1. We sit down and you tell me what you want treatment for

2. Discuss how Chinese medicine can help and build a treatment plan

3. Experience acupuncture (and other therapies, if applicable!)

4. Take home your herbs and begin taking the formula

5. Return for follow-up

During our first appointment, I will take an extensive patient history where I ask about your chief complaint as well as other aspects of your health, such as digestion, thirst, sleep, and energy level. This allows me to determine the root cause of the issue that brings you in. During return appointments, this part of the appointment is more of a check-in and doesn’t take as much time.

After the Interview portion of the appointment, it is time for your treatment, where you receive acupuncture, moxibustion, tuina, gua sha, and/or fire cupping. If you are unfamiliar with acupuncture, this is a good place to start! Based on what I have determined the root cause of your issue to be as well as the symptoms that you are experiencing, I will choose several acupuncture points that I will gently insert a needle into.

Based on my clinical and personal experience, I believe herbs to be an integral part of therapy. Depending on what I find during the Interview, I will likely write an herbal formula. When used in conjunction with the other therapies, herbs can often speed up the healing process, getting us faster results than acupuncture alone. Additionally, many internal problems require the herbal component in order to treat them fully. Chinese herbal formulas are unique and specifically crafted to meet your needs. The typical cost of a formula usually ranges about $30-$40 per week. You can learn more about Chinese formulas here or email me if you have any questions!