What to expect
The initial visit can last from an hour and a half to almost two hours. There is a thorough intake that comes first, then the acupuncture treatment, which may include cupping, massage, energy work, and moxa therapy. The treatment time is when my patients can connect with their body and get into a relaxed state to let the energy flow and allow the body to do what it knows to do innately, which is to come back into balance to increase its vitality. During the treatment, if anything doesn’t feel right or uncomfortable, I encourage my patients to communicate with me so that we can adjust anything if needed to achieve the most enjoyable and effective session.
My role and my perspective:
The body has its natural intelligence and has a strong propensity to heal itself. It is our disconnection to our body and not listening to what it is trying to tell us that leads to the body being out of balance. Of course we also come into this world with a certain physical, mental, and emotional constitution that may bring on certain disease conditions more readily. But I believe that ultimately, it is our duty to learn how to tune into our body and learn to understand all the signals that the body sends us so that we can take proper actions to optimize our physical, mental, and emotional health. I see these health challenges we face as an opportunity for us to get to know ourselves better, and to discover numerous resources for healing that are out there for us. This process of connecting with our body and learning how to take good care of it is an essential part of us mastering being human. It is indeed a self-empowering process. My goal as a “healer,” as a Chinese medicine practitioner, is to assist my patients get to know their body better and to strengthen their relationship to their body. I seek to share with my patients both my trained and intuitive perspective as well as all the modalities within my scope of practice to help them on their healing journey.
I am happy to work as a part of a team with other heath care practitioners on my patients’ healing journey. I believe we all need a team of healthcare practitioners to help us keep balance and maintain wellness throughout our lives. I do not seek to compete with conventional medicine. Conventional medicine has its place and it works miraculously in preserving life when the body is in dire health crisis. It has powerful tools and advanced technology that is unparalleled. However our body is an intricate living intelligent organism with complexities and intricacies that oftentimes needs delicate fine-tuning rather than heavy-duty procedures and pharmaceuticals. There are so many healing modalities available currently that support health in more gentle and holistic way. I hope that the general public becomes more aware of these resources and realize that there are more options in their healthcare rather than just limiting themselves to conventional medicine. Why not use all that is available to us?
What is Chinese medicine?
To simply put, Chinese medicine seeks to move energy that is stuck and to bring balance to all the participating components of our physiology. This is what Nature does innately and our body is part of nature. Change is constant, and it is the will of nature to keep its flow and find balance through the changing tides occurring within and without. Qi (vital energy) flows through channels in the body like water through riverbeds and allows for form and function to take place within the body. The various systems within our physiology which Chinese medicine seeks to balance are namely: Yin and Yang, Blood and Qi (vital energy), Five Elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood), 12 Organ Systems (Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium, Triple Burner, Spleen, Stomach, Lung, Large Intestine, Kidney, Bladder, Liver, and Gall Bladder), etc. It is important to note names mentioned above represent varying frequencies and patterns in the Universe that have materialized in human physiological structures and functional systems.
Chinese medicine understanding of pain is that it caused by stuck energy. Occasionally pain is also felt when the body is fighting an infection as there is an internal war that is trying to get resolved between our immune system and the invading pathogen. However, for the most part, pain is felt when there is blocked flow of energy caused by various causes. There are energy channels in the body that the body uses to keep the structures and functions of the body active and vital. Acupuncture works with this meridian system (network of energy channels) to communicate with the body and assist in the maintenance of its healthy energy flow. Moxibustion is also used in this way. Moxa is dried Chinese mugwort. There are different processing of Moxa that is used in Chinese medicine and it usually is burned, and the heat and the energy released from it are used to stimulate the meridian system. Both acupuncture and moxibustion can be used on and off the main meridian system to heal various structures and correct the functions of the body.
Cupping is a physical therapy used in Chinese medicine. I use glass cups in my practice. I create vacuum in the cups and apply them on the body most frequently the back. Rather than stationary cupping, I often like to perform “moving cupping” in which I apply a herbal massage oil on to the skin first and move the cups around in certain directions. There are many benefits to cupping therapy. It “moves the blood” (improve blood circulation) in the treated area and in the body overall. The improved circulation means there is more nutrients going into the tissues and more waste removed from the tissues. It can pull out toxins and pathogens that are often built-up in an area of tension and disease. It can release the bound up layers of tissues to free them up to help reset proper structural alignment. It can activate the immune cells to initiate any healing that the body needs.
Tuina massage is a Chinese medicine style of bodywork/massage. It uses different percussive techniques and movements along various structures of the body to bring increased Qi (energy) and blood flow. Many of my patients find this to be a good way to release tension and become more relaxed physically and mentally. By releasing the tension in the muscles, joints can be freer and the subsequent natural realignment of the structures can alleviate pain symptoms.
