Heaven Qi and Earth - Your First Visit
San Francisco Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Cupping, Massage, Electro-Therapy
During your initial visit, the objective is to get an overall analysis and history of your health and all its contributing factors. As patient and practitioner, we will work together compiling information about relevant history, noting tendencies, patterns and cycles that might be influencing your present condition. Through questioning and observation, I will gather information about your current physical, mental, and emotional complaints, states and attitudes. Patterns of sleep, eating, eliminating, working, and relaxing, as well as responses to stress, needs, desires, and goals are useful information. I want to know both the nature of the problem and your overall nature.
The five main methods of diagnosis including some examples:
Observation: complexion, facial expression, fluidity of movements and body language, eyes, tongue, nails, hair, gait, stature, quality of excretions and secretions.
Listening and Smelling: sound of voice and breath; odor of breath, skin, excretions and secretions.
Questioning: current complaints, health history, family health history, patterns of sleep, appetite, energy, weight, elimination, menses, stress, emotions.
Palpation: texture, humidity, temperature, elasticity of skin, strength of muscles; flexibility, range of motion of joints, sensitivity of diagnostic points, pulse evaluation.
Please bring in any relevant western diagnostics you may have such as lab data, blood work, urinalysis, imaging, or reports. It is important that I have all information pertaining to your condition in order to develop the best treatment plan for you. It is extremely useful to use clinical analysis to follow the progression and recovery from disease. I am a strong promoter of integrative medicine, and my belief is that western medicine and eastern medicine can work beautifully with each other when we understand what is going on with the patient from both perspectives. In treatment I will always use Chinese Medicine as the fundamental guideline and basis for treatment, but will always consider the western diagnosis. In certain cases I will integrate methods of treatment purely for their pharmacological and physiological effects. When treatment is given based on a combination of both your Western disease diagnosis and a Chinese medical pattern discrimination, you can be sure you are receiving the most comprehensive and holistic care.
After a full diagnosis has been made, we will discuss treatment plan options and recommendations, and will start you off with your first treatment. Your first visit will last approximately 1-1/2 hours. All subsequent treatments will last 45-minutes to 1-hour.
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