treatment:

After your first couple treatments, take it easier for the rest of the day. Do not schedule any heavily physical activities after the first couple appointments.

After your follow up treatments wait four hours to…

Exercise

Engage in high stress activities

Consume alcohol

Also, avoid extreme temperature situations after a few hours, such as a sauna or hot shower.

As a rule of thumb, do not have any other body work done AFTER an acupuncture treatment. Allow a little time for the energy work to settle in.

What can I do between treatments?

Following these recommendations gives the Chi-energy a chance to assimilate the change that has taken place from the treatment. Between visits, please take notice of anything that is different, such as changes in your sleep patterns, your digestion and other bodily functions, your daily energy fluctuations, your dreams, emotions, and how you are coping with events in your life. Also notice anything that remains the same. This feedback is very important to the acupuncture practitioner and helps him or her to determine which treatment should be next in the sequence of steps back to health.

What will you tell me about my health?

We normally do not discuss the findings from the examination or the diagnosis in physiological terms. We do not tell you that you have a "heart," "liver," or "stomach" imbalance. In this way we can be assured that a change in appetite is not the result of the suggestion that the treatment involved the "stomach," for example. In this system of medicine, labeling is avoided.

Will I have to change my habits?

You will not be asked to change your life drastically. In fact, you are encouraged to continue taking any prescription medications or vitamins you are on and to continue your daily routines so as to allow for a stability in which the energy can change. Often the restored natural balance in the Chi-energy leads you to make healthier choices and abandon unhealthy habits. However, at some point your practitioner may also give you constructive homework or dietary advice in order to support the treatments.

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What if I am late or miss an appointment?

Please respect yourself, your fellow patients, and your practitioner by keeping your appointments and arriving promptly. If you must reschedule an appointment, we require that you give adequate notice so that another patient may take advantage of your slot. Late cancellations (within 24 hours) or missed appointments will be charged at the full fee.

How long are treatments?

The first treatment is about 2 hours long. However, plan for 3. Sometimes they can be a little longer.

Follow up treatments are about an hour, however, early on in treatments it’s a good idea to plan for an hour and a half.

Do the needles hurt?

This is a common question. The answer varies from person to person because the experience of feeling the energy shift inside the body is so new to most people that it is difficult to find words to describe the sensation. However this sensation is experienced, be assured that it cannot be compared to getting a "shot" from a Western medical doctor.

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What are the Responses to Treatment?

Because every individual is unique, the response to treatment varies from person to person. It is possible that the initial changes may first improve your overall health, before affecting your main complaint. Or, you may notice a marked improvement in your main complaint right away. You may feel revitalized mentally and emotionally, as well as physically, or you may experience only subtle changes that become obvious later when you turn your attention back to how you used to feel.

How Many Treatments Will Be Needed, and How Frequently?

The duration and frequency of treatment depend upon a variety of factors: the severity of the complaint, how long you have suffered from the complaint, and so on. Some people require treatment twice a week at the beginning until some improvement has been achieved, while others may need to come just once a week. After the initial period, which may last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, treatments are spaced out to once every two weeks, then every three, then monthly, until finally a checkup at the change of seasons is all that is necessary.

After wellness has been achieved and seasonal checkups are under way, a person may break a law of nature or suffer a physical or emotional trauma, thereby putting the Chi-energy out of balance. In this case, a series of treatments may once again be necessary to restore harmony and balance.

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Do you accept insurance?

Being there are so many plans with so many rule, here is my system...

Contact your insurance company to

1) see if acupuncture is covered
2) how much is covered (such as number of appointments and dollar amounts) 3) find out what conditions they cover for acupuncture (to see if they cover what you have going on)

If all of the above look good, then ask if you have a deductible and if you have paid it.

If you have the green light for insurance, then all you have to do is let me know.

I will take your insurance information, and send you what is known as a “super bill” after a treatment.

You then simply mail that “insurance company optimized” receipt to your insurance company, and they will refund you for what they cover.

The amount you get back would be the exact same amount as if I sent the bill in for you. How much depends on your plan and company.

This is a streamlined method that makes life easier for both of us, and keeps the cost of treatments lower for everyone.

Do you accept credit cards?

Not at the moment.

What books can I read to give me more information about this?

Two books I have found useful for people newer to this are...

Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements, by Dianne M. Connelly

Simple Guide to Using Acupuncture, the Five Elements, by Nora Franglen, which is an inexpensive little booklet.