Good Hearth Eastern Medical Arts

What to expect:

Simple, but profound breathing techniques relax your nervous system and fill your cells with oxygen, while ultra-thin acupuncture needles and nourishing herbs build and move your blood.

Modern research has shown that acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal formulas are safe, effective, chemical-free methods for promoting the body's remarkable self-healing abilities. 

The healthy, flowing, oxygen-rich blood prevents and treats disease, relieves pain, balances mood, enhances athletic performance, increases fertility, and improves overall health and wellness.

Acupuncture treatment creates deep relaxation
in both mind and body.

An acupuncture treatment involves the insertion and manipulation of flexible, hair-thin needles at specific points on the body.

Moxibustion is the burning of the herb Mugwort or Artemesia vulgaris on acupuncture points.

Chinese herbal formulas are carefully formulated to resolve the root of disease and support a patient's particular constitution without side effects. 

Most patients find the sensations produced by acupuncture and moxibustion treatment to be deeply relaxing both mentally and physically. Herbal formulas can be prescribed as pills, instant teas, liquid drops, and other easy to use methods.

What Does Acupuncture Feel Like?
Many first-time patients are concerned that acupuncture needles will feel like hypodermic injections at the doctor’s office. They won't. Acupuncture uses hair-thin, flexible needles that you will hardly feel when I insert them. When I gently stimulate the needles they may produce a unique sensation that Oriental medicine calls "de qi."

Patients often describe de qi as a heavy, achy pressure, or spreading, traveling feeling. You may also feel an "electrical" sensation moving down the acupuncture channels. Most patients find these sensations deeply satisfying and leave the treatment feeling relaxed both mentally and physically.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The benefits of acupuncture are cumulative, so more then one treatment is necessary. For acute conditions you can expect to have 3 to 5 treatments, but you will usually begin to feel relief after just the first few. Chronic conditions may take longer to respond, depending on the type, severity, and duration of the condition. Preventative treatments and treatments for general well-being may also be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

---

TREATMENT GOALS

The aim of each treatment is to slowly, in a stepwise fashion, re-harmonize any imbalances in your structure, energy and blood flow in order to reduce pain and increase vitality.  Whether you have muscular-skeletal pain/constriction/numbness, internal organ symptoms, mental/emotional concerns, or all of the above (in fact they are often interrelated)-- you will benefit from this work, which is designed to do the following:

·     Stop Pain

·     Release Spinal Tension

·     Nourish the Blood

·     Benefit the Immune System

·     Balance the Nervous System

·     Harmonize the Internal Organs

TREATMENT DESCRIPTIONS

As described in more detail below, each treatment will include a combination of breath work, acupuncture and moxibustion.

Gua sha, cupping, Tui na, Qi gong, Sotai-ho movement, Chinese herbal formulations and other Eastern medicinal therapies will also be used from time to time.   Since our minds and bodies are continuously interacting to create our experience, we may also discuss emotional topics, patterns of thought, lifestyle choices and how these may be affecting your health and well being.

Breath
This may be the most important part of your treatment.  I will teach you a method of breathing that when done consistently and mindfully for as long as possible, will relax your nervous system and allow your body to benefit the most from this work.  In short: long, slow, complete exhalation will shift you into a peaceful state where healing can happen.  The more you practice calm, mindful breathing in the clinic and in your day-to-day life, the quicker you will heal. 

All of that said, the first step is to become more aware of your breathing, no matter its length or depth.  Just notice the connection between your breath, your state of mind, and the tension you hold in your body.  Be easy and kind to yourself, this isn’t a competition requiring your or anyone else’s judgment.

Acupuncture
I will insert very thin needles into specific, active points, and then will usually remove them immediately, though sometimes they are retained in place for a short period of time.  Sensations from needling vary from point to point, person to person and day to day.  I have been taught and practiced long and hard to perfect a painless insertion technique.  It should not feel like being pricked with a pin – as in, sharp on the surface of the skin.  Instead, the sensation, when felt, is deeper in the tissue and is often described as one of the following:

·     Release of pressure or constriction;

·     Dull ache;

·     Movement of energy or fluid;

·     Mildly electrical – like a static shock;

·     Twitching of muscle, or

·     Radiating to another location

Feel free to share what it feels like to you during or after the treatment, it is always interesting and often contains clues to the root of the imbalance you are presenting.  If you know you are, or at anytime find that you are overly sensitive or prefer less needle sensation, please communicate this to me so I can adjust my technique.  There are lots of ways for me to do this.  In short, your treatment can be as powerful or gentle as you like.

Moxibustion
I will carefully burn the refined and processed herb Mugwort /Artemesia vulgaris on specific active points.  The heat sensation will be tempered to your taste and tolerance.  The line I am aiming for is the slight and short-lived discomfort of getting into a very warm hot tub that quickly feels deliciously relaxing. It would be rare for me to NOT notice if it is too hot for you and to automatically adjust accordingly.  But please, let me know if it is too hot…or if you are not feeling it and would like it to be warmer.