FAQs & What to Expect
Can you help me? |
The short answer is yes, most likely. Regardless of what your symptoms may be, the medicine that I offer helps restore balance and flow in the body and mind. This is how I am able to effectively treat such a wide array of conditions. However, I ask that new patients contact the office for a free consultation to discuss their particular health/wellness concerns.
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What exactly do you do? |
Because I can treat such a wide array of symptoms and conditions, patients often wonder what exactly it is that I do in a session. How do you work with grief and anxiety? How do you treat pain? How can you improve energy and digestion? I get these questions a lot.
I can work with all of these aspects of health because the medicine I practice is holistic. This means that I view everything about you as interconnected. I don't isolate a couple of symptoms and just treat those things. I work with you as a whole. In any given session, we begin by talking about your struggles, your goals and how things have changed since our last visit. The treatment that follows depends entirely upon you and your needs. We may combine meditation and massage or acupuncture and cupping or singing bowls and breath-work. The goal is to address what you need most each visit and work our way toward your optimal health. |
How long will it take until I feel better? |
If you had a recent injury, chances are it won't take much time before you're up and running again. If you have been unwell for years, it will take more time. Healing is a process. However, you will likely notice your symptoms beginning to change as soon as your first treatment. Your sleep or digestion may improve. Your moods may even out. You may have more energy in the morning. All of these are good signs that you're on a healing path.
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What is the first visit like? |
Your first appointment will begin with an in-depth interview followed by examination: areas of pain, posture and alignment, etc. In the practice of Chinese medicine, we also diagnose using a system of examination methods including palpating the abdomen, evaluating the skin, looking at the tongue and feeling the pulse.
After the interview and evaluation, your treatment will begin. It will be tailored specifically to you and your needs and will involve some combination of the treatments listed here. (I offer treatments with or without acupuncture, so have no fear if you're afraid of needles.) |
Does acupuncture hurt? |
Acupuncture feels nothing like the needles you've experienced in medical settings! Acupuncture needles themselves are very, very thin and flexible. People sometimes notice an initial sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally acupuncture does not hurt. Once the needles are in, it's common to feel a sense of deep relaxation and heaviness in the body.
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How does acupuncture work? |
The exact mechanism of acupuncture remains (scientifically) unknown, despite its utilization for thousands of years. In Chinese medicine, the idea is that acupuncture affects the qi of an individual. Qi (pronounced "chee") is a word that you may have heard but may not understand. Don't worry! As complicated as it may seem, it can be pretty simple to conceptualize. Qi, often defined as "energy" or "vital life force," is the driving force of everything. So, in your body, it's what makes things happen! It's how your blood is propelled, what your organs run on to operate, and that kind of thing.
So how does this relate to your health...or better yet, your struggles with your health? Acupuncture can influence your body and being (qi) to make the necessary adjustments to increase blood flow, reduce pain and inflammation, ease feelings of anxiety and depression, and a whole host of other positive changes. In essence, acupuncture stimulates your body's innate ability to change and heal. From a more Western-oriented perspective, there are a number of theories. For one, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system, which then triggers a cascade of beneficial physiological responses (like the immune system, for example). There have been numerous studies conducted regarding this topic. Here's one, if you're interested: Fascia Network Could Be Basis for Acupoints and Meridians |
