FAQs

FAQs: Office
Time: Plan to be here about an hour. Some conditions clear immediately, some conditions require more sessions to address the underlying cause. We discuss your "prognosis" at your first visit. You are never obligated to continue, but know we have helped many people with a variety of conditions.
Costs /Coverage: We charge $100/hr. Pay at time of service with, cash, most credit cards, checks, and zelle.
Insurance: We can provide a superbill/receipt for each visit, if requested. You file it with your insurer for reimbursement. You must verify if your coverage includes acupuncture. Many health savings accounts (HSA) cover your visit at 100%! However HSA debit cards cannot be processed by Square, so please have an alternate method to pay here, then repay yourself. Medicare may, partially, reimburse (about 10%); only for low back pain.
Do I stop my medications? No, acupuncture is often a part of an overall integrated approach to healing. Please continue your medications. However, if your goal is to reduce medications, we will work with you & your prescribing physician to achieve your goal(s).
Buyer Beware! Licensed acupuncturists have over 2,000 hrs training & have passed a national exam (3day). However, MDs & others may claim proficiency without any training or after after a weekend workshop. Please choose a licensed, accredited program graduate.

FAQs: Why use acupuncture ?
1. cough, asthma, skin problems, hay fever, sore throat, runny nose, swollen eyes, grief, neck pain (metal/lung).
2. arthritis, stiff neck, lumbago back pain, sciatica, urinary problems, impotence, sprains, neuralgia's (water/kidney).
3. headaches, bitter taste, anger, women's health, over-due date, fertility, PMS, hernia (wood/liver).
4. cardiac pain, insomnia, palpitations, night sweats, nightmares, depression, anxiety (fire/heart).
5. indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, high blood pressure, diabetes, edema, vomiting, worry (earth/spleen).
plus: fortify immunity, pre- or post- surgery, stroke recovery, sports performance & more.

FAQs: General Notes
All licensed acupuncturists in the United States are trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It's a cross training in acupuncture, massage and herbal therapies. TCM uses a thick needle to go deep to get a feeling like an electrical shock at each point, known as "da chi." This is often uncomfortable for westerners. Few train in other styles. Our Acupuncturist has trained extensively in Korean Hand Therapy and two Japanese styles. Japanese Style Acupuncture uses a hairthin needle with a minimal insertion depth to achieve effective results. It's gentle & nurturing. Acupuncture Beachside is proud to offer two Japanese styles Meridian Therapy and Toyo Hari.The Toyo Hari style developed after WWII, when Japan trained it's blind men in acupuncture, women in shiatsu massage, and "sighted" herbalists in their pharmacies.
Options: We also offer non-needle options including: acupressure, gwa sha, heat, low level laser, massage, nutrition, shiatsu, tapping, therapeutic movement, & tuina. We do not stock herbs or offer injection therapy.
Movement: Ann is a certified yoga instructor, and has taught yoga since 1991.
She may incorporate gentle restorative stretches in your session.
Brain / Body Health: Ann is ReCODE 2.0 certified. t's a program developed by Dale Bredesen MD; author of "The First Survivor's of Alzheimer's" (2021) & "The End of Alzheimer's" (2017). The program emphasizes diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, and more to reverse cognitive and metabolic decline. These changes show up in standard blood work. Many of these tests are covered under medicare. It is true integrative, personalized medicine.

FAQs: Theory of How it works
By using the body's energy (Qi) to interact with the two polar principles (Yin/Yang) we achieve better balance.
In the Yin/Yang system, we use these principles to arrive at a diagnosis & treatment strategy:
1) "Constituents" Qi, Blood, Moisture, Spirit, Essence.
2) "Organ Networks" Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Liver, Kidneys.
3) "Body Climates" Wind, Damp, Dryness, Heat, Cold.
4) "Yin/Yang balance."
5) observation & evaluation of your body, face, tongue & pulses.
6) Your narrative
We treat your unique "pattern of disharmony."

FAQs: Theory of treatment
By using points along the 14 Meridian pathways (The 14 meridians have 2 center lines, and 12 lines which flow through the body in 6 yin/yang paired pathways.) We treat for depletion / congestion, or both. Depletion is weakness, fatigue, frequent illness, poor digestion or inadequate circulation. Congestion is ache, pain, tension, tenderness, irritability, or swelling.