Chinese Medicine is more than acupuncture. Our nonprofit offers acupuncture, Chinese herbs and qigong as an affordable public health service. You can use Chinese Medicine for various reasons and for as long as you want. There are no memberships or huge financial commitments. Our mission is to expand access to Chinese Medicine so that everyone in the community has more options regarding their personal health care.
But just like any other service, you may be wondering how it would best work for you.
1. What does Chinese Medicine treat?
The list is rather long. If you’re not dealing with an emergency, then our community clinic is worth checking out. Since opening in 2016, we’ve found our services to be especially helpful for women’s health concerns like painful or irregular menstruation, pregnancy care, fertility and fibroids.
We also see success with migraines, digestive issues, the side effects of chemo and radiation, insomnia, anxiety and asthma. Acupuncture, Chinese herbs and qigong can improve chronic conditions that Western Medicine hasn’t quite completely figured out like fibromyalgia.
2. Do you treat a cold or the flu?
Our tele-medicine herbal pharmacy is the best choice for any non-emergency, yet contagious, conditions. Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of treating colds and flu and can speed up recovery time. It is also very useful when a person has lingering symptoms which have not responded to conventional care.
We encourage patients who may be coming down with something to not get acupuncture or attend qigong while they are sick. Since these services are done in a community environment and some of our patients are immuno-compromised, we choose not to treat these conditions on the premises.
3. How will I know if Chinese Medicine is right for my situation?
Clear communication with our patients is very important for clinical success. We encourage you to ask questions you may have. We will do a short 10 minute pre-screen phone call before your first appointment to get an idea of what you’d like to treat.
During your first appointment, we’ll create a treatment plan which is important for getting results. Your treatment plan may recommend acupuncture, an extended herbal consultation and/or qigong. Although we find results are better when treatment plans are followed, we will not pressure you into any service. And you can pick whichever ones you feel comfortable with.
4. How much does it cost?
Some of our services are offered on a sliding scale. You can pay what you want in that range for a particular service. No questions asked.
Our pricing options are:
acupuncture:
- $20 – $40 for a return patient visit
- $30 – $50 for a new patient visit
herbs:
- $15 for 30 minute consultation
- $13 for a week’s supply of herbs
taiji (tai chi): Classes are $10. You can sign up for classes online.
We accept either cash, credit cards or Health Savings Account (HSA) cards. Please no checks.
5. How do I dress for acupuncture treatments?
There is no undressing in our group treatment area. Our community acupuncture service uses only the arms, legs and scalp to treat everything. We don’t offer back treatments.
For instance, we may place needles in your forearm to treat low back pain. Just bring loose clothing. Pants that can be comfortably rolled up above your knees are usually fine but bring a pair of shorts with you just in case. Also, wear a shirt that can roll up past your elbows.
6. Do you have a cancellation policy if I can’t make it to my appointment?
Please give us 24 hours notice should you need to reschedule an appointment. Any appointment cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will incur a $35 fee for new patients and $20 for return patients. We understand that sometimes emergencies happen so if that’s the case, just communicate with us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Since we have limited front desk staff, we encourage you to reschedule/cancel your appointment from the email confirmation that is sent when you book an appointment. There are links to reschedule or cancel at the bottom of the email.
7. Can I bring food and drinks into the clinic?
For safety and hygiene reasons, we ask that you please don’t bring any food or drink into the clinic. If you need to bring water, a nonbreakable container with a closed lid is ok. However, they must be left in the waiting room and not brought into the treatment area. Open containers, glass bottles and to-go cups are strictly prohibited.
8. Do the needles hurt?
Acupuncture is nothing like a shot at the doctor’s office. The needles are much thinner and have a hair like appearance. Most patients don’t feel anything at all. Others may feel a slight heavy, tingling or electric sensation that goes away quickly. Most patients say that after the needles are in, they start to feel very relaxed and want to take a nap.
9. Is acupuncture safe?
Absolutely. We use sterile, single use only, disposable needles. Our acupuncturists are also licensed by the state of Georgia and have over 3000 hours of training.
The most common, yet infrequent, side effect a patient may have is mild bruising after a needle is taken out. This usually goes away in a couple of days and is not painful. Most people don’t bruise but those who are on blood thinners, for instance, may be more likely to experience this.
10. How long does an appointment last?
Your first visit is around 75 minutes. Returns are an hour. However, if it at any time you feel you are done and ready to go, just let us know.
We send you our initial paperwork online so you can review and sign at home. If you can’t do that before your first visit, please show up 15 minutes earlier to fill out some initial paperwork.
11. How long do I have to come in for treatments?
There is no definite answer for that because everyone comes in for different reasons. During your first visit, we’ll suggest a treatment plan for your condition. In the end though, it’s your decision and you can visit us whenever you prefer.
Some patients will have conditions that only require a few treatments and then they’re done. Others have conditions that may never completely go away but find that our ongoing care greatly reduces their discomfort.
12. How do I make an appointment?
The easiest and fastest way is to book online. You can also give us a call, especially if you have any questions but it may take us a business day to get back to you. We can’t take walk-ins so it’s best to schedule online.
13. Can I get a private treatment?
We do not offer private treatments. But your intake is private so that your medical history remains confidential.
14. Can I have my cellphone on in the treatment room?
We ask that all cellphones and mobile devices are turned off in the clinic. We try to keep the environment relaxing and peaceful. No pets are allowed either except service animals.
15. Do you treat children?
This is something we prefer to answer on a case by case basis. Some children do very well in the community acupuncture setting. Others are not quite ready for it. Give us a call and we can help make that determination. Generally speaking though, the minimum age is 10 and the child must be open to getting acupuncture.
If you are getting treated, children under 12 cannot be left unattended in the waiting room.