New Patients
Hello! Welcome! I look forward to meeting you.
Your initial session is 90 minutes and includes a detailed intake and treatment. Returning patient treatments are one hour. The treatments are full body treatments using a massage table. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. I will likely need access to your hands, arms, feet, legs, belly and back. Sometimes I will ask you to remove clothing (in order to access shoulders or hips) but you will always be covered with a sheet. Your comfort is very important to me so please let me know immediately if you are uncomfortable for any reason. The initial session costs $95. For sessions after the initial treatment I offer a sliding scale fee of $75 to $95, you decide what to pay, I do this in order to try to make acupuncture accessible to more people. Carol also offers Chinese herbal therapy which can greatly enhance outcomes. The cost of herbs is additional.
Please Note: If you need to change or cancel any appointment, please contact me 24 hours in advance. I will charge the full cost of your appointment for no shows.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost?
Initial sessions (90 minutes) are $95. Returning patients (60 minutes) are $75 to $95, you decide what to pay.
Does it hurt?
No. Your comfort is very important to me because I want you to be able to relax during your treatment. There may be sensations of a dull ache but I will ask you to communicate what you are feeling so that I can adjust anything that might be uncomfortable. You are the captain of your ship and I will respect your decision if you decline any of the therapies that I suggest.
Why do you use needles?
Needles are an extremely efficient tool to access and manipulate Qi (the body's energy system). There are other tools such as moxa and cupping (read more about these in the Services section) but needles are an important tool.
How big are the needles and how far do they penetrate the body?
The needles range in thickness and length. The most common needle size that I use is 0.2 millimeters thick and 30 millimeters long. That's about the thickness of horse hair and penetrates about one quarter of an inch. Some areas of the body require longer needles. For example, the gluteus muscles are underneath a layer of adipose tissue. If the gluteus muscle is the origin of the pain the needle may need to go through the adipose tissue to get to the site of the pain. The sensation to the patient is minimal.
How many treatments will I need?
Each case is different. Some patients will feel better after the first treatment while others will need a series of treatments to achieve the maximum benefit. We can discuss your situation in your first visit. In general, acupuncture treatments are cumulative. There may be lessening of symptoms in the first treatment but subsequent treatments may provide longer lasting effects or better resolution of the problem.
Do I have to believe in acupuncture?
No. There is no belief system involved. While it is always helpful to have a positive attitude, acupuncture is not magic. It is a physiological therapy that happens to have its origins in a time and place that people described the inner workings of the human body in the same terms that they described nature. Therefore terms such as heat, cold, dampness and dryness are used. These are real, physical phenomena described in simplistic terminology.