ACUPUNCTURE, MASSAGE
& HERBAL MEDICINE!
My Approach
I approach each treatment with an in-depth assessment to determine your issue's root cause. I take note of the many tools I have available - acupuncture, many years as a therapeutic massage therapist, cupping therapy, gua sha (aka grastin technique, scraping therapy), Tuina, Shiatsu, Craniosacral therapy, heat lamp (dry heat), hot towels (moist heat), stretching, exercise, nutritional and dietary guidance and individualized herbal prescriptions. We determine if what I can offer will help you, if you may need additional help or a referral to another practitioner, we decide and agree together on a treatment plan, then we get to work!
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can treat so much more than pain. With a rich and complex history well documented for over 2000 years, we have at our fingertips a treasure trove of tools to course-correct many of our common ailments.
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Acute and Chronic Pain
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Digestive Issues
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Menstrual Issues
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Sleep Disturbance
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Anxiousness & Stress
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Feelings of Depression
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Attention Dysregulation (ADHD, ADD)
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Healthy Aging and General Wellbeing
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Headaches and Migraines
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Neuropathy- injury, diabetic or chemotherapy induced
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Post-concussion symptoms
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Pre and post -surgery
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Skin Issues
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and more!
If you are unsure if Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and therapeutic massage can help you, please reach out to me. I am happy to answer any questions you have regarding your health.
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What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the insertion of stainless steel, or gold-plated, sterile, single-use needles only slightly wider than a human hair. A session can use as few as 2 needles or as many as 20, the needles can go in and out or remain for up to 30 minutes, depth depends on location and location depends on the issue treated- there are many ways to receive acupuncture and we will work together to find the best way for you. This method of therapy and its skillful application works with your brain, nerves, fascia, muscles, blood, and your energetic body to right the ship and get you back into a place of balance.
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What does acupuncture feel like?
I will not lie and say it's painless nor can I say you will experience discomfort. I will say that it is different for each person AND it can feel different from session to session. The more of a routine you make something like acupuncture or massage, the easier it is for you to relax sooner. I like to go into each session with some curiosity both as a patient and as a practitioner. I believe this gives us room to grow and heal- breaking free from old patterning.
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How many sessions will you need?
This will be specific to each person, how fast you recover, the type of issue we are working with, and how long the issue has been going on before seeking treatment.
We like to start with 8-10 treatments to fully resolve or make progress into your issue.
I like to think of this type of medicine like exercise... you can't do it once and expect results. It is an accumulation of small changes that help the body regain optimal health.
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What is herbal medicine?
Our profession studies for 4 years learning the complexity of different herbal formulas, individually tailored to each patient, and which will change with you as your issue begins to resolve. Not all problems need the assistance of herbal medicine but most resolve more quickly when you can treat them systemically with herbs and externally with acupuncture and manual therapies.
Herbal medicines are safe and effective when properly administered by professionals with professional training. I source my herbs from companies that test for pesticides and or provide certified organic or ethically wildcrafted herbs. I also grow and wild-harvest many local herbs for formulas.
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Formulas are tailored for you and your issues we are working on. Often Chinese medical formulas do not have any consequential side effects. Unwanted side effects happen often with mainstream western pharmaceuticals because your body may not need all the effects the given drug is providing, often causing more harm. When we tailor your formula specifically to you, there are no reasons to add anything you don't need, so we don't typically see unwanted side effects.
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My Approach
I approach each treatment with an in-depth assessment to determine your issue's root cause. I take note of the many tools I have available - acupuncture, therapeutic massage, cupping therapy, gua sha (aka grastin technique, scraping therapy), Tuina, Shiatsu, Craniosacral therapy, near and far infrared, red light lamp (dry heat), hot towels (moist heat), nutrition and dietary counseling, stretching, exercises and individualized herbal prescriptions. We determine if what I can offer will help you.
If you may need additional help or a referral to another practitioner, we decide and agree together on a treatment plan, then we get to work!
Intentions
I intend to approach each person with curiosity and a listening ear. I want to hear YOUR story. Often when people come to something like acupuncture or natural medicine they have been dismissed, unhelped, or unheard by conventional Western medicine. Your history with sinus infections may be different than the next person with sinus infections so your treatments might be different. Western medicine has a hard time with individual treatments for people with the same "disease" name. This is where Chinese medicine excels, it sees all patients as having patterns and what we strive to identify and treat is the pattern, not the disease name.
