How Best to Prepare
It’s a good idea to arrive 10-15 minutes early for your first appointment to fill out necessary paperwork. To save time, you may download the forms here and fill them out before your appointment.
You should eat before your acupuncture treatment and wear comfortable clothes. It is often not necessary to undress for an acupuncture treatment, especially if you wear loose fitting clothes.
Please refrain from vigorous exercise for at least 2 hours before and after a treatment.
If you regularly brush or scrape your tongue, please do not do so on the day of your appointment, as the tongue coating is an important diagnostic tool in TCM.
First Visit
Your first visit will last approximately 1 ½ hour and includes an initial consultation, as well as a first treatment.
During the initial consultation, we will discuss what brought you in for treatment, review your health history and go over your New Patient Paperwork
After this initial consultation, I’ll get you on my table for your first treatment. Depending on what we are focusing on, this treatment may include some hands-on bodywork, cupping, gua sha as well as the acupuncture. As I address your main concerns, I also strive to keep you comfortable and relaxed, with a warm massage table and soothing music.
As part of your treatment, we’ll discuss any dietary, lifestyle and stress management techniques I think may be helpful. Helping you feel your best is (at least) a two person job, and we’re in this together!
Follow-up Visits
Although acupuncture and Chinese Medicine may seem magical, it is not magic! It is a physical modality that supports your body’s own innate healing. Similar to Physical Therapy, one visit is rarely sufficient to thoroughly address the root imbalance causing the symptoms. I generally like to see new patients one week after their initial session with me, so we can get some immediate feedback about the effectiveness of the treatment and how their body responded. From there, we can determine the best course of action moving forward. For some patients, 4-6 weekly treatments may be enough to resolve any immediate issues, and for others, once a month appointments are perfect for keeping them feeling their best! Follow-up visits generally last 1 hour and include a shorter intake before the treatment to determine what may or may not have changed since the last visit.
Payment
Payment is due at the time services are rendered.
I accept cash, check, mastercard / visa and american express. Alternatively, you could use your Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account credit card to cover your treatments.
At this time, I do not bill insurance companies directly, but I can provide you with a Superbill (itemized receipt with insurance codes) for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. While acupuncture is increasingly included as a benefit with many insurance carriers, insurance coverage varies from plan to plan. I encourage you to verify that your insurance plan covers acupuncture and accepts Superbills from out-of-network providers.
New Worker’s Comp patients are being accepted with a pre-approved prescription from the primary MD for acupuncture treatments.
Fees
- Initial Acupuncture Visit (1 ½ hr.): $150
- Follow-up Acupuncture Visit (1 hr.): $95
- Extended Follow-up Visit, includes bodywork ½ hr.): $125
- Massage (1 hr.): $125
- Microcurrent Facial (1 hr.): $125