Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin, sterile, single-use needles into points on the body to produce a therapeutic effect.

Your treatment includes acupuncture as well as appropriate adjunctive therapies (i.e. moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, ear seeds, tui na, etc.) and lifestyle recommendations (i.e. qigong exercises, meditation, food therapy) to help you reach your health goals. 

• New patients

  • Your initial exam is 30 minutes. We will do a comprehensive intake and examination, and you will receive a recommended treatment plan of acupuncture and/or herbal medicine based on our medical evaluation of what would best support your condition. Treatment is not included in this 30 min session.

• Returning patients 

  • Your acupuncture session is 60 minutes, which includes acupuncture treatment as well as appropriate adjunctive therapies and lifestyle recommendations. 

Chinese herbal medicine involves working with plants and other natural ingredients that are prepared for herbal consumption. 

Your treatment plan includes herbal consultations, herbal medicine, and lifestyle recommendations to help you reach your health goals. 

• New patients

  • Your initial exam is 30 minutes. We will do a comprehensive intake and examination, and you will receive a recommended treatment plan of acupuncture and/or herbal medicine based on our medical evaluation of what would best support your condition. Treatment is not included in this 30 min session.
    

• Returning patients

  • Your sessions are 30 minutes (in-person or virtual) during the course of your treatment plan. This allows us to check in together and assess if your herbal formula needs any adjustments as your symptoms improve. Your herbal formula is to be taken daily and will be mailed to you each week following your visit.

To learn whether acupuncture and/or herbal medicine are a good fit for your health goals, book an initial exam. After a comprehensive intake and examination, you will receive a recommended treatment plan of acupuncture and/or herbal medicine based on our professional evaluation of what would best support your condition. 

We will share your personalized treatment plan based on an assessment of your condition during the initial exam. 

Chronic conditions typically require regularly scheduled treatments. You may need more frequent acupuncture treatments in the beginning to alleviate your symptoms.  Typically, coming in 2x/week within the first 2-3 weeks helps create a cumulative effect for improvements to build upon itself treatment by treatment. As you reach the stages of maintenance and preventative care, the frequency and amount of visits decreases. 

If you are looking for treatment for a minor acute condition or temporary illness, it may only require a few visits. 

If you do not have any pressing symptoms and are looking for routine preventative care, you might come 1x/month or on an as needed basis. 

For herbal medicine, it is expected to have a treatment plan that can be 4 months, depending on the chronicity of your condition and your health goals. The consistency of daily herbs has a cumulative effect on your body to alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent recurrence.

To know what treatment plan is best suited for you, click here to schedule an initial exam.

Acupuncture helps reduce pain and inflammation by improving circulation in the body. From a Chinese medicine perspective, pathogenic factors such as wind, cold, damp, heat, and blood stasis impede circulation, leading to pain or impeded physiological function. The reasons for the accumulation of these pathogenic factors can be due to external causes (i.e. environment) and/or internal causes (emotions, overwork, diet, lifestyle). Through Chinese medicine, the goal is to alleviate acute symptoms while also resolving the underlying factors leading to the current condition.

From a Western biomedicine perspective, studies show that acupuncture is an effective form of non-addictive treatment for pain management. Its analgesic effect occurs through impacting the endogenous opioid system, targeting opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system to affect pain nociception (Ali et. al, 2020). A systematic review shows acupuncture addresses inflammation and cell regeneration for nervous system diseases through influencing p38MAPK signal pathways, which regulate cell communication, regeneration, and gene expression (Wei & Hsieh, 2020).

The needles are thinner than human hair, and are inserted safely by a licensed acupuncturist into points on the body at appropriate angles and depths. Some may feel little to no sensation during treatment, and some may feel de qi, which is a Chinese medicine term meaning “obtaining qi.” After the needles are inserted, you may feel the physical sensations of your body’s circulation due to the activation of those points. This can come in the form of sensations of warmth or coolness, aching or soreness, numbness or tingling, fullness, distention, or pressure, heaviness, or a spreading sensation. These may feel like unique or new sensations if you have not received acupuncture before.

We use the highest quality herbs possible that are sourced, tested, and prepared according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of the U.S., China, and Taiwan. They receive a Certificate of Analysis (COA) to ensure high quality and safe product. Additional independent third party testing is also done to verify product safety.

During your initial exam, we will discuss existing medications and supplements that you are taking, allergies, and dietary restrictions, so your herbal formulas and treatment recommendations will be created with that in mind.