Asian Medicine
Asian Medicxine has developed over the last 2,500 years and includes Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tui Na, Moxibustion, Cupping, and Gua Sha. All these modalities are “tools” in our diverse Asian Medicine “toolbox.” The first treatment is comprised of approximately 45 minutes consultation and roughly 20-40 minutes treatment time. We ask patients to plan on 90 minutes for the first visit. The consultation includes discussion of the main complaint, as well as overall health history. We’ll discuss with you which “tools” we think will be most beneficial for you and your health needs. Herbs are typically prescribed and are prepared while the client is being treated. Follow-up visits are about an hour and also consist of consultation and treatment time.After discussing the client's main concern, the client is asked to lay down on the treatment table. Several diagnostic methods are then used, including: tongue assessment ("please stick out your tongue"), pulse (felt at both wrists), and abdomen (assessed for areas of tightness or tenderness and temperature).
We will then provide the Acupuncture treatment, Tui Na (a type of massage), Moxibustion (a comfortable heat treatment), Gua Sha (a scraping treatment), or Cupping (cups provide suction and help to relieve chronic tension or to loosen phlegm in the lungs), depending on your health concerns.
Conditions Treated
Many people ask what Asian Medicine treats. The World Health Organization recognizes Acupuncture's ability to treat the following conditions:
- Genito-urinary and reproductive - impotence, infertility, PMS, vaginitis, irregular periods, cramps, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, morning sickness
- Infections - colds and flu, bronchitis, hepatitis
- Internal - hypoglycemia, asthma, high blood pressure, colitis, indigestion, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, constipation, diabetes
- Eye, ears, nose, throat - deafness, ear ringing (tinnitis), poor eyesight, dizziness, sinus infection, sore throat, hay fever
- Dermatological - eczema, acne
- Musculo-skeletal and neurologic - arthritis, sciatica, back pain, bursitis, Bell's palsy, trigeminal neuralgia, headache, stroke, polio
- Mental-emotional - anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is based on the assumption that Qi ("chee") flows through channels in the body - just as water courses through a stream. These distinct meridians or pathways in the body are called Acupuncture channels or Acupuncture meridians. Acupuncture points are located in specific places along these channels. These points are used to adjust the flow of Qi in the channels, much like dams are opened or closed to manage water flow. The points used in any given treatment are determined according to your specific symptoms and overall constitution. The goal is to balance your body's natural energy flow in these channels.
Acupuncture works by mobilizing Qi, and by stimulating the proper function of muscles, nerves, vessels, glands and organs.
Herbs
Abundant Health, PLLC, stocks a full Chinese herbal dispensary and some herbal formulas in pill form. Typically 4 - 15 herbs are used in any given formula. The herbs act to complement and balance one another in the formula. This enhances each herb's unique actions and properties while ensuring a low rate of side effects. Chinese Herbal formulas treat illness based on a traditional Oriental Medical diagnosis and rarely cause unwanted side effects. Chinese herbal medicine treats disease by several methods:
- Strengthening a person’s basic constitution
- Addressing the underlying cause of illness (the "root")
- Eliminating symptoms of an illness (the "branch")
Herbal formulas are available in a variety of forms: dried herbs are boiled into a tea; herbs are ground into a powder to make an infusion; granules to which water is added to make a tea; powders can be placed in capsules; and pill form.
Cost varies per formula, but average from $10.00 to $30.00 per week. This cost is in addition to the visit fee. Herbs are not currently covered by insurance companies.