How to work with us:

Our practice focuses on providing individualized care to each patient, ensuring the highest standard of service. To maintain this level of attention, we do not answer phone calls during sessions. The most effective way to reach us is by speaking with our receptionist, leaving a voicemail, or sending an email. Please provide detailed information so we can return your call promptly after our sessions.

During your session, we will discuss your condition, treatment plan, and the expected number of sessions. We will ask you a series of questions about your symptoms, health history, and lifestyle. During this discussion, you will have the opportunity to share your experiences and concerns. Depending on your condition, we may also check your pulse, examine your tongue, or perform a physical assessment to determine your constitutional balance. This information is crucial for creating a comprehensive diagnosis and understanding where your Qi may be blocked or imbalanced.

The diagnosis process typically takes about 10 minutes. Following the diagnosis, we will proceed with acupuncture or other traditional Chinese medicine therapies that are best suited to your needs. Please refer to our list of treatments for additional options that may be suitable for your condition.

See other treatments we could use: services-and-treatments

Cost, insurance, and payment:

We do not accept insurance for our services. Insurance coverage can vary and change frequently, making it challenging to provide accurate information. Additionally, insurance often only covers a portion of our services, and the reimbursement rates for acupuncture are decreasing year by year. The administrative burden of dealing with insurance paperwork, chasing payments, and facing non-reimbursement for certain services can be draining and detracts from our ability to focus on patient care.

Our practice includes more than just acupuncture; we also offer energy work and traditional healing methods, which are not typically covered by insurance. These techniques, including sound therapy and energetic healing, are integral parts of our approach to holistic health.

Our practice is rooted in ancestral medicine from the East, where these practices are considered essential for maintaining health and preventing disease. We continuously update our skills and knowledge through annual training in Asia and participation in seminars and conferences to provide the best care possible.

While we do not accept insurance, you can use your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for our acupuncture services. We provide detailed receipts for your care, which you can use for tax purposes, potentially helping you with reimbursement or deductibles at the end of the year.

What conditions do we work with?
Preferred Collaboration: 

• Commitment to implementing changes in diet, lifestyle, and self-care post-visit, including herbal remedies if suitable.
• Willingness to engage in a series of sessions over two to three months, recognizing that healing is a gradual process, especially for chronic conditions.
• Openness to other therapies such as physical therapy, naturopathy, conventional medicine, etc., understanding that each modality plays a role in your healing.
• Adherence to a maintenance plan to manage conditions, whether through regular sessions or other programs.

Not Recommended:

• Seeking a single session only, as our approach is cumulative and requires multiple sessions for optimal results.
• Arriving with depleted Qi due to factors like lack of sleep, fasting, intoxication, or heavy medication, which may necessitate rescheduling or seeking immediate medical attention.
• Requesting emergency pain relief without addressing potential underlying conditions.
• Demonstrating disrespect, late cancellations, or non-attendance for scheduled sessions.

Health Conditions Treated: We address a wide range of health concerns, including women’s health, hormonal imbalances, fertility issues, pain management, gastrointestinal disorders, and mental-emotional balance.

Our approach focuses on correcting overall imbalances rather than targeting specific diseases. Whether it’s Bell’s palsy, infertility, arthritis, osteoporosis, acid reflux, PMDD, or other conditions, we aim to address physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects to restore harmony to the body.

How does Qi work, and why do you need to feel my Qi?

The body’s vital energy, known as Qi, prana, or vital force, flows through specific meridian pathways, akin to rivers nourishing the land and its inhabitants. There are fourteen meridians, each connected to specific organs and glands, and when Qi flows freely, it sustains physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

However, obstructions in Qi flow act like dams, impeding nourishment distribution and affecting optimal bodily function. Various factors such as physical and emotional trauma, stress, dietary habits, environmental toxins, and excessive activities can lead to blockages, disrupting Qi balance.

Prolonged disruption or excessive blockages can result in illness, pain, emotional stagnation, and other issues. My goal is to address the cumulative effects of these activities over time, recognizing that the longer you have experienced these issues, the more time and care may be needed for resolution. It’s akin to the maintenance needs of an older car, requiring more attention as it ages.

How do I book a session?

You can book online. You will not be charged until you come in. If you cancel within 24 hours, the cancellation fee will take effect. So please cancel before that so that others can use the time slot.

You can schedule online to use your program if you already purchase a package.

Do you treat children?

Yes, in some instance children actually respond more quickly than adults. Besides needles, acupressure or pediatric Tuina are used instead for the needle adverse.

Does acupuncture hurt?
Some sensations may be felt during acupuncture. When the needles are inserted, you might feel a slight prickling on the skin that will subside within a few seconds. Some may feel a tingling, heavy, or warming sensation during the session around the local area. Others might feel a sense of peace and calm and be so relaxed that they fall asleep. After treatment, most patients feel energized, less pain, comfortable, calm, and peaceful. Many report a feeling of zen. With a skillful acupuncturist, it should not hurt. Acupuncture needles are not syringes. They are thinner than a strain of hair and, most of the time, not even felt.

If you are still scared-stiff, don’t be. We’ve been practicing our unique touch, and we listen to you. We also offer Tuina Bodywork, massage, cupping, and Herbal Medicine that can assist in healing.

What should I expect on my first time?
The typical treatment takes more time than your regular visit with your MD, with more hands-on time without the office wait. First initial visit last for about 50 minutes, with 10 minutes for intake, where we ask a wide range of questions relating to many components of your health: physical symptoms, emotions, daily routine, diet, menstruation history (women), sleep patterns, bowel, and urinary functions and more.

As Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is whole-body medicine, getting a big picture of your health is essential. We also inspect your tongue, take your pulse, and look at your appearance and overall behavior, and mental health. The data we observed is our diagnostic process in assessing your health and creating a comprehensive treatment plan. Follow-up visits will then be shorter, 45 minutes.

How many treatments do I need?
Each treatment plan differs depending on the condition, duration of the illness, level of imbalance, and other complicating factors. Acupuncture jumpstarts the body into healing itself. The course of treatment ranges from 3-10 treatments for acute conditions. It may be 1-2 times per week initially, then taper off to 1 time per week.

The symptoms have been rooted for longer for chronic conditions and will need treatment 1-2 times per week for a few months. The effect of acupuncture is combined with Herbal Medicine and supplements to support the healing process. Once you have completed a course of treatment, you should follow up with Maintenance Treatment to prevent the symptoms and to feel great again. Seasonal treatments are also recommended to boost immunity and to avoid flu and colds when the season change.

How can I get the most out of my treatment?
Acupuncture works cumulatively, meaning one treatment builds on the next. Each session accelerates the healing process in your body, and each treatment gains momentum on the last. If treatments are too far apart, we will not acquire any momentum on the healing, and your treatment will be much less efficient. Similar to how medications are ineffective unless you take the prescribed dose, acupuncture needs to be ‘prescribed’ frequently enough & consistently and within an appropriate time frame to yield the desired outcome. So do not give up, stay on course and commit to your health.

For more information read our blog article “Six ways of taking care of yourself after acupuncture treatment”.

Will acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine interfere with my other care?
No, not usually. Using Eastern and Western Medicine together is an excellent way to create an integrative health care plan. Acupuncture will not interfere with Western medications or treatments your regular doctor prescribes. However, it may enable you to reduce some forms of medicine. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce pain and may be able to reduce the use of narcotic pain medication.

However, it would help if you always let us know your prescription, as it may affect your response to acupuncture treatment. For Herbal Medicines, we always cross-reference pharmaceutical drugs to enable us to custom blend herbal medicine that will not interfere with your medication. We want to work with you and your healthcare team to provide the best possible care. Our scope of practice also includes sending in for imaging and labs to give you a holistic approach to a happier and healthier you.

I heard that acupuncture can help me enhance my IUI/IVF procedure; who do you work with?
We work with all fertility clinics in town and out-of-town clinics. A few that we work with are:

San Diego Fertility Center – https://www.sdfertility.com/

Hanabusa IVF – https://www.hanabusaivf.com/

Gen5 – https://gen5fertility.com/

UCSD – https://obgyn.ucsd.edu/divisions/reproductive-endocrinology.html

Fertility Institute of San Diego – https://fertilityinstitutesandiego.com/

HRC Fertility – https://www.havingbabies.com/

Reproductive Partner Fertility Center – https://www.fertilityclinicsandiego.com/

CCRM – https://www.ccrmivf.com/

and more.