Frequently Asked Questions About Village Community Acupuncture In Sherman Oaks
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1.HOW MUCH DO TREATMENTS COST?
Initial treatment - $45 ($35 treatment plus $10 one-time, new patient administrative fee)
Follow-up treatments - $35 -
2.HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY APPOINTMENT?
Because your acupuncture treatment will likely include points no the hands, arms, feet, legs, head, ears and neck, it is suggested that you wear loose clothing that allows us access to the knees and elbows. Also, it is not recommended to receive treatment if you are very hungry. Therefore, patients should have a small meal or snack before the appointment.
Please turn your cell phone off before entering the community room. -
3.WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FOR MY FIRST TREATMENT?
Part of the success of this clinic lies in patients learning "the routine" and taking responsibility for appointments. Typically, re-scheduling and payments are done at the front desk before each session. After you have checked in, you will enter our community treatment room and choose a recliner. Please do not leave any personal items in the waiting room and please do not walk barefoot through the treatment room. Once seated, please remove your shoes and socks and any jewelry on your arms, and place them in the basket next to your chair. Roll your sleeves and pant legs above elbows and knees, and sit back and relax. Your acupuncturist will meet with you before your first treatment to discuss any concerns. We will also examine your pulse and tongue and ask a few questions to help us decide on a course of treatment. -
4.WHAT STYLE OF ACUPUNCTURE DO YOU USE?
It is a common misconception that acupuncture should be given to the affected area of a patient’s disease. This concept of “local” treatment is actually less effective and misses the magic of acupuncture theory. The body possesses a complex system of connections, primarily made of nerves and blood vessels. Acupuncture uses its meridian system to describe the functional organization of these connections to help relieve pain and improve bodily functions.
The Balance Method, practiced primarily at our clinic, uses powerful “distal” acupuncture points on the arms and legs to treat all aspects of the body. So if you come to our clinic complaining about knee pain, the one place we won’t put a needle is in your injured knee. By choosing “remote control” acupuncture points, we can have the patient move the affected area during treatment to observe the clinical effects. Balance Method Acupuncture is unique in its ability to obtain instantaneous results for pain. After insertion of the needles, most patients can immediately feel a decrease in pain level and improved range of motion.
The method of needling points contralateral (opposite) to the side of the body with the disorder is discussed in numerous texts about acupuncture and Chinese medicine. One of these texts, Neijing Suwen aka The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, dating back to the 1st century BCE, is one of the most important and influential books about Chinese health and healing. It states, "When the pathogen attacks the channels and is abundant on the left side, the right side will be impacted, and vice versa. Therefore, use the OPPOSITE point selection technique." In Biao Yu Fu, another classic acupuncture text, it is noted that "...acupuncture is given to the foot when the head has disease." Basically, when disease in the lower part of the body, treat the upper part, and vice versa. The methods of needling the left side to treat the right, needling the right side to treat the left, needling below to treat above and needling above to treat below, can also be understood from a more modern, neuroanatomical look at how the body responds to the insertion of a needle and the subsequent effect on the central and peripheral nervous system, ie., stimulation of the sensory cortex and brain stem and the subsequent activation of somatic motor nerves to muscles, and autonomic motor nerves to peripheral blood vessels and the internal organs. This response begins with the activation of neurons that cross over to the other side of the spinal cord. -
5.HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL I NEED?
The number of treatments needed varies from person to person. Important factors include the duration and severity of your health condition as well as consistency of treatment. Acupuncture, like any other form of therapy, is cumulative and generally requires a series of treatments to bring a condition under control. 2-3 treatments may be sufficient to treat an acute condition and a series of 8-15 may be needed to resolve a more chronic condition. -
6.HOW LONG DO SESSIONS LAST?
Once the needles are in place, you will relax anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. If you fall asleep, you are usually “done” when you wake up. After treatments, some people feel energized, while others may feel relaxed or even hungry. This may change from treatment to treatment. If you need to be out at a certain time just let us know. -
7.HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?
The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system.
The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities and in promoting physical and emotional well-being. -
8.WHAT CAN ACUPUNCTURE TREAT?
Acupuncture is very effective in treating numerous health problems but instead of listing problems from A to Z it is more important to understand that the body is the ultimate healer and under optimal conditions it has everything it needs to heal itself and maintain homeostasis. When conditions are less than optimal, acupuncture can help facilitate the body’s innate processes for regaining health. The most common conditions we treat involve PAIN. Whether in the knee, the wrist, or the head, the body’s response to acupuncture is the same: to relax the musculature, increase blood flow, and decrease or interrupt pain signals. The following are some examples:
-muscle pain
-joint pain
-headaches
-sciatica
-fibromyalgia
-neuropathy
-radiculopathy
-tmj disfunction
Acupuncture is also effective in treating many internal disorders due to the normalizing function that acupuncture has on the autonomic nervous system. Some of the conditions that can be successfully treated with acupuncture include the following:
-addictions
-allergies
-anxiety
-chemical sensitivities
-constipation
-common cold/flu
-digestive disorders
-insomnia
-premenstrual syndrome
-stress -
9.HOW DO I MAKE/RESCHEDULE/CANCEL APPOINTMENTS?
Appointments can be made/rescheduled/canceled through our online appointment scheduling system. Once you have registered you will be given a username and password; the password is randomly generated and alpha-numeric - it is strongly recommended that you change this to something that you will remember. We would prefer that you make/reschedule/cancel any appointments online because the scheduling system updates immediately and will secure the day and time you want and/or open time slots for someone else.
***Please review our policies -
10.WHAT IS MEDICAL QIGONG?
Slow, gentle, yet energizing, qigong is based on ancient Chinese yoga postures, movements, self-massage, and breathing techniques. Therapeutic by nature, these qigong forms provide simple techniques that help strengthen the immune system by promoting optimal blood flow, lymphatic circulation, oxygen intake, and the toning of the organic body. Ultimately, they are designed to safely and effectively guide one’s body, mind and spirit into a state of balance. This qigong sequence has been taught at the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara since 2005 by Matt Pesendian.
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