Acupuncture treats the whole person. All signs and symptoms (even ones that may seem unrelated to the main problem) are used in order to come up with a diagnosis. I aim to balance the body's qi which is reflected in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the person.
Oriental Medicine emphasizes prevention and encourages proper diets, active life styles, and moral behaviors. Visualizing bodies as integral components of the nature, it maps body energy pathways as rivers, valleys, and traffic flows. Imagine energy flow being blocked just as traffic gathering around red lights, it causes soreness or pain. As acupuncture needles being inserted at the critical junction, as if red light turning green, the pain is lessoned as traffic flows again.
Initial consultation for Chinese herbs involves a thorough discussion of your health history and other pertinent information. Generally I will feel your radial pulses and ask to look at your tongue. These examinations are used to gather important diagnostic information which will then be used, along with your presenting symptoms, in order to determine your Oriental Medical diagnosis.
I use the diagnosis to create a customized prescription for you which will consist of roughly 10 to 20 different herbs. There are several options in terms of administering the herbs. The traditional method of taking herbs is to boil the raw herbs (a bag of leaves and twigs and bark, etc) in water according to specific directions and then, drink the tea. This is still an option today. Other possibilities include: pills, powdered herbs, liquid extracts, capsules and even the external application of herbs. Together I will determine which method is best for you in terms of your condition, the potency of the different options and the convenience of administration.
