How do I prepare for my first visit?

FAQs

What happens during the first visit?

How long is a treatment/session?

Do you accept insurance?

When will I see improvement?

What is traditional East Asian medicine?

Complete and bring the new patient forms to your appointment. Be sure to eat something beforehand. It’s not best to receive acupuncture on a totally empty stomach. Wear comfortable clothes. Also avoid skincare or cosmetic products (lotions, cream, perfume). Otherwise, come as you are, ready to relax. After your session, drink plenty of water and take it easy the rest of the day as much as possible. You may experience some muscle soreness after an acupuncture treatment.

Results vary by individual and specific condition. Improvements will depend on the individual, the combination and progression of health issues, the causes of the health issues, and how chronic the problems are. A typical course of treatment can range between 6 to 10 treatments, but again varies depending on how long you’ve had the condition(s), and how much we collaborate on the healing process.

Currently, we do not accept insurance. Depending on your insurance provider, you may be able to submit a claim for insurance reimbursement. We can provide you with a detailed receipt called a SuperBill to submit to your insurance company. Payment is due in full at the time of service. We accept cash, check, credit card, Venmo as well as Zelle payments.

The first visit usually takes 90 minutes to 2 hours. Follow-up visits take 45 minutes to an hour.

We will review your medical history and have a thorough conversation about your health, your goals for treatment, and any concerns you have. We’ll develop a treatment plan together. After that, you’ll receive a full treatment. This may include acupuncture, herbal consultation and auxiliary treatment techniques. The first visit usually takes 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) is based on concepts of qi, channels (meridians), acupuncture points, and yin yang from the Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, circa 250 BCE). The main purpose of Traditional East Asian medicine is to bring the body back into harmony or homeostasis when environmental and internal (mental, emotional) stressors cause imbalance and illness. Traditional East Asian medicine includes traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), traditional Japanese medicine (TJM), traditional Korean medicine (TKM) and traditional Vietnamese medicine (TVM) which are still practiced in Asia and based on the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine.

What are common traditional East Asian medicine therapies?

• Acupuncture involves the stimulation of a specific acupuncture point along channel pathways on the body by the insertion of needles to prevent or modify the perception of pain or to normalize physiological functions, including pain control for the treatment of certain diseases or dysfunctions of the body, and includes the techniques of electroacupuncture, cupping, and moxibustion. Why do we use acupuncture? By inserting acupuncture needles strategically in acupuncture points, we signal the body’s healing mechanisms.

• Acupressure is pressure applied to specific acupuncture points without penetration of the skin to produce a therapeutic response.

• Cupping– Cupping devices are usually applied on the back but it can be applied to other parts of the body. The practitioner uses cupping devices to produce a suction or vacuum effect resulting in what I would describe as an inverse massage therapy. Whether cupping is applied alone or in combination with acupuncture, studies have shown cupping may help relieve conditions such as arthritis, muscle tension, back and neck pain, and facial paralysis.

• Herbal medicine– In Traditional East Asian medicine, herbal medicine is usually a combination of herbs rather than an isolated single herbal product, unlike other supplements sold commercially in the U.S. Tao to Health offers herbal medicine in the following forms: patented pills, capsules, granules, powders, tinctures, and packaged prepared herbal teas that meet good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards.

• Moxibustion is one form of heat therapy in Traditional East Asian Medicine. Moxibustion is derived from the herb, artemisia sinensis/vulgaris, commonly known as mugwort. The dried mugwort floss is combined with other dried herbs and packaged as what looks like a cigar, known as a moxa stick. The moxa or dried mugwort is burned and applied indirectly to the affected area usually on or near acupuncture points. The expected therapeutic effect is warming of the channels.

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is traditional German medicine founded by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700s. Homeopathy is adaptive medicine meaning it uses a substance from nature in miniscule amounts stimulating the body's innate healing response based on the hormetic principle and Laws of Similars.