How do Chinese herbal medicine office visits work?

Prior to your initial office visit we will mail you a form to fill out and bring with you to your first visit. At the initial office visit we will meet with you to discuss your specific health concerns and goals, cover the traditional assessments such as pulse and tongue examination and discuss the patterns that are present from the traditional Chinese medicine viewpoint. We will begin to look at ways to address these patterns that may include herbal formulas, Medical Qigong, foods, exercise, and bodywork as indicated.

What happens after the first office visit?

After the office visit we will compose an individualized herbal formula for you, which will then be prepared with concentrated herb granules in a manner that supports the character and quality of our therapeutic goals. We will write an overview of what we discussed at the office visit along with instructions for the herbal combination and mail it to you or put it out for you to pick up along with the beginning herbs. Two to four weeks after the initial visit we meet again for the second office visit. At the second visit we review your situation, cover the traditional assessments, discuss the applications that we covered in the first visit, modify the herbal formula (as you change the herbs need to change), and move to the next step of the plan. This is the basic format that is followed at each of the following visits.

What form do the herbs come in?

We use high quality concentrated herb granules from companies such as Sun Ten and KPC that have been serving the profession for many years. The herbs are gathered by their personnel throughout China and brought to the US or Taiwan. The concentrated herb granules are prepared in state of the art facilities and then tested by outside laboratories to exceed the safety and quality standards in the field. This process preserves volatile oils that are often lost when the bulk herbs are prepared by decoction. It is our experience that the highest quality herbs get the best results. 

How often do I come in to an office visit?

The usual spacing of subsequent office visits varies from 2-8 weeks apart, depending on the situation. This means that someone may initially come in every 2-3 weeks for a short while and then move to increased time in between the office visits. Our goal is to address the major health patterns that are present, while providing you with the tools and means to increase your self-sufficiency and maintain your health.