Acupuncture

"With needles and words, the skilled practitioner invites you to heal yourself".

• What can I expect at my first appointment?

Your first appointment will begin with a conversation about your health and history and a physical exam. You will also receive your first acupuncture treatment; this first visit typically lasts 1.5 to 2 hours.

You and your practitioner will discuss the primary issue that brought you to treatment and any secondary issues that you would like to resolve. These symptoms are often the branches, and must be addressed in conjunction with the underlying cause or root. 

In order to observe the branch symptoms and root causes, Lucía G. Perillán, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac will complete a physical exam, which includes palpation of the pulse along the radial artery on your wrist, and examination of your tongue. When appropriate, she will then treat you with needles that very same day.

Your health history and Lucía’s findings become the basis of her diagnosis and treatment strategy.  She may recommend you modify your diet, suggest particular breathing and/or movement exercises, prescribe a Chinese Herbal formula and ask you to return for a follow-up visit.

• What can I expect at a follow-up visit?

Your follow up visit will be 45-60 minutes long.  The visit will begin with a brief conversation to update Lucía on your progress; she will feel your pulse and look at your tongue, and then treat acupuncture points along your body with thin, sterile, disposable stainless steel needles and when necessary a warming and nourishing herb called moxa (Artemesia Vulgaris, mugwort).

The needles are very thin and inserted and superficially into the skin. You may feel a slight aching or dull sensation after the needles are inserted.

Please consider taking a walk along the wooded path in Sligo Creek directly before or after your treatment session to integrate the work before returning to your daily activities.

• How often will I need to return to experience the benefits of Acupuncture?

This depends on the duration and severity of your symptoms and your diagnosis; treatment plans are determined on an individual basis.

Often, a person will come with an acute symptom that is resolved in the first few visits.  In order to enhance and maintain the benefits of these first visits and address the underlying cause, Lucía may recommend a series of treatments.

This is preventative medicine at its best.

In cases where symptoms have continued for many months and even years, a series of regular treatments is necessary to provide and help sustain a resolution to the condition.  Once the condition is resolved, many people choose to return on a monthly or seasonal basis to maintain a sense of well-being. 

• How much does a treatment cost and does insurance cover acupuncture?

Plan to invest moderate time and resources into your acupuncture care. Inquire with your Health Insurance company about benefits for Acupuncture.  Mind in Heart Acupuncture accepts checks and cash payment and will provide you with a receipt you can submit to your Insurance Company for reimbursement.

Auricular treatments

The ear has reflex points that connect to the entire body. The primary auricular treatment used with individuals struggling with addiction is an acupuncture protocol known as Acudetox.  This simple protocol has been shown to have significant impacts in many aspects of the lives of patients, including reduction in cravings, improved sleep, improved mood and an increased ability to find healing within.

Ask Lucía if acupuncture treatment is appropriate for your condition

Dietary Recommendations

Food is our daily medicine. Nutrition is a combination of our food choices and our digestive strength. How we nourish ourselves has physical, emotional and spiritual implications. Thus dietary medicine includes careful observation of our food habits, the inclusion of foods that will enhance healing, and the exclusion of foods that interfere with healing.

We require a rich variety of flavors to fully stimulate and support our daily activity.

The most common flavor in the United States diet is sweet. Sweet is necessary to stimulate our pancreas and stomach, yet when consumed in excess leads to sluggishness, weight gain, foggy thinking and lethargy. While the sweetness of a pear or sweet potato will nourish us, ice cream will ask our digestive forces to work overtime for very little benefit!

Foods that burden our digestive forces include: refined sugars, refined flours and stimulants (tea, coffee, alcohol).

Lucía will craft dietary guidelines to help you resolve acute and chronic conditions.

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