• East-West Medicine
• Treatment Procedure
• Acupuncture
• Logistics
• Insurance and Cost

How does your clinic practice integrative East-West Medicine

Our clinic is truly integrative in that our US-trained and board-certified physicians also have had advanced training in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at the Center. The clinical team also includes medical experts trained in integrative Chinese and Western Medicine in China. Working together, they apply our patient-centered approach to develop individualized treatment plans to meet each patient’s needs. Click this link to get more information about the clinical care we provide.

1. Who performs the treatments?
2. What happens during a treatment?
3. How long will it take for me to see improvement?
4. Are there side effects with the treatments?
5. What is a trigger point injection?

1. Who performs the treatments?
   

   The clinic staff consists of both medical doctors and licensed acupuncturists. Medical doctors do the trigger point injections, and both medical doctors and acupuncturists perform acupuncture in the clinic. Acupuncturists with a background in acupressure and physical manipulation provide therapeutic massage and myofacial release.

   In the state of California, becoming a licensed acupuncturist requires the completion of a four-year Master's Degree program in TCM, or graduation from a medical school in China. An acupuncturist must also pass a stringent state board examination. All acupuncturists at the Center for East-West Medicine are trained in both TCM and western medicine.

2. What happens during a treatment?
   

   During the initial consultation, a patient interview is conducted by one of the clinicians at the center. Patients have a chance to tell the doctor about their problem, give their history, and have their questions answered. The doctor may ask you additional questions and use diagnostic techniques of traditional Chinese medicine or western medicine. The doctor will then make recommendations to you about treatments. A typical treatment may include any combination of acupuncture, Chinese medicine massage, or trigger point injections, as well as education on self-care.

3. How long will it take for me to see improvement?
   

   A number of factors will influence how long it will take before you notice improvement. It depends upon your current state of health. In general, elderly patients and patients who have chronic conditions may take longer to improve. Your recovery will also depend on how often you receive treatment and how actively you participate in your self-care. The clinic emphasizes improving your quality of life as a means towards recovery and maintaining health. TCM holds that an individual’s lifestyle is largely responsible for one’s state of health. Because of this, your doctor will ask you to take an active role in your treatment. You may be asked to do self-acupressure (massage appropriate acupuncture points), modify your diet, and exercise. The changes you are willing to make in your life style are likely to have a significant effect on your level of well-being.

4. Are there side effects with the treatments?
   

   Studies have shown that acupuncture is a relatively safe treatment with relatively minor possible side effects. Although uncommon, an area needled may have some redness, bruising, minor bleeding, or swelling. In rare cases, individuals being treated can faint or undergo muscle spasm.

5. What is a trigger point injection?
   

   Trigger point injections utilize Lidocaine. Lidocaine is a local pain killer (not a steroid), which is very similar to Novocaine (used by dentists). The dosage used is very small, and patients can experience immediate pain relief after the injections. You may experience soreness, bruising, or minor inflammation in the area treated. In very rare instances, an allergic reaction can occur with the Lidocaine, which may cause inflammation, swelling, or hives. Most of these side effects are very mild, and in the rare event something more substantial occurs, the clinic staff is well trained to deal with any of these problems.

1. How effective is acupuncture?
2. What can acupuncture treat?
3. Will the needles hurt?
4. How safe are the needles?

1. How effective is acupuncture?
   

   Acupuncture is an effective treatment method used by millions of people in China, Korea, Japan, and other countries. Acupuncture encompasses a host of healing techniques that have been practiced for more than 2000 years. Though many different techniques and styles are in used in the West, scientific evidence supporting acupuncture’s effectiveness is limited. This is partly due to the difficulty in studying a dynamic, patient-centered system with the current research methodology that is dictated by the reductionist standards of scientific inquiry. However, acupuncture, unlike many indigenous medical practices in the world, has withstood the test of time in China and in the West, with many practitioners and patients reporting real benefits for many conditions.

2. What can acupuncture treat?
   

   Hundreds of conditions are noted in acupuncture texts, and acupuncture practitioners claim a great diversity of conditions respond to acupuncture, but these claims lack evidence. On the other hand, modern clinical research has only investigated the efficacy of acupuncture in treating a limited number of conditions. Acupuncture may be used extensively, and as a first choice of medical care. Studies have shown acupuncture therapy to be effective in treating:

   • Chronic pain: low back, neck, and facial pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, joint pain, arthritis, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis.
   • Acute pain: dental pain, post-surgical pain.
   • Sinusitis
   • Asthma
   • Urological problems: urgent or frequent urination.
   • Gynecological problems: menstrual pain, menstrual irregularity, menopausal symptoms, pelvic pain
   • Anxiety

3. Will the needles hurt?
   

   Generally not, but for some a little, and usually less than one would imagine. Many first-time patients at the clinic have a bit of anxiety about the needling procedure. Most people in the U.S. are familiar with vaccinations and having blood drawn, but not with acupuncture. The actual treatment comes as a relief to most patients. The needles that you have encountered in the past (at the office of your primary care physician) are all hypodermic needles. Larger needles that have a hollow body for injecting and/or drawing fluids. Acupuncture needles are significantly thinner, smaller, and not hollow. Different sizes of needles are used depending on what acupuncture points are chosen, but the needles are all about as thick as a human hair. As a result of their smaller size, the insertion tends to be far more comfortable. Many patients feel no pain at all. The amount of pain you will feel during a treatment will depend on how sensitive you are to the acupuncture needles, and what acupuncture points are used for your treatment (some points are more sensitive than others).

4. How safe are the needles?
   

   The acupuncture needles used at the clinic are very safe. All of the needles used in the clinic are individually packaged, sterile needles that are used once and then disposed. Needles are never recycled.

1. Where should I park my car when I go to the clinic?
2. What can I do if I am late to my scheduled appointment time?

1. Where should I park my car when I go to the clinic?
   

   Parking is available on-site at the Parkside Medical Plaza, which is run privately by Standard Parking. Unfortunately, the clinic does not validate your parking during your visit. There is, however, street meter parking around the clinic .

2. What can I do if I am late to my scheduled appointment time?
   

   Patients who arrive 20 minutes after their scheduled appointment time are considered late. If it is their first time, the provider will determine whether the patient can still be seen. If so, they will be informed that they may need to wait longer than usual and their treatment may be abbreviated. After their first time, the patient will be advised to reschedule for another appointment time.

1. What will my insurance cover?
2. What are the fees for acupuncture treatment?

1. What will my insurance cover?
   

   HMO patients: a referral from your primary care physician is required.

   PPO patients: a referral is not required, but plans vary in what services the insurance covers.

   We will make every effort to bill insurance, however, patients will be responsible for services their insurance does not cover.

2. What are the fees for acupuncture treatment?
   

   All patients without insurance coverage for acupuncture will be charged $40 per 15 minutes of treatment. For those with insurance coverage for acupuncture, insurance will be billed first; however, if insurance does not pay, the patient will be responsible for the fee.