Santa Fe Community Acupuncture, LLC

It's History and Training Requirements

This very effective medicine all began in China over 4,000 years ago. Through the ages,
word spread around the Far East (Japan, Korea, India) then on to Russia, the rest of
Europe and finally to the United States. Currently, there are over 18,000 practitioners
around the US who are called - Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Oriental Medical  Physician,
Oriental Medical Doctor, Licensed Acupuncturist, and Registered Acupuncturists
(depending on the state).

In order to achieve practitioner status each acupuncturist must complete over 3,500 or
more hours of training - which equals 3-4 years (Eastern, Western, theoretical and clinical components) and pass the National Certification Commission of Oriental
Medicine (NCCAOM) exams in all aspects of the medicine, including herbs.

What to expect in a session:

• Establish where the DIS-harmony is
  present in the patient by: reviewing
  their medical history, understanding
  their chief complaint (why is the
  patient coming in for treatment)
  performing tongue and pulse
  diagnoses, observing the patient and
  recording their palpation responses
• Construct a Chinese Medical
  Diagnosis
• Outline a treatment protocol (which
  acupuncture points will be needled
  and what other materials will be
  applied)
• Perform an appropriate treatment
• Evaluate lifestyle factors that are
  playing a part in the patient's
  disharmony
• Make recommendations based on
  their lifestyle
• Establish a treatment goal - how
  many sessions & how long the
  patient needs to receive treatment.

Material used:

1. Disposable needles (used only once)

                                Picture of Pen and needle

              2.Cups (suction treatment to move energy)

               3. E-stim (micro current applied to the
                   needles)

                4. Electric warmer (in place of moxa) helps   

                   to tonify andincrease white blood cells for  the immune system, and warm the body)

5. Guasha - a scraping done on the
upper part of the back to clear
pathogens or illness)

6. Shonishin kit - for needle less
treatment for sensitive individuals or
children - Japanese in origin

7. Herbs - a powerful way to
complement the acupuncture
treatment or used by itself (I usually
use the tablet or linament forms)

8. Ask about other materials - the above
are the primary ones used in my
treatments

How Does Acupuncture Work?

The body consists of a network of meridians
or vessels which cover all surfaces and all
areas (head, face, ears, neck, arms, legs,
and back). There are over 365 acupuncture
points (acu points) on the body - all are
named in Chinese and English and come
with a numbering system as well.  The QI
(ENERGY) BLOOD, YIN and YANG all fill and
flow through these passageways keeping
the body functioning optimally.  When these
substances and the organs are in harmony -
there is no pain, weakness, fatigue, stress
(emotional or physical), nausea, female
issues, headaches, allergies, etc.....

The whole aim of oriental medicine
is to balance the body and create a state of
wellbeing. This is achieved by tonifying what
is deficient, reducing or draining what is
excess or needs to be excreted and restoring
the optimal balance of Yin and Yang in the
body.  In addition correcting organ
disharmonies is an integral goal within each
treatment, which encompasses physical,
emotional and spiritual manifestation(s) or
symptoms the patient may be having at that
time (ie pain in their knee, fear, sadness,
stress, reproductive difficulties, etc).

SANTA FE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE, LLC