What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine sterile needles into the skin at precise areas called “points.” The purpose is to foster change and balance in a person, treating at the root of the person and addressing specific symptoms.  An herb known as moxa is often used in combination with needles to bolster treatment. 

What happens on my first visit?
Your first session with me is generally 1.5-2 hours of information gathering.  I ask various questions, and as you answer I am more able to weave together a fabric of your unique needs. This helps design a treatment plan for you.  In addition, a brief physical exam is included to determine any structural problems in your body and to identify specific physical complaints. An initial clearing treatment is included in this first session.

What about continued visits?
Follow up treatments usually last 45-60 minutes. We will spend some time in conversation with follow up questions on how things have progressed since your last treatment and based on your report and your overall treatment goals I will continue to address re-balancing and any additional issues that may have arisen. The remaining time is spent treating you.

How many treatments will I need?
Your treatment needs will be revealed as we begin our work together. Generally patients feel something changing within 6 to 10 treatments, and for this reason I ask people to commit to a series of six treatments. People often arrive in my office with symptoms that have plagued them for many years and although one or two treatments may have some impact, one treatment will not have long term results.  After your initial commitment is completed, and things start to become balanced, we will determine how treatment will progress.  Generally, treatments may be continued biweekly, monthly, or even seasonally. 

Does insurance cover Acupuncture? 
Many insurance plans do cover Acupuncture, and many have added coverage recently as the benefits of Acupuncture become more widely known, Often insurance companies will reimburse for treatments. Consult your insurer for the terms of coverage on your policy. 

What can I hope to see as a result of Five Element Acupuncture treatment? 
Five Element Acupuncture is unique in that treatment initially addresses chronic or acute conditions, and with time the medicine becomes preventative. People often seek treatment for a physical complaint and then find that their condition has improved and in addition their overall sense of well being has also improved. They find that they feel better in themselves, sleep better, feel more joyful, and are more engaged in life around them. Often people say that their living a fuller life and the wonder for life has been restored. 

Taoist 5 Element Acupuncture

The ancients observed how the fundamental elements of creation, wood, fire, earth, metal and water, create life's natural mysterious order. When these five elements manifest within us in a balanced and harmonious state, we experience health, well-being and the joy of being alive.