Our Services
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment modality within the scope of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Treatment involves the quick insertion of thin, sterile, single-use needles into specific points on various body areas to stimulate the body's natural healing abilities. A combination of 8-12 bilateral points will be placed, which are chosen to work together for the particular presentation of your condition. You rest comfortably with the points in place for 25-30 minutes while the needles do their work, regulating, balancing, moving, and nourishing your body’s vital substances.
To learn more about how acupuncture works, refer to our blog or FAQ sections..
Initial Acupuncture Treatment:
This includes an in-depth consultation, evaluation, and the first treatment. 60-85 minutes, with 30 minutes of resting time with the needles. Adjunctive techniques such as cupping may also be used.
Follow-Up Acupuncture Treatments:
Includes a brief intake covering any changes that have occurred since last treatment. Follow-ups are 45-60 minutes and may include adjunctive techniques including cupping, tui na (bodywork), moxibustion, and herbal consults. The cost of the herbs themselves would be supplemental.
Herbal Medicine Consultation:
(*NOTE* If you are already an acupuncture patient, there is no need to schedule an herbal consult in addition to your acupuncture appointments. Simply let your practitioner know that you are interested in herbs, and she will determine if it is an appropriate step to take with you at this time. The cost of herbs is supplemental, but there is no additional consult fee beyond what you already contribute for acupuncture.)
Herbal medicine is the internal medicine component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). For an herbal consultation, you will sit down with your practitioner who will do a thorough health consultation, taking into consideration your chief complaint as well as your health history and body’s tendencies (your “constitution”). A particular formula will be decided upon for you, and you will be given other dietary and lifestyle guidance as well, to optimize the function of the formula. Either you will walk out of the office with a formula that day, or it will be compiled and sent to you, or available for pick-up within the days that follow.
Taking a recommended herbal formula is different than taking a vitamin or supplement that you might be used to. Herbs are rarely given as stand-alone substances, and rather work together synergistically within classical formulas, (meaning we choose or modify formulas from a classic collection of about 500 formulas which have been handed down through time, rather than inventing new formulas from scratch). We use differential diagnosis to determine what formula is right for you at a given time. As your body shifts in response to the formula’s intended action, your original formula may become inappropriate for you new pattern, and need to be adjusted or changed.
In TCM, the word “herb” refers broadly to medicinal substances within the TCM pharmacopoeia, ranging from leaves, grasses, and flowers to minerals, nuts, roots, rhizomes, fruits, and some ethically sourced animal products. We ask that you let us know if you have any known allergies to wheat, tree nuts, or refusal for animal products.
Herbal formulas may be given in several different formats:
Herbal tablets: most convenient to take for someone with a busy lifestyle, typically in a dose of 3 tablets 2-3x/day (that’s 6-9 tablets total in one day).
Granules: less convenient, more potent, 3 gram-spoons are stirred/dissolved into hot water and drunk warm, 2x/day.
Raw herb decoctions: patient’s are given packets of raw herb material (twigs, roots, peels, leaves, etc.) which they must then cover with water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 35-45 minutes into a strong medicinal liquid. The dregs are discarded and the liquid is preserved. The patient drinks warm 1/4 of the liquid over the course of 2 days, making one packet of herbs last 2 days. Some raw herbs can be steeped like a loose leaf tea or background drink.
Food Grade Herbs/Eastern Dietary Therapy: The practitioner may recommend some food grade herbs such as goji berries or fresh ginger root that the patient can find at their local grocery store. Specific foods may also be classified as having a certain impact on the body or the patient’s condition depending on their nature and temperature, e.g. green tea, cabbage, asparagus, green beans, melon are all cooling foods, whereas ginger, hot peppers, onions, garlic are warming foods.
Initial consult is $50 + the cost of herbs, and lasts 45 minutes.
Follow up consults are $30 + the cost of herbs, and last 30 minutes.
Adjunctive Modalities:
In addition to acupuncture, your treatment may consist of a combination of several other traditional Chinese medical modalities including moxibustion, herbal medicine, cupping, tui na medical massage, eastern dietary therapy, and qi gong meditative movement exercises.
A 30 minute cupping session is $50. We utilize glass cups and a flame to create suction over areas of tension, and/or acupuncture points, which helps to relieve tension, reduce pain, improve organ function, and promote relaxation. A combination of stationary cupping and slide cupping is typically utilized.
What to Expect at your first appointment:
Your first appointment will involve both an initial health consultation and your first treatment itself. You can expect to present and discuss a chief complaint (whether there is a particular condition you would like to work on, or overall wellness/preventative care), along with a thorough medical history and current state of health. You and your acupuncturist will discuss your goals for care and develop an individualized treatment plan. Many people experience positive results from their first treatment, including relief of stress, pain, and a sense of peaceful calm. A typical course of care is 6-8 treatments, each treatment building on the last, to create a cumulative, longer-lasting shift in the body’s environment. Everyone is a little different in how quickly and significantly they respond to care, but we will work with you to re-assess your progress at each treatment, and modify your course of care as needed.
Further questions? Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions Section.
What People Are Saying
”After seeing two different dentists (8 visits total) and 5 weeks of chiropractic care with no signs of improvement, I decided to try acupuncture. The first treatment relieved my neck, back, and ear pain entirely. My jaw spasms stopped. I continued treatment for a few more weeks (once per week) and my jaw feels completely normal and I rarely get headaches now. I am no longer in misery, and I am so very thankful. “
— KC
”Been going here since October... Hannah is the sweetest, most compassionate and caring person I’ve met in a long time! She takes time, EVERY time, to “check in” with you, and adjusts treatment to your “right now” issues! I’d been considering acupuncture for a few years, and am so glad I’ve found Thrive!!!”
— ML
”Thrive is wonderful! They have done such incredible things for my health since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I’ve seen wonderful relief with my endometriosis as well. Hannah has been so helpful with my questions - always willing to listen and explain as much as I need. I’ve always felt comfortable and more relaxed than ever with every appointment.”