NENHS & PAUL GERST L.Ac.
NEW PATIENT ORIENTATION GUIDE
(For New or Potential Patients)
What are Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Natural Medicine and how and
why should they be used?
What is the cost? How many treatments will I need? and other FAQ
What services and products are available through NENHS /Paul Gerst L.Ac?
Causes of disease/illness and keys to getting well.
“When I see my Doctor it’s because I have a fairly serious
health concern, most of the time, anyways…so, why should I
consider paying for and receiving regular care?”
-Aims at finding/treating the root of problems
-Goal is to optimize Patient’s well-being
-Versatile; many treatments and services treating many different
conditions.
-More effective at treating a wider array of chronic health issues
-Maintenance is highly recommended to avoid regression or
future issues.
-In the instances where treatment doesn’t obtain desired results,
there are often benefits reported in other regards, something
rarely reported, if at all from Western Medicine.
“I’m not very good at taking care of myself and frankly, I’m
lazy and concerned that I’ll have to change my diet, spend
extra money on doing cleanses or taking supplements and
other things that I’d call work. Am I a good candidate for
Acupuncture & Natural Medicine?”
It depends. If you have relatively serious chronic health issues,
then yes, you are going to have to implement some changes if
you’re going to be maximally successful. If you have a simple
musculo-skeletal problem or other problem without diet, emotional
or other internal roots, then acupuncture should be able to help
you, however, the BEST PATIENTS GETTING THE BEST
RESULTS ARE THOSE WHO ARE OPEN TO CHANGE AND
ARE WILLING TO PUT TIME/EFFORT INTO REACHING
THEIR HEALTH GOALS.
How many visits will my case take?
Sorry, again, the answer is: It depends…on your goals,
symptoms, underlying roots, do you make all your visits, follow
through with care, did your Acupuncturist diagnose you
properly/fully?
Roughly speaking, you can expect 3-10 visits for simple,
singular problems that haven’t been around longer than a few
weeks/months. For more complicated singular problems, 8-30
visits and for layered issues to be resolved as much as possible, 1560 visits with ongoing maintenance for many. Results of some
kind should be seen relatively soon after beginning care (in the
first few visits, generally), but greater or full resolution of the
problem takes time/effort on the part of both Patient and
Practitioner.
Cost of Care
There are a number of cost options when seeing an
Acupuncturist. For those with simple issues and/or financial
concerns, Community Acupuncture may be the best choice. It is
often run on a sliding fee scale between $15 and $40 (or an
average fixed cost of $30). There are pros and cons to this
approach and I suggest you inquire at your initial phone
consultation. Private visits involve more diagnosis and additional
care (behavior, diet, exercises, other alt. med. approaches, etc) and
are the preferred approach for more difficult or layered chronic
health issues.
SERVICES/TREATMENTS OFFERED
Acupuncture, Electro-Acupuncture, Acupressure, Laser-Puncture,
Cupping, Gua Sha (scraping technique), Essential Oils, Sound
Therapy, Counseling, Diet, Detoxification/Cleansing, Neurolink,
Neuro-Emotional Technique and Professional-Grade Supplements.
Other Services: Business assessments/Group Treatments, Custom
Inservices/Seminars. Group Smoking-Cessation, Group WeightLoss, Group Stress-Relief and General Group Treatments. Grocery
Store Visits, Allergy Desensitization Treatments, Personal
Consultation.
What is Acupuncture and how does it work?
The use of sterile, hair-thin, one-time use needles placed in
points of lower electrical resistance with the intention of moving
energy, drawing energy/attention to the area, stimulating function,
releasing endorphins and in concert with other points, to create
specific effects in the body.
Are there different kinds of Acupuncture and Acupuncturists?
YES! It is important that you consult with a potential
Acupuncturist before entering into a Patient-Practitioner
relationship. Find out if they’re licensed, how long they’ve been in
practice, what styles of acupuncture they use and what that entails
(as you would with a massage therapist, that Acupuncturist’s style
may not mesh with your preferences). It is also important to
develop rapport with one another. Don’t expect it to happen all at
once, but get an idea of how you relate with one another. A
reasonable initial consult may last 5-10 minutes and this may
happen on your first call or if the Practitioner is busy, on a callback or scheduled consult time.
What is a Natural Medicine Practitioner and how do they
differ from a Doctor or Physician?
A Natural Medicine Practitioner may be a Naturopath, a
Holistic Chiropractor, Acupuncturist/Chinese Medicine
Practitioner, Ayurvedic Practitioner or other licensed clinician who
uses all natural means in their treatment arsenal.
A Doctor or Physician prescribes medications, most often
synthetic and symptom-based. Doctors often say they want to
diagnose the root/cause of a problem but the diagnosis often “says”
otherwise.
Causes of Disease
To fully recover from a chronic health issue, it is often
important to identify the underlying causes or roots of the problem.
The body has many cues that lead an Acupuncturist to know what
is going on and thus, what to do in treatment as well as what to
suggest to you to do at home…and what NOT to do! Quite simply,
remove what leads to the imbalance or what “offends” the system
and add what is missing. Here is a list of some of the causes of
disease:
-Pathogens (yeast, fungi, mold, bacteria, virus, parasites, etc)
-Environmental Factors (damp basements, extreme heat, etc)
-Emotional Factors (getting stuck in anger, sadness, etc)
-Poor Diet (as with many, can be triggers and/or causes)
-Poor Sleep
-Hormonal Imbalance (can be a symptom or a cause)
-Toxins (heavy metals, endo-toxins, chemical, etc)
-Genetic or Constitutional (due to our recent understanding of
“epigenetics,” there are external factors that trigger genes to be
expressed…OR NOT.
It is important to not get caught up in labels. Too often, people
border on or “become” their disease label. “Well, MY
fibromyalgia…” or “My Migraines…” It is important to realize
that YOU are responsible for making choices that lead to your
present state…and where you will go from here. This is what
makes your choice of care so important…and why there is so much
value built-in to a solid Patient-Practitioner relationship. A healthy
body, mind and spirit lead to a life that many didn’t even dream of
living. Are you going to choose the status quo or more of the same
or are you going to expand your possibilities?
In today’s world, sadly, most of you have stopped reading by now.
If you haven’t, you are likely a solid candidate for this kind of
care. Don’t take this the wrong way. Many different people
benefit in some way from Acupuncture and Natural Medicine, but
the Patients who invest in themselves and don’t whine, rationalize
and make excuses are the ones who most often reach their goals!
Commit to care and avoid dabbling, self-diagnosis and hopping
from one kind of care to another. And as much as it makes sense
at times to utilize a couple different kinds of care, it is unwise to
over-do it. Discuss this with your Practitioner so that you are both
on the same page. To do anything else may be a waste of time and
energy.
Good luck on your path and remember to seek and learn all the
lessons along the way. You do this by living in the moment and
opening your senses and paying attention.