Services: Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Trauma, stressors, and poor life style choices tax the mind-body's ability to maintain a healthy harmonious state. When its homeostatic capability is pushed to its limits, the mind-body finds it more and more difficult to return to a truly healthy, balanced state and starts to create compromised positions. These compromises, over long periods, become the new norm to which the mind-body tries to maintain. However, this new norm is not one conducive to health, vigor, and vitality, and symptoms of imbalances manifest over time. The good news is that the mind-body has the ability to heal itself and return to the proper state of balance and health. With a little guidance, healing modalities provide options to help guide the body to its original, healthy homeostatic position. The sooner the guidance is given, the quicker and easier the course correction is done; long-standing imbalances require more time and course corrections. A core concept to Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is guiding the return of the mind-body to its own harmonious balance. The mind-body includes physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. Viewing and understanding the interactive nature of these aspects is integral to this medicine. Although the Oriental Medical practitioner often intervenes on behalf of the patient to help correct imbalances, there is much the individual can do to enhance and maintain balance once it is achieved. Through periodic monitoring and corrections, health, vigor and vitality can be maintained on all levels. Oriental Medicine Treatments The Oriental Medical approach to guiding the mind-body's healing is done with various therapies. Before your treatment, please consider the following: eat a light meal or snack prior to your treatment (within a couple of hours) -avoid heavy meals, fasting or long periods since last meal or snack. use the restroom upon arrival before the treatment; a restroom is located in the hallway off the reception room. avoid alcohol or recreational drugs prior to the treatment. wear loose fitting clothing, if possible, especially pant legs and sleeves. an hour is allocated for most treatments, a little longer for the first one. treatments are relaxing experiences; many people take a nap! Oriental Medicine Treatment Therapies As with other medical practices, Oriental Medicine begins with the intake of information from the patient, including written and verbal statements, visual observations, palpation of pulse, tender areas, and/or acu-points, and other pertinent details. An Oriental Medical diagnosis with differentiation is determined and a treatment plan devised. Oriental medical treatments include one or any combination of the following: Acupuncture, with or without moxibustion or electro-stimulation Acupressure, Asian bodywork, cupping Chinese herbal formulations Qigong, Tai Chi, energy work and other exercises Lifestyle recommendations Acupuncture, moxibustion, electro-stimulation Acupuncture is an ancient treatment, which uses very thin, solid sterile needles placed into specific points in the body or ear to stimulate and guide the body's innate healing abilities. Moxibustion is a therapy that combines the burning of special herbs and specific acupuncture points or along meridians, with or without needles. This can increase the effectiveness of the acupuncture by bringing heat and the therapeutic qualities of the herbs into the body. Electro-stimulation uses micro- or milli-amperage to stimulate the acu-points and meridians, with or without needles. Electro-stimulation increases acupuncture's effect on the innate electromagnetic nature of the body and is often used to treat pain and to induce the healing of tissue. Both moxibustion and electro-stimulation of points and meridians are used to enhance the acupuncture treatment but are not indicated for every situation. Acupressure, Asian bodywork, cupping Acupressure is the application of pressure on acu-points and along meridians as a means of stimulating the healing process. Asian bodywork includes the Oriental massage traditions, such as the popular shiatsu and tuina, and incorporates Oriental Medical principles to work on the superficial meridians. Cupping is the use of open-ended glass balls applied with suction to the body. Cupping creates superficial and deep stimulation to improve circulation and to encourage healing. Chinese herbal formulations Chinese herbal formulations are commonly used and are widely accepted as a medical therapy for restoring health and vitality. Chinese herbs are combined according to each patient's unique needs. A duly trained practitioner takes into account a variety of factors about the patient, the herbal composition and safety. Herbs can be taken as a pill or capsule, a dissolvable powder, a tincture, or a boiled decoction ("tea"). There are also liniments, creams and other applications for the skin. Exercise, Qigong, Tai Chi Improvement of health and quality of life depend on many factors, amongst which exercise is an important element. Exercise can be classified as external or internal. Although external exercise, such as running or biking, is certainly conducive to health, excessive exercise may exhaust qi and injure the yin fluids. Qigong and Tai Chi are forms of internal exercise and often called internal martial arts or forms of moving meditation. Internal exercise provides many benefits including boosting qi and improving circulation when done properly and regularly. Qigong is also a medical therapy that works with both the practitioner's and the patient's energy systems. Lifestyle Treatment is not restricted to the clinic or treatment session. The patient will learn to recognize where shifts can be made in daily living to improve health and vitality. Areas of consideration include nutrition, supplementation, and substance use. Specific quieting techniques include habits of sleep, exercise, and meditation. back to main Services page