What should I expect during an in-office visit? Your first in-office visit will begin with an in-depth assessment of your condition and an initial treatment. The intake and treatment may take up to an hour. Typical follow-up treatments last approximately 40-50 minutes. During the assessment, you may be asked about things that you might not think are connected to your chief complaint, such as your sleeping patterns, digestion, lifestyle and eating habits. When put together, the myriad of symptoms and signs you are experiencing reveal patterns of disharmony that point to the root cause of the various symptoms. Chinese medicine considers the whole person, not just one isolated symptom, and treats the root cause. The points for your acupuncture treatment will be based on the collected information, assessment and examination. In addition to acupuncture, treatments may also include heat therapy, manual therapy such as cupping, herbal prescriptions, nutritional supplements, and diet and lifestyle recommendations.
How can I prepare for my treatment? The following suggestions are provided to help you have a safe and relaxing experience with acupuncture. Please read this section carefully. If you have any questions, please feel free to call and ask me prior to your first visit.
Please bring a list of current medications you are taking, including any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
Please bring any lab or medical reports relevant to your condition.
Eat a light meal a couple of hours prior to your visit. Acupuncture is not performed on individuals who are fasting. Being over-hungry increases the risk of nausea or dizziness. At the same time, please do not overeat or eat any foods that cause your stomach to be upset (for example, rich, greasy, fried, or extremely spicy foods).
Avoid alcohol on the day of your treatment. Acupuncture is not performed on intoxicated individuals due to the increased risk of shock. It is also not advisable to become intoxicated shortly after treatment.
Wear loose fitting and comfortable clothing. Often it is not necessary to disrobe for your treatment. The most commonly used acupuncture points are located on the limbs below the knees and elbows. I recommend wearing loose fitting clothing that comfortably roll up to your knees and elbows without constricting your circulation.
For Telehealth appointments, please prepare in advance using the following guidelines:
Ensure you have a space that is clear with room to move around.
Have a space that is well-lit.
Camera Angle - you may be asked to shift this throughout your appointment so your practitioner can observe different angles, movements or body parts.
Ensure you are in a quiet, distraction free environment.
Test your webcam and microphone beforehand.
For Cosmetic Acupuncture, the following suggestions are provided to help you have a safe and relaxing experience with acupuncture. Please read this section carefully. If you have any questions, please feel free to call and ask me prior to your first visit.
Please bring a list of current medications you are taking, including any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
Please do not wear any make-up prior to your appointment, moisturizer is ok.
Eat a light meal a couple of hours prior to your visit. Acupuncture is not performed on individuals who are fasting. Being over-hungry increases the risk of nausea or dizziness. At the same time, please do not overeat or eat any foods that cause your stomach to be upset (for example, rich, greasy, fried, or extremely spicy foods).
Avoid alcohol on the day of your treatment. Acupuncture is not performed on intoxicated individuals due to the increased risk of shock. It is also not advisable to become intoxicated shortly after treatment.
Wear loose fitting and comfortable clothing. In addition to addressing points on the face, the session includes a comprehensive health restorative treatment that will reflect on the overall appearance of the face. The most commonly used acupuncture points for the balancing treatment are located on the limbs below the knees and elbows. I recommend wearing loose fitting clothing that comfortably roll up to your knees and elbows without constricting your circulation.
What can I expect after my treatment? Your relief may be immediate, delayed for a few hours, or even develop after one to three days. The relief may last for a few hours on the first visit and then last longer with each successive treatment, or relief may last from the first treatment until your next visit. Individual response to treatment varies. I recommend resting and not planning any activities after your treatments to reap the full benefit. The treatment is not over once your session is over, it simply starts or reinforces a healing process which can take place over time. For Cosmetic Acupuncture, your renewed glow may be immediate, delayed for a few hours, or even develop after one to three days. It may last for a few hours on the first visit and then last longer with each successive treatment, or last from the first treatment until your next visit. Individual response to treatment varies.
Are there any side effects? Side effects are rare, but may include the following: feeling lightheaded, dizziness, sleepiness, euphoria, nausea, slight bruising, residual muscle aches. Any of these side effects should only last a short time. Staying hydrated after your treatment will help minimize these side effects, as will resting after your treatment. Any side effects should be reported at your next visit.
Is it possible to have a flare-up from acupuncture? On rare occasions, one's original symptoms may briefly get worse, or "flare-up," after a treatment. This is also referred to as a healing crisis or a healing event. A flare-up typically occurs later on the day of your treatment and may last from a few hours to days. After a flare-up, your symptoms should begin to improve. In the long run, acupuncture does not make symptoms worse. In some conditions, the body must fully expel a pathogen in order for healing to occur. For example, if you have a cold, acupuncture will not get rid of the cold, but it can support the body to fight the cold faster, accelerate the cold cycle so your body recovers faster. If you are fatigued and beginning to get a cold, acupuncture can help your body fight it off. In cases of chronic pain, your original pain may improve and then unmask less obvious pain in the surrounding areas.
What is a typical course of treatment? As part of your first visit, you will receive a customized treatment plan detailing an appropriate course of treatment for your specific condition. In general, acute conditions of recent onset may only require two or three treatments. Chronic conditions usually require more treatments to achieve sustained results. The ideal approach to illness is to begin treatment as soon as possible. The sooner you seek help, the easier it is to treat and reverse the progression. For longstanding illnesses, weekly or more frequent treatments may be required for several months in order to have a curative effect. Once you initiate a healing process, it is important to follow through on treatments. The more consistent you are, the better the likelihood of results. Your body is most vulnerable following recovery from illness because it has expended much of its energy and internal resources in order to get better. It is therefore important to have a few treatments in order to prevent repeated or new illness. In general, when an illness recurs it is often more difficult to treat. The effects of acupuncture tend to be cumulative. After you are feeling better, a few additional treatments may be recommended. In Chinese medicine, this is referred to as "solidifying the constitution." The goal is to further strengthen your body to prevent recurrence of the illness.
What's your Cancellation Policy? Your appointment time has been reserved especially for you, which prevents others from accessing the services at that particular time. Therefore, 24 hours cancellation/reschedule notice is required or a no-show fee equivalent to the full session fee will be charged for late cancel/reschedule or missed appointments -- except in the case of an emergency. Please note, arriving more than 20 minutes late for an appointment is considered a missed appointment.
How old is Traditional Oriental Medicine? Traditional Oriental Medicine, also known as Chinese Medicine, is a time tested system of medicine that goes back over 3,000 years.
How does it work? Traditional Oriental Medicine uses various tools such as acupuncture/acupressure, nutrition and herbal medicine to access and activate qi (pronounced "chee"), the vital energy that gives us our life force, heartbeat and breath. A healthy and harmonized vital energy helps nurture the body back to health by harnessing the body's own healing intelligence.
What are the acupuncture needles like? Acupuncture needles are hair thin medical devices made of sterile, surgical stainless steel. The are single use and disposed of after only one use. Acupuncture needles are designed to glide between cells minimizing sensation, they do not cut the skin like hypodermic needles used for injections.
How are acupuncture needles regulated? In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified acupuncture needles as a medical device. Acupuncture needles are regulated by the FDA and are manufactured in compliance with single-use standards of sterility.
Does acupuncture hurt? Individuals experience the needling sensation differently. Often people describe their sensations as warming, heavy, numb or tingling. If any unpleasant sensation is experienced during insertion, it is often compared to a mosquito bite and subsides within seconds. At Acupuncture By Homa, I take great care to make my patients comfortable so that they can relax while the needles are in place. Many people even fall asleep during treatment. Following the treatment it is common to feel a tremendous sense of relaxation and calm.
Do I have to believe in acupuncture for it work? No. Acupuncture is part of one of the oldest comprehensive systems of medicine and it physiologically balances the body. The results of your acupuncture treatment does not depend on your belief, acupuncture works whether or not you think it will. Acupuncture is even used successfully on animals and children. They do not understand or believe in the process yet they get better anyway.
Do you use herbs? Yes, as a CA licensed acupuncturist, and Nationally licensed Diplomate of Oriental Medicine, I have extensive training in Chinese herbal medicine and incorporate them into my practice, both in office and Telehealth sessions.
How do herbs differ from western medicine? Chinese herbal formulas tend to be much gentler than western drugs. They work synergistically to treat the root cause as well as relieving symptoms with minimal side-effects when taken as prescribed.
Can I take Chinese herbs with I am on medication? It depends on the condition and medications you are taking. This is evaluated on a case by case basis.
How quickly can I expect to feel better? In general, if the condition is acute, improvement maybe felt after a few, even just 1 treatment. For chronic conditions however, it will take many treatments over time to help resolve the condition and return the body back to balance.
How often should I be treated? The frequency of treatments depends on the condition and the individual response. Acupuncture results are cumulative and build up over time, as the body restores its balance the interval between each treatment can get longer and longer.
Does acupuncture always help? No, but it usually does. If you do not feel any benefit after 3-5 treatments, then acupuncture may not offer the solution for the particular condition you experience. I will work with you and your doctor to pursue an alternative route.
What should I wear for the treatment? Commonly used acupuncture points are below the knees and elbows, therefore it's not often necessary to disrobe. I recommend wearing loose fitting and comfortable clothes that can be easily rolled up above your elbows and knees.
Do you accept insurance? Acupuncture By Homa is not in network with any insurance companies. Full payment is due at the time of service. As a courtesy to our patients, claims are submitted for acupuncture treatments if the patient carries a PPO plan, with the exception of Blue Shields. If any payment is received from the insurance company, patient will be reimbursed for the overpayment. Please note only limited conditions are covered by insurance companies.
"We all need to slow down and go to acupuncture." Tamara Ecclestone