Services - Acupuncture& OM

What is Acupuncture?
 

Acupuncture is a healing art that is over 2000 years old.

 I use hair-thin solid needles to adjust and align the energetic substance known as life force or Qi, pronounced 'chee'.
 

The Qi enlivens all life processes, such as:
- Breathing
- Moving
- Sleeping and Waking
- Eating, Digesting and Eliminating
- Working and Playing
- Reproducing
- etc.

The needles are also used to relieve muscle tension and alleviate pain.

An acupuncture session can also include additional techniques like:
- Moxibustion - Burning herbs to add heat to the body.
- Tui Na - Chinese Massage.
- Electrical Stimulation - referred to as 'E-Stim'.
- Gua Sha - a scraping technique to release muscles and      open the surface -it does leave temporary marks.
- Cupping - Heated cups that create suction on the skin.  This leaves temporary circular marks.  You've seen      those marks on athletes and celebrities.
 

Be aware that long-standing symptoms may take a bit of time to resolve.
 

New York State also issues licenses for Acupuncture and Massage, both of which I carry.

What is an Acupuncture Session Like?

First session:  When you come for your first session, you will be asked to complete some paperwork. (The forms are available on the forms and brochures page.) 

 That paperwork includes:

 • A release that allows me to use acupuncture needles to treat you and asks you to agree to arbitration is you decide to sue me. 

• An HIPAA release that lets me know how best to contact you and gives you a copy of the HIPAA rules for privacy and record keeping 

• A form that lets you know my cancellation policy what happens if your check doesn't clear and gives me permission to communicate with your insurance company, if your insurance covers acupuncture treatment

 • An intake with identifying information and your health history   The intake questions are the beginning of our conversation on how we will proceed with your treatment.  

Some of the questions will seem to be unrelated to your complaint, but they are there to give me a more complete picture of your entire health history.  These questions will also give me a better idea of things that you might not consider relevant, but are contributing to how you are feeling.  These include lifestyle, diet and activity.  We will then proceed to the treatment.  

The actual treatment:  I may feel your pulses and look at your tongue.  I may also palpate your abdomen.  These are diagnostic techniques used in most of Asian medicine.  I may also palpate some acupuncture points and the area of pain to help select where I will insert the needles.  

I use only new, sterile, disposable needles for every treatment.  The needles will be inserted, left in place for a few minutes and then removed.  While the needles are in place, I may apply electrical stimulation to the needles or use moxa either on or around the needles.  There may be a twitch, a little aching or a drawing sensation where the needles are placed.  

If there is pain or a burning sensation, let me know and I can adjust the needles to stop that.  You may feel something, and you may not, either is fine.  For pain, the needles may be placed at the area where there is pain or at a distance.  Both approaches are effective.  In fact, sometimes the distant needles are more effective than treating the painful area directly.  I may also electrically stimulate points.  I may send you home with magnets, seeds or tacks, usually in your ears.  I will ask you to remove them yourself or come back for me to remove them in 3 or 4 days.  

The session can also include gua sha, cupping or bodywork.   

I am also beginning to experiment with tuning forks and essential oils on acupoints and on the needles.  If you're interested, we can discuss if this is appropriate for you.  

Any of the additional services will be used as appropriate for the treatment and if there is time.  You may feel different immediately after your session or it may take several sessions.  Most people feel better after a session, and sometimes, they feel a bit worse for the next 24 hours, or so.  Feeling different, either way, is actually a good sign.  

For long term problems, initial relief may only last for a few days.  It will usually take multiple treatments for longer term problems to fully resolve.  

More frequent treatment can accelerate recovery exponentially, so I recommend treatment 2 to 3 times a week, especially for long-standing problems