frequently asked questions
Treatment
Acupuncture is one of the therapies included in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practice of acupuncture has the oldest recorded written history of any medical modality, and it has been continually practiced (generation to generation) for more than 3,000 years. Today, Acupuncture is used extensively by one quarter of the world’s population residing in Asia. Its popularity is growing rapidly in the Western world. This ancient healing art involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points of the body. Acupuncture (along with herbal treatments, nutrition, and exercise) works with the natural vital energies of the body to promote its ability to heal itself.
Acupuncture is widely acknowledged as one of the safest forms of medicine. Acupuncture needles are pre-sterilized, individually packaged, and disposed according to safety standards. California Acupuncturists undergo extensive training and are licensed and regulated by the individual states’ medical board.
Acupuncture has been used to prevent illness, maintain wellness, and relieve pain. The World Health Organization has determined that acupuncture is an effective therapy for over 200 clinical conditions. Please Contact us if you do not see a specific condition listed.
Acupuncture also reduces stress and anxiety, and helps patients enter a deep state of relaxation, which enhances the healing process. Herbal medicine can increase the effectiveness of your acupuncture treatment and is often the primary treatment for chronic internal medical disorders.
In Chinese medical theory, acupuncture works by balancing the body’s Qi (pronounced “Chee”). Qi can be described as a form of bioenergy that runs along meridians. If Qi gets blocked, it shows up as an imbalance or illness. Basically, if you have a health condition, some part of your body’s system is out of balance. Chinese medical theory allows us to diagnose the imbalance(s) and provides techniques to balance them. According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey–the largest and most comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative medicine use by American adults to date–an estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults have used acupuncture.
Acupuncture needles are very thin—almost like a strand of hair. They bear no resemblance to the needles used when receiving an injection. Even our most apprehensive patients discover that the treatment is very comfortable because acupuncture needles are extremely thin and flexible.
Yes, Healthy Family is a family practice! Children typically respond much more quickly than adults. For young children, acupressure, shonishin, (hyperlink to shonishin in toolkit) Tui Na (hyperlink to Tui Na in Toolkit), cupping, gentle herbal formulas are most often used.
Yes! Acupuncture can actually be a great benefit to pregnant women, but it does require adjustments to the way treatments are performed. It is important to inform your treating Acupuncturist if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant.
Healthy Family Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine is proud to offer high quality and purity in herbal formulas. We source the highest quality raw materials. We source our herbs from small qualified companies that ensure that you are getting safe, correct, and effective herb formulas by employing advanced techniques in herb selection, identification, and processing. All formulas are tested for pesticide residues, microbial activity, and heavy metals. These herbal products exceed current international GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards. All formulations list precise formulation percentages. These herbs are very effective and easy to use.
Office visits
First adults visits last approximately 90 minutes and follow-up appointments are about 45 minutes.
Infant and children appointments are generally shorter. First appointments are in two segments: the parent intake is done over the phone and then the clinic visit with the child lasts about 30 minutes. Follow-ups are usually 30 minutes with added phone support when needed.
Please provide at least 24 hours notice when you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice a late cancellation fee for that office visit is due. For Monday appointments cancellations must be made by Friday before 3pm to avoid any cancellation fees.
Payment is due at the time service is rendered unless other arrangements have been made in advance. Payment is accepted in cash, personal checks or credit cards.
If you have health insurance coverage you will provided with a super-bill receipt that you can submit to your insurance company with all necessary diagnostic and procedure codes. Based on the terms of your policy you will be reimbursed directly by your insurance carrier.
If you have a healthcare savings account, flexible spending plan or have other coverage such as workman compensation or personal injury that covers your acupuncture visits, you will be provided with documentation for your expenditures that you can submit for reimbursement.
