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Your Practitioner is licensed to prescribe Chinese Herbs and holds a Diplomat in Chinese Herbology (Dipl. C.H.) from the National certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) since 2003. You are being prescribed a Chinese Herbal Medication in order to assist with your acute or chronic problems. It is hoped that your condition will improve more rapidly, and reduce your pain and symptomology with the addition of the herbs. If you are not sure what they are for, please ask.

Chinese Herbal formulas are based on a pattern diagnosis, are customized for each individual, and may change according to your presenting symptoms, tongue, and pulse. Please take them as prescribed. Do not share them with other individuals. Do not take your herbs at the same time with other western medications…you may take them 2 hours apart from any other medication. Please notify your practitioner what medications you are taking prior to receiving any herbal medicine. Please avoid taking them with green tea, sugar, or honey. It is best to take them on an empty stomach unless instructed otherwise. Because they are herbs, you may need to take several grams, pills, capsules, teaspoons, or cups per day. Please notify your practitioner if you have any ill effects or allergic reactions to the herbs.

Chinese herbal medicine treats the full range of human disease, both acute and chronic. It promotes the body’s ability to heal, balance, and recuperate, and is based on a syndrome of signs and symptoms, along with the individual’s bodily constitution, tongue, and pulse readings. There may be several different herbs in the formula which are carefully crafted to balance other herbs, temperatures, and tastes, in addition to addressing the main symptoms.

Most raw herbal teas tend to taste very bitter as they are made up mostly from roots and barks, where the strongest medicinal ingredients are found. The majority of herbs come from vegetable sources, however, some ingredients are from animal and mineral sources. Your practitioner makes every attempt to purchase herbs from reputable, safe, and responsible companies who have stringent production and safe manufacturing processes, in order to receive the highest quality products that are safe and effective for you.

Got STRESS??  Who doesn’t? Especially while driving in Tucson! 🙂  Many patients ask me if acupuncture can be helpful for reducing stress or helping with anxiety. Yes, it can! Emotional stress and anxiety can seriously affect health, cause chronic inflammation leading to more chronic disease such as cancer, affect sleep, impair relationships, weaken the immune system, lead to heart disease, and reduce our ability to make simple decisions or problem solve. Acupuncture has been shown to be helpful for ameliorating stress by releasing endorphins and activating stress reducing hormones in the body. The needles create a natural relaxation response in the body, lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and reducing cortisol levels in the blood. Needling certain points in the body can activate the release of certain neurotransmitters such as beta-endorphins, serotonin, adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) hormone, met-encephalin, and Substance-P, which help to re-balance the  brain and induce a relaxation response. This, in turn, can relieve feelings of anxiety and depression, promote a sense of well-being, improve sleep,  improve self-confidence, allow for clearer thinking, and promote calmness and creativity. Acupuncture once or twice a week, along with practicing a daily regime of breathing and relaxation, can improve your life, reduce your stress and help with anxiety.

I just want to mention how important it is to follow up on your appointments. Healing is a process, and I can’t stress enough how important frequency of treatment is, especially in the beginning. a rule of thumb: if your discomfort is greater than 5/10, you would benefit greater by coming in twice a week; if your discomfort is 8-10/10, three or four times/week is better. When your discomfort reaches an acceptable level, once weekly is fine, but be sure to continue treatment for a few weeks even AFTER you feel good, to keep the pain or discomfort away. Nothing is a quick fix, and most people have discomfort for months to years before they even get acupuncture. Your feedback is also important to me for my treatment to be effective. Blessings to you all!