Acupuncture is the use of thin needles in the body to manipulate structures below the skin. We use sterile, single use, filiform needles in order to be minimally invasive. We use guide tubes to distract the nerves on the skin for a painless insertion. Then we use the needles to target the structures we need. You will likely feel a dull ache, but shouldn’t feel uncomfortable sharp or burning sensations like some folks during injections. 

Chinese medicine often includes hands-on manipulation of structures. Some folks would call this akin to therapeutic massage, but we find that the style of manipulation is often more tissue-specific than what people typically envision with the word “massage.” Occasionally we will add oil or liniment that might have a heating or cooling effect, and might even recommend some bodywork you can do on yourself to continue making progress towards your healing goals. 

For organ disorders especially, we may consider and suggest using Herbal Therapy. We take natural plants and minerals and in some cases animal parts and combine them in a sterile clinical environment to create ingestible medicine. Any formula has a range of active ingredients and a range of effects that are often milder and more complex than you get with a prescription pill. This herbal medicine has been tested and refined over 4000 years.