What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient system of medicine that is used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness. TCM is not “New Age,” nor is it a patchwork of different healing modalities. TCM is a complete medical system that has been practiced for thousands of years.

One of the basic tenants of TCM is that the root cause of illnesses must be treated, not just the symptoms. In modern-day terms, TCM is holistic in its approach. It views every aspect of a person, including body, mind, spirit, and emotions, as part of one complete circle rather than loosely connected pieces to be treated individually.

I am afraid of needles. Is the treatment painful?

The needles that are used are so fine that they can be inserted without any sensation other than slight pressure in most cases. I tell my patients to tell me if they experience any discomfort that doesn’t go away right away. The treatment should be pleasant, in fact the most frequent side effect is a deep relaxation that you don’t experience anywhere else. My patients do not want to miss their appointments!

I am already under my doctor’s care, can I do Acupuncture too?

Yes!  I don’t do anything that will interfere with medical care that you are already getting, in fact it will enhance it.  I received training in western medicine as well as eastern so that I can communicate with physicians, understand what my patients are dealing with and also to recognize red flags for when I need to refer.