Classical Acupuncture
CHRONIC DISEASE & PAIN RELIEF
Classical Acupuncture is a complete practice that can address and support any health issue you may have. Whether you suffer from an autoimmune condition or are healing from a sprained ankle, the complement channels give us multiple ways to stimulate the body’s self-healing mechanisms. At each visit, we will discuss your current state and what you would like to work on. I will select the most appropriate channels to meet your needs.
If you are in the Hi-Desert area of the Morongo Basin, Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twenty-Nine Palms or Landers, I am available for in-person acupuncture treatment. If you are anywhere else in the world, we can conduct treatment remotely. Please contact me via phone (562 477 5045) or email (contact@commonwayacupuncture.com) to see if my approach is a good fit for you. Before any treatment, you will complete new patient paperwork: a brief health history and sign the informed consent form.
In-Person Acupuncture
Once you arrive, we will talk about your health concerns. I will listen to your pulses and assess your tongue and follow the map your body presents for treatment. Depending on which group of acupuncture channels we use, treatment times can vary and other modalities like cupping, gua sha, or moxa may be used. For initial visits, plan on 75 minutes and 60 minutes for follow-up visits.
Initial treatment: $120.00
Follow-up treatments: $90.00
Remote Acupuncture
These sessions work like in-person ones, except we meet via Zoom or phone call, and there is no manual insertion of needles. Remote treatments fully embrace the energetic origins of acupuncture before the advent of needles. As with in-person treatments, you will submit paperwork prior to our meeting, and we will talk over your health concerns. I will listen to your pulses, assess your tongue, and then follow the map your body presents for treatment. It is an energetic tuning—a kind of meditation together. You will need to have a peaceful environment in which to rest and relax. For initial visits, plan on 75 minutes and 60 minutes for follow-up visits.
Initial treatment: $120.00
Follow-up treatments: $80.00
The following modalities may be included when they are essential to your treatment.
Cupping
Cupping is a manual treatment that involves glass or plastic cups attached to the body via suction. Sometimes people describe it as a “reverse massage”: massage presses into the tissue, while cupping pulls up on the tissue. Glass cups use heat to extinguish the oxygen inside the cup, so it can attach to the skin surface. Plastic cups use a hand pump to achieve the same effect—one is not better than the other. Cupping helps relieve musculoskeletal pain and tightness to promote healing. It can also assist in detoxifying the body.
This modality almost always leaves marks that look like circular bruises and can be tender for a day or two, but these areas usually resolve within a week of treatment. If they do not, it can help us understand your body’s strengths and weaknesses even better.
Gua Sha
Gua sha is a manual treatment that involves the use of a blunt tool to scrape the skin surface. It is widely used in a variety of Asian and indigenous cultures, and the tools vary from animal horns to soup spoons, shells, stones, and even coins. This technique helps relieve musculoskeletal pain and tightness and promotes healing. The “sha” refers to the redness of the skin that results from the friction created. Similar to the bruises with cupping, you can expect the area to be discolored and a little tender afterward.
Moxa
Moxa, or moxibustion, is a treatment that involves burning herbs near or on the body that contain warming properties. Moxa is often compressed into sticks that are held close to an acupuncture point but away from the skin. The main herb is artemisia, also known as mugwort, but other herbs are sometimes mixed in as well. The use is wide-ranging, as it warms the area, improving circulation, reducing swelling, enhancing immunity, and stopping pain. At CWA, I most often use stick moxa.
FAQ
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a treatment modality in which fine, sterile needles are inserted into the body to restore function. The needles are disposable, single-use, and made of steel; they are known as “filiform” needles, as opposed to “hollow bore” needles that are used for drawing blood or injecting vaccines. Acupuncture is minimally invasive and very safe to use.
Sometimes, people may experience bruising or bleeding as a result, but these side effects typically resolve quickly. Other “side effects” include deep relaxation and improvements in sleep, mood, and energy. People often report greater clarity and awareness.
What is the difference between in-person and remote treatments?
In-person treatments involve direct needle insertion and physical assessment, while remote treatments focus on energetic tuning through meditation and discussion. Both methods aim to balance your body’s energy and promote healing. Remote sessions offer a convenient option for those unable to visit in person.
How do I prepare for treatment?
Come with a sense of openness and willingness to see what arises in our conversation. Make sure you have eaten something prior, though not too much. Wear loose-fitting clothing that’s easy to move away from arms and legs.
Does it hurt?
Acupuncture
No, not really, but it’s possible some people may experience it as painful. People have differing thresholds of what might be considered painful. Papercuts tend to be much more painful than acupuncture. The point of needling, however, is not to cause a person more discomfort, although there are some techniques that are intentionally strong and areas of the body that are simply more sensitive.
More often than not, people remark how comfortable it is and regret putting it off for so long due to a fear of needles.
Cupping
It can be strong and uncomfortable but often the relief far exceeds the discomfort.
Gua Sha
It can be strong and uncomfortable but often the relief far exceeds the discomfort.
How many treatments will I need?
Every single person and case is truly unique and what works for some may not work for others. It is difficult to predict how quickly one will respond to acupuncture or dietary treatments, as their efficacy depends on multiple factors. Usually, more chronic conditions require longer courses of treatment, whereas acute ones do not.
For almost any condition, I would ask that you allow for at least 4 treatments for us to see how well it is working and whether or not we are on the right track. For long-term conditions, thinking in terms of a 90-day cycle is useful; it is a time frame that corresponds to a deep reset in our constitution.
Do you accept insurance?
No. I do not take insurance of any kind.
Healing Tools
Take the Next Step Towards Wellness
Are you struggling with a health issue? Or have you tried acupuncture before and found it didn’t help as much as you thought? Contact me to see if this approach is a good fit for you.
