Where East meets West

A bit of nervous energy is normal! Once we have taken care of the standard paperwork we will listen to your story as well as your pulses (3 positions on each wrist via the radial pulse) , look at your tongue, and formulate a plan of action with a focus on acupuncture but may include lifestyle changes, herbal supplements, sleep counseling and other modalities to better health.  Initial visit includes a private, one on one treatment in a tranquil setting.

Our space is designed with you in mind!  Your comfort is most important.  Soft lighting and relaxing music allow your body and mind to begin to decompress from the outside world.  By reducing outside stimulation your body and mind can begin to tune inward and go into parasympathetic mode which is the ideal state for Acupuncture therapy to do it's most productive work.

We choose modalities based on your Eastern medicine diagnosis. Classic technique is standard and orthopedic style is incorporated as needed. Full body treatments typically involve the following areas: elbows down, knees down, head and shoulders.  Auricular (ear) treatments work well for the addiction program. Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM) has been used for centuries in Asia.  Cupping and Gua Sha are the most popular.  

That is the answer to the questions - 

What does it feel like?  Will it hurt?  Children as young as 10 years , adults with special needs and our most fragile seniors all experience the therapeutic effects of Acupuncture Therapy. Dogs,cats,horses and zoo animals are able to relax during their treatments-regrettably not in our clinic though that would be interesting!   

Yes.  When performed by medical professionals who are nationally board certified (NCCAOM) in both Chinese medicine and Western medicine and who have a minimum of 1,905 acupuncture specific hours of training including clinical rotations. 

A note to the consumer about dry needling:  All Acupuncture Therapists are licensed to perform dry needling (AKA Orthopedic Style Acupuncture/Trigger point Acupuncture) but not all choose to use this style in their practice.  There are other  healthcare professionals who take a weekend course to get "certified" by a for-profit company to insert Acupuncture needles into trigger points and  acupuncture points and call it dry needling.  

The #1 reported side effect of Acupuncture therapy is a deep sense of relaxation.  Patients also report reduced anxiety and mood swings as well as a greater ability to manage the effects of daily stress.  Mild bruising at the site can occur as well.  

Acupuncture Therapy activates the body's own natural healing potential by tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system to mitigate the fight-or-flight stress response.  When activated, the  points signal  the Central Nervous System to take action to alleviate symptoms of disharmony and imbalances within the body.