Acupuncture Treatment with Nourishing Medicine

I am often asked, “Do I have to be sick or in pain to get acupuncture treatment?” Happily, the answer is no. Although as a culture, we are accustomed to going to the doctor only when we are sick, Chinese medicine, and acupuncture treatment, offer a different way to think about health and wellness. In ancient China, doctors only got paid when their patients stayed healthy which meant that their (preventive) treatments were working. While in modern times, we no longer work from this model, the idea is that it is easier and more effective to maintain wellness than it is to treat disease.

What is it like to get an Acupuncture Treatment from Elie Cole?
I offer acupuncture as a healthcare treatment that you can enjoy and savor.  While the patient and myself are in a private room together, the time is divided into what I call talk time and table time.  To get a sense of what is going on with the patient’s physical body and emotional state, I will inquire about each system in the body, feel the pulse on both wrists, and look at the tongue.  All this information enables me to form a diagnosis to create an individually specialized treatment plan.

Then the patient lies on the table and I start with a few minutes of massage to relax the body and calm the mind.  Throughout the acupuncture  treatment, I may utilize one or more modalities.  Most commonly, I use acupuncture needles.  I may add a technique called Gua Sha for tight muscles or cupping for flu prevention or tight muscles (shown in bottom photo).  Often, I use an infrared lamp on certain areas of the body in need of warmth.  I may also use moxa, an herb safely burned to create warmth on certain areas of the body.

Patients will find that there is consistency as well as flexibility within each treatment.  The modality may change from week to week.  Some days, patients may need a little more talk time and less table time, other days, you may not have much to report and so table time is longer.  Healing can occur in both places.

Before the patient leaves the room, I offer a nourishment card for the week.  This is an idea of something to do which nourishes your body, mind, or spirit.  I want to encourage my patients to take the healing home with them and let it last all week.