Acupuncture provides safe, effective, gentle relief from chronic pain, stress, fatigue, digestive disorders, mental/emotional distress, infertility, and a host of other ailments. Side effects include better sleep, elevated mood, and increased energy. Truly natural, holistic healing in a calm and relaxing environment.

The above are some of the most common reasons that patients seek treatment; however, this is only a small representation of the powerful healing effects of acupuncture. Acupuncture is holistic medicine, meaning that the entirety of the patient must be taken into account to form a differential diagnosis. This includes your medical history, current conditions and symptoms, as well as your home, work, and social lives – everything that rounds you out as an individual. All facets of a person have an impact on their overall health, and acupuncture is designed to treat everything simultaneously, at the source (not just the symptom level), such that improvement is seen at all levels in a very short time.

This gentle medicine has been practiced and proven effective for thousands of years, with side effects that include improved sleep, digestion, mood, and many more.

For information on Community Acupuncture, look here.

Here are some things to know prior to your first visit.

Your private acupuncture treatment may include any of the following:

A One-on-One Health Evaluation with your Practitioner

Having ample time to discuss your concerns with your provider is something that a lot of modern health care appointments lack. Since acupuncture is a form of holistic medicine – where all facets of a person are considered equally important in determining the best treatment plan – we spend plenty of time listening to your health concerns, reviewing your health history, and getting to know you personally. You will have the opportunity to build a relationship with your provider that is based on trust, understanding, and great results. The most time is spent with you in your initial appointment, where we want to build a complete picture to be able to craft your treatments to be exactly what you need.

Diagnosis using the pulse, tongue, and eye

Chinese medicine utilizes several diagnostic techniques to put together your differential diagnosis. In addition to your reported symptoms and medical history, your practitioner will also feel your pulses. There are 6 Chinese pulses at each wrist, for a total of 12. The pulses along with features of the tongue and eye give the practitioner information about the health of the organ systems of the body. Chinese medicine is holographic, meaning that the whole is represented in the part; e.g., all the major organ systems are represented on the body of the tongue.

The insertion of single-use disposable acupuncture needles

All needles used at the clinic are surgical stainless steel, sterile, and disposable – used on one point on the body and then discarded. Multiple needles may be inserted into several locations on the body, and anywhere from 1-15 needles may be used in a single session. Needles are usually retained in the body for 5-45 minutes, depending on the treatment.

Acupuncture needles are much thinner and smaller than hypodermic needles. Only about a hair’s width, often there is no sensation at all when inserting one.  Once inserted, there should be no pain or discomfort, and most patients sleep or just rest comfortably for the duration of their treatment.

The placement of the needles can be anywhere on the body – the head, ears, back, torso, arms, and legs are most common. You do not need to fully undress for your treatments. Often, loose clothing that can simply be moved aside will suffice. If your practitioner needs to access an area covered by clothing, we offer gowns/robes to change into. You are, of course, welcome to decline the placement of needles on any part of your body to which you do not consent.

Electro-Stim (ESTIM) Acupuncture

ESTIM is a method of acupuncture that includes running a current through the needles to further stimulate the acupoints. More in-depth information on this type of treatment can be found here.

Moxibustion therapy

Made from mugwort herb, small cones or sticks are burned on or near acupuncture points on the body, producing a pleasant feeling of warmth. The burned portion of a moxa cone or stick does not touch or burn skin.

Moxa is commonly used when treating pain, digestive upset, fatigue, and many other conditions. It can even be used to encourage a baby in breech presentation to turn prior to labor!

Patients often request moxa therapy because of its gentle, nurturing warmth and interesting aroma when burned. It can often produce instant relief when used to treat stubborn, fixed pain.

Moxibustion is only available in our Private Acupuncture Clinic, and is not available in the Community Acupuncture Clinic.

Recommendations for Chinese Herbs, (western) vitamins/supplements

Chinese herbs can be used effectively to treat both chronic and acute illness. Your practitioner may discuss herbal recommendations with you as part of your individualized treatment strategy. Herbs can support your treatment and lengthen the amount of time you experience relief from your symptoms.

Similarly, we offer a selection of high quality vitamins and supplements for sale at the clinic. All products sold are only available via health care providers and are carefully and ongoingly scrutinized by the clinic practitioners to be of exceptional quality.

Chinese Nutritional Therapy

The energetics of food is a rich and particularly useful topic. The ancient Chinese applied the energetic patterns they observed in nature to all beings – animal, vegetable, and mineral. Every food has an energetic action in the body and an affinity for certain organ systems; thus, the diet we eat can be used as medicine! For example, in Chinese medicine, the Liver has an affinity for sour foods. These foods are recommended to support the functioning of the organ. Remarkably, modern science is making these same connections that the Chinese made thousands of years ago. A 2002 study showed that when applied to human liver cancer cells in a petri dish, extracts of cranberry and lemon had the highest anti-proliferation effect by far when compared to a host of other fruits!

Your practitioner may make dietary suggestions that will help to support your treatment goals. Chinese nutritional therapy involves the inclusion (and possibly avoidance) of certain readily-available foods as a way to treat internal conditions. This is another avenue for creating a holistic approach to wellness. Such suggestions will be food items you can find at a regular grocer or local health food store, and recipes are also provided when requested.

Non-Needle Therapies

There are a variety of adjunct therapies in Chinese Medicine that can enhance the effect of an acupuncture treatment.

Cupping and Gua Sha are manual therapies that can be used for tight/painful muscles, cough and respiratory illness recovery, and more. Your practitioner may include a short course of these therapies during your acupuncture treatment. If a longer course is needed, you may be advised to book a different type of treatment that can utilize these therapies more extensively. Read more about Cupping and Gua sha on our Non-Needle Therapies page.

More non-needle therapies are coming soon!