FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

​What sets you apart?

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• Our Values. We are committed to serving our community with integrity, professionalism, respect, compassion, and love. We embody these values by treating our patients, clients and everyone we interact with as family.

• Our Mission. Our mission is to provide our patients and clients with a holistic and effective approach to healing, as well as the knowledge to proactively prevent illness and injury. We strive to serve our community at large by promoting healthy lifestyle choices among the general public, educating fellow healthcare providers about acupuncture as an alternative to opioid pain medications, and working with our homeless, active military, veterans, and first-responders. Read more.

• Our Team. We are a family of healers representing the 7th and 8th generations of a traditional Chinese medicine practice. We also have extensive scientific and medical backgrounds (with a former oncologist and a former biomedical engineer). Read more.

• Unique System Based in Both Traditional & Modern Medicine. Because of our backgrounds, we are uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between traditional Chinese medicine and modern scientific research. We use techniques and insights passed down through 8 generations of cumulative medical experience. Simultaneously, we constantly improve our system in accordance with new research findings. This allows us to use an evidence-based approach that is guided by tradition. Read more.

• Focus on Wellness. While acupuncture is best-known for its pain-relieving effects, it and other traditional Chinese medicine modalities are just as effective at improving overall wellness by improving sleep, energy, metabolism, stress-levels, etc. We use our in-clinic therapies in support of lifestyle therapy, helping you cultivate better sleep, exercise, dietary, and stress habits.

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How do you define wellness?

• For us, wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

• We apply our in-clinic therapies in support of lifestyle therapy (i.e., helping you cultivate better sleep, dietary, exercise, and stress habits) to support you on your journey to wellness.

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What treatments do you offer?

• We use our therapies to treat your specific condition as well as to optimize your overall heath by promoting sleep, energy, metabolism, etc.

• We provide medical, wellness, cosmetic, and performance optimization treatments.

• Acupuncture & Electroacupuncture

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

• Manual therapy (including structural integration)

• Cupping

• Moxibustion & Infrared Heat Therapy

• Herbal Medicine & Supplements

• Lifestyle Consulting (including telehealth services)

• Meditation Training

• Read more.

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How much does treatment cost?

• Cost of treatment depends on services rendered, products purchased, and time spent.

• A typical 1-hour treatment costs $200.

• We offer a membership program that gives you 20% off treatment and other perks for a $100 annual fee.

• Read more.

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Do you accept insurance?

• Yes, we accept insurance.

• Health insurance is a contract between you and your insurance company. Please be informed about which services your insurance will cover before you receive care. That way, there are no surprises for either of us. If you are not sure about your coverage, please ask your insurance company. Refer to the back of your insurance card.

• Read more.

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How does acupuncture work?

• The effect of acupuncture is predicated upon the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as well as physiological reactions in the musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, and lymphatic systems.

• Acupuncture points are traditionally believed to be linked by a network of meridians that run longitudinally beneath the surface of the body and connect to internal organs. These meridians are thought to be fractal in nature, interweaving every cell in the body.

• Acupuncture treatment is thought to stimulate the flow of Qi (Chi) at these points. Qi can be thought of as energy, matter, and information. Read more about Qi.

• In terms of modern science, the acupuncture meridians can be viewed as a composite roadmap of multiple biological signaling systems, including the neural, vascular, and connective tissue networks. Acupuncture needles, when inserted at acupoints, send specific signals through these networks, stimulating specific, beneficial reactions throughout the body. Here is a study about the correlation between the acupuncture meridians and myofascial planes. Here is a study about the correlation between the acupuncture meridians and the nervous system. Here is a study that shows that acupuncture needling sensation (known as De-Qi) deactivates the pain centers of the brain. Here is a study that shows that acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins. Read more.

• Certain local effects of acupuncture, such as the reduction of inflammation, may be due to the body's natural reaction to a foreign body penetrating into the body through the skin (e.g., an acupuncture needle). Here is a study on the local release of adenosine (an anti-inflammatory compound) upon acupuncture needle insertion at specific acupoints.

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Is acupuncture safe?

• Yes, when practiced by a competent, licensed acupuncturist, acupuncture is very safe. Here is a study that shows that serious adverse events (e.g., pneumothorax) are rare, and the most common minor adverse events are very mild.

• Common side effects include soreness and minor bleeding or bruising where the needles were inserted.

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What does acupuncture feel like?

• Most patients do not feel any pain upon insertion of the needle as the needles are typically only 0.18-0.30 mm thick (only slightly thicker than a strand of human hair).

• Needling sensation, known as De-Qi, is described as aching, pressure, soreness, heaviness, fullness, temperature change (warmth or coolness), numbness, tingling, and/or dull pain. Here is a study that shows that acupuncture needling sensation deactivates the pain centers of the brain.

• Most patients feel very relaxed before and after acupuncture; some even fall asleep during treatment.

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What is structural integration?

• Structural integration is a system of manual therapy and sensorimotor education that aims to improve human biomechanical functioning as a whole.

• Its purpose is to balance and align the physical body so that it is supported and maintained by gravity in three-dimensional space.

• This is done through direct manipulation and education so that greater economy and freedom of body movement is achieved.

• We combine our understanding of acupuncture meridians and the "myofascial meridians" used in structural integration, creating a unique form of manual therapy.

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What should I expect for my first appointment?

• Make an Appointment. You may request an appointment by submitting the form on our contact page, giving us a call, or sending us an email.

• Patient Intake. Before you come in for your appointment, we will have you fill out and submit several intake documents (e.g., informed consent, patient registration, personal health history, etc.). We use Patient Ally to send and receive intake documents. We will send you detailed instructions after you make an appointment. Read more.

• Initial Consultation. Your first appointment will begin with an initial consultation in which we provide a full review of systems, traditional Chinese medicine evaluation, and postural analysis. We may ask you a variety of health- and wellness-related questions, involving topics such as pain, sleep, energy, stress, exercise, diet, digestion, etc. We may also look at your tongue and palpate your radial pulse and other areas of your body. Based on this consultation, we will recommend various products and services that may benefit you and then create a treatment plan from there. Click here to redeem a FREE initial consultation.

• First Treatment. After the initial consultation, we will begin your first treatment according to your unique treatment plan. All services rendered and associated fees will be explained during the consultation.

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How can I prepare for my first appointment?

• Fill out and submit the intake documents as mentioned above.

• Before you come in for your appointment, it is a good idea to eat something (so as not to be on an empty stomach, but not full either) and to be well-hydrated (so as not to feel thirsty for an hour or so, but not need to use the restroom either).

• If possible, wear loose-fitting clothing that can be manipulated to expose points on your arms and legs. In some cases, depending on treatment location, you may be required to remove your clothing.

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How often should I come in for treatment?

• This depends on your specific treatment goals. Generally speaking, for more acute conditions, it is best to receive treatment 2-3 times per week for the first 1-2 weeks, then taper to once a week until symptoms resolve. For chronic conditions, it is generally best to start with 1 treatment per week, then taper to biweekly appointments as your condition improves.

• For routine or maintenance care, for both medical and wellness treatments, some clients choose to come in once a week while others choose to come in once a month. It's really up to you. We recommend that you come in at least once a quarter (3 months) for evaluation and treatment.

• Please be advised that treatment effectiveness is cumulative and, therefore, requires that you stay consistent with both in-clinic treatment and lifestyle prescriptions.