One of the most common complaints I hear from my patients is that they feel like they never get to spend enough time with their health care providers. When they go to their appointments they aren't able to explain what all of their symptoms are or ask their questions, and there is little time, if any, allotted for physical examination. Intuitively they understand that a proper diagnosis takes time. As it is today, most health care providers spend approximately five or ten minutes with each patient and they see dozens of individuals per day. In contrast to that I usually spend between an hour and an hour-and-a-half with you and usually see just five or six individuals per day. One of my most important jobs is to conduct a thorough intake so that I can understand not only the kinds of symptoms that you have, but also the underlying root cause, and that just takes time. I have a single treatment room and work with only one patient at a time. Because I don't overlap appointments, I can give you my full attention. Plus, I intentionally allot plenty of time for each appointment, allowing me to work in an unhurried manner so that I can focus on you, my patient. This gives me time to conduct a thorough intake and examination and make a proper diagnosis. I also have time to answer all of your questions, explain your diagnosis and treatment plan, discuss your health care goals, and give you advice about dietary and lifestyle changes that you can do to help facilitate healing. If needed, I even have time to do all of the other things I do besides acupuncture, such as tui na, cupping, and moxibustion (see below). These are traditional hands-on treatments that practitioners of Chinese medicine are trained to do and I find that they greatly improve my patient's results. When you see an Acupuncturist you are really seeing a practitioner of Chinese medicine. Like physicians, our education is very extensive, requiring pre-medical studies and years of graduate school, plus clinical practice, national licensing examinations, and continuing education. While in school we learn so much more than just acupuncture and I feel I owe it to my patients to utilize all the tools I have available to help them feel better. Plus, I find that my patients get better results if I combine acupuncture with these other therapies, especially in the case of pain, which is the most common reason people come in. Some of the many traditional techniques that I do include tui na (Chinese medical massage), cupping (glass orbs suctioned to the skin), moxibustion (smoldering herbs used to warm acupuncture points), and acupressure (applying manual pressure to the acupuncture points), plus the application of plasters (medicated herbal patches) and liniments (medicated herbal oils applied topically). We are also trained to offer dietary and lifestyle advice and in herbal formulation. I find custom herbal formulas to be more targeted and effective than pre-made herbal pills so I prescribe them quite often. The average price for Acupuncture in Asheville is $95 for an initial appointment and $75 for a follow-up. At the upper end some even charge $135 for an initial and $85 for a follow-up. In contrast to that I charge just $70 and $55. Many patients come in for chronic conditions that require a series of treatments so I also offer package discounts, and I even have special rates for children and seniors. Though I must cover all of the expenses of running an office, I work hard to keep my rates affordable without sacrificing the quality of what I do. I could charge less if I saw more patients per day and spent less time and effort with them. However, I really prefer to do fewer, higher quality treatments because I find that my patients get better results in a shorter amount of time. Another important part of my work is donating my time as a practitioner for free to local non-profit organizations like Project Access. I strongly believe in giving back to my community and keeping my rates balanced allows me to do this important community service. The patient-practitioner relationship is built on trust so I conduct all of my appointments in totally private, soundproofed rooms, on a strict one-on-one basis. All treatment notes and files are kept in confidentiality in accordance with federal regulations and I will never give out your health care information without your express permission. This is not just a legal issue. I believe that privacy is an unbelievably important aspect of my work. It allows my patients to voice their true concerns and openly talk about what is really going on with them, both physically and emotionally. It also allows them to fully express their thoughts and feelings in a safe and private space, which gives me a deeper understanding about what is really going on. I find that for my patients this freedom of expression is often very healing in itself. The acupuncture treatments themselves often require privacy as well, especially if disrobing is necessary for access to the area of the body that needs to be treated, so working in a private room is actually essential to what I do. My ultimate intention is to treat you with compassion and respect. Many people hesitate to seek treatment for their conditions because they fear that they will be judged or criticized by their health care providers. Some have even been dismissed or trivialized with damaging results. I understand that my role is not to judge you, but to care for you and help you achieve your goals. I want to work with you no matter who you are and no matter what your current health status is. I firmly believe that it is never too late to improve your level of wellness. Compassion is a very powerful concept and is the heart of my work, one that I think is essential to true heath care. As the famous Dr. Francis Peabody said in his final lecture, "The secret in the care of the patient is to care for the patient."

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