How We Treat

To prepare for a visit, please wear comfortable, loose clothing. On your first visit there will be forms to complete or you can download them now and fill them out ahead of time. The initial intake is comprised of thorough questioning, pulse diagnosis and tongue diagnosis, all of which are imperative for a proper diagnosis. Your initial visit generally lasts about an hour and a half, with subsequent visits usually lasting approximately an hour.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an individualized approach to health and well being. As such, the course of treatment also varies from person to person, though you should be able to feel some healthy changes within one to six weeks. Depending on the nature of your complaint, it may be more beneficial to visit the clinic multiple times a week at first and then start to spread out your appointments as your symptoms ease.

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Intake Form

These treatments may be covered by private medical insurance companies. Please check with your insurance company to ensure your treatments are covered.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is all about individualized treatments, and with herbal medicine the treatment formulas can be prescribed very precisely. A diagnosis specific to Chines Medicine is determined, the root imbalance is identified. Herbs are selected according to this imbalance, not according to the symptoms, this is the key. A cure will not be achieved while just treating the symptoms that one is feeling, the symptoms are just the manifestation of the problem-the body’s cry for help which shouldn’t be ignored.

Chinese herbs are categorized by their main functions, they can be releasing, harmonizing, strengthening, reducing, moistening, calming, stimulating, warming, cooling etc.

The herbs are often combined into formulas comprising anywhere from 2 to 20 ingredients. While in combination, the effects of the individual herbs join together to create new compounds, functions can be strengthened or lessened.

When prescribed by a trained professional, herbal medicine is very safe. Herbs are powerful, they have to be prescribed with knowledge. Some of the most poisonous and powerful substances come from plants. There are circumstances when a practitioner would prescribe a toxic herb, but it is less common and it is done with knowledge behind it. In many traditional medicine styles toxic substances are used to treat severe illnesses. Some herbs have negative interactions with pharmaceutical drugs and a trained professional will know which ones these are. The average herbal formula is very safe and can be taken with pharmaceuticals. The most common herb-drug interaction is stomach upset, this can be easily avoided by separating drugs and herbs by about 2 hours.

The general rule is that the shorter that one has had an ailment, the quicker it can be resolved. The longer one has suffered with a chronic illness, the longer it will take to resolve. The body will gradually be brought back into balance. Everyone will respond differently. For a chronic illness one can expect to take herbal medicine for months at a time. We will often prescribe strong tea decoctions at the start and move to less strong herbal pills for long term maintenance.

The rule of treatment is to do no harm while getting someone better. There are no negative or harmful side effects associated with properly prescribed herbal medicine. Occasionally there can be some minor stomach upset or irritation, this can be remedied by adding or subtracting ingredients.