• Write down and bring any questions you have. We are here to help you.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing for easy access to acupuncture points.
• Do not eat large meals just before or after
  your visit.
• Refrain from overexertion, working out, drugs or alcohol for up to six hours after the visit.
• Avoid stressful situations. Make time to relax, and be sure to get plenty of rest.
• Between visits, take notes of any changes that may have occurred, such as the alleviation of pain, pain moving to other areas, or changes in the frequency and type of problems.

Acupuncture is an effective form of health care that has evolved into a complete and holistic medical system. Practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese medicine have used this noninvasive medical system to diagnose and help millions of people get well and stay healthy.

An acupuncturist will place fine, sterile needles at specific acupoints on the body. This activates the body’s Qi and promotes natural healing by enhancing recuperative power, immunity and physical and emotional health. It also can improve overall function and well-being. It is a safe, painless and effective way to treat a wide variety of medical problems.

During the initial exam a full health history will be taken. Questions will be asked regarding symptoms, health and lifestyle. Your acupuncturist also may check pulses and your tongue and may conduct a physical exam. This information is then organized to create a complete, accurate and comprehensive diagnosis of where Qi has become blocked or imbalanced. After the interview process, you may receive an acupuncture treatment. Visits with your acupuncturist may last from thirty to ninety minutes.

There are twelve pulse positions on each wrist that your acupuncturist will palpate. Each position corresponds to a specific meridian and organ. Your acupuncturist will be looking for twenty-seven individual qualities that reflect overall health. If there are any problems, they may appear in the pulse.

The tongue is a map of the body. It reflects the general health of the organs and meridians. Your acupuncturist will look at the color, shape, cracks and coating on your tongue.

Insurance coverage varies from state to state. Contact your insurance provider to learn what kind of care is covered. Here are a few questions to ask:

• Will my plan cover acupuncture?
• How many visits per calendar year?
• Do I need a referral?
• Do I have a co-pay?
• Do I have a deductible?
• If yes, has it been met?

Herbs can be a powerful adjunct to acupuncture care. They are used to strengthen, build and support the body or to clear it of excess problems like a cold, fever or acute pain. Your practitioner may suggest starting with herbs and then adding acupuncture to your treatment in the future. This is suggested to build up your internal strength so you can receive the full benefits acupuncture has to offer.

The number of treatments will vary from person to person. Some people experience immediate relief; others may take months or even years to achieve results. Chronic conditions usually take longer to resolve than acute ones. Plan on a minimum of a month to see significant changes.

Treatment frequency depends on a variety of factors: your constitution, the severity and duration of the problem and the quality and quantity of your Qi. An acupuncturist may suggest one or two treatments per week, or monthly visits for health maintenance and seasonal “tune ups”.

Today, acupuncturists undertake three to four years of extensive and comprehensive graduate training at nationally certified schools. All acupuncturists must pass a national exam and meet strict guidelines to practice in every state.

Yes. In some instances children actually respond more quickly than adults. If your child has an aversion to needles, your acupuncturist may massage the acupuncture points. This is called acupressure or tuina.

Acupuncture is extremely safe. It is an all-natural, drug-free therapy, yielding no side effects just feelings of relaxation and well-being. There is little danger of infection from acupuncture needles because they are sterile, used once, and then discarded.

Growing up in Taiwan, Dr. Tan began learning at a very early age the philosophies and healing practices that are part of what is often called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As a young adult, he further nourished this traditional knowledge by reading ancient Chinese texts on medicine, in addition to his education in engineering and traditional medicine sciences.

Western interest in acupuncture – a traditional medicine that has evolved over the past 2,000 years – was just beginning to take off when Dr. Tan arrived in the US to pursue a PhD in engineering. Despite the growing global recognition for acupuncture’s benefits, Dr. Tan saw that the results of modern practice weren’t as effective as what had been documented in historical texts or what he had observed in practice as a young man in Taiwan.

After a pole is placed under the sun, a shadow should immediately appear, say several of the ancient texts on acupuncture. The effects of stimulating acupuncture points should be immediate yet only a handful of modern masters had achieved such results after decades of practice. Similar effects were not possible for most practitioners, who were often copying patterns of acupuncture points without a real understanding of what worked and why.

Certain that anybody could regularly see immediate effects if, given the right framework, Dr. Tan set out to develop a modern basis for learning and understanding how acupuncture works. His years of research have resulted in the Balance Method, a new way of analyzing the networks of the human body’s energy channels.

The results speak for themselves: instant clinical efficacy has become the hallmark of the Balance

But the reach of the Balance Method extends far beyond Dr. Tan’s own clinic, thanks to his willingness to share his knowledge with others through his seminars and books. He is the visiting professor teaching in the Ph.D. programs of colleges like the Five Branches University and also accepts invitations teaching in numerous conferences and schools. Thousands of health practitioners around the world have successfully incorporated the Balance Method into their own practice and – because of the intuitive logic that makes the method so easy to learn – they have also seen clinical success rates similar to Dr. Tan’s.

Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. Below are some of the health concerns that acupuncture can effectively treat;