ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture, Hypnoacupuncture, Dry Needling

The focus of an acupuncture treatment is to restore your overall well being, instead of individual symptoms. Your whole self is returned to balance, including physical symptoms of discomfort or pain as well as your emotional health.
Initially, it may require several weekly visits to address your primary concern, but then many people opt to come in for regular monthly visits or once every couple months, for "tune-ups" because it helps them maintain their good pattern of health.

When you come in for a visit, you should expect to go over your comprehensive health history. There will be an evaluation and treatment plan discussed. Includes acupuncture, nutritional guidance and herbal recommendations. Adjunctive therapies, such as dry needling, electric stimulation, cupping, gua sha or moxibustion may be used, if your condition requires. Dry needling IS acupuncture, but within the context of an acupuncture treatment, it is part of the overall treatment plan, and not a singular technique.

Combining acupuncture with hypnosis will shift you into positive changes more quickly than either would alone. The sessions work at a much deeper level, bringing you into relaxation, where you can start to unwind some patterns of physiological or emotional beliefs and behaviors. Packages of 3-sessions or 5- sessions are recommended.

 Pediatric Treatment

All pediatric sessions require the presence of a parent or guardian for the duration of the treatment. If you feel more comfortable discussing your child’s health concern with Dr. Katin privately before the appointment, please make arrangements for a phone consultation.

Pediatric acupuncture consists of using small tools and instruments to tap, vibrate, or lightly scrape the skin. Also laser acupuncture can be used. Needles may or may not be needed for the treatment. Dr. Katin calls them
"little peeks" to make them sound less scary. 

Treatments are fun, interactive, and child-centered. A typical adult treatment consists of needles inserted and maintained for an extended period of time, but that is hardly ever the case with children. 

Pediatric acupuncture incorporates a variety of non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques, including:

• Shonishin techniques to stimulate the skin and meridians

• Pediatric tui na (massage)

• If acupuncture needles are used, they are a quick in and out insertion, not retained

• Dietary counseling

• Lifestyle counseling (sleep, meditation, etc)

What to expect in a course of treatment:

• Intake and comprehensive health history

• Detailed discussions about diet, sleep, life at home, school, socialization

• Physical exam and assessment from Chinese Medicine perspective

• Treatment planning and follow through

Dr. Katin regularly works with pediatric patients from newborns to teenagers on a variety of issues and conditions:

• Acute musculoskeletal injuries

• Behavioral and emotional issues

• Coughs, colds, ear infections

• Digestive imbalances (upset stomachs and constipation/diarrhea)

• Eczema and rashes

• Sleeping issues (including bedwetting)

• Supporting chronic conditions/autoimmune diseases such as migraines, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

It is not imperative for children to have acupuncture needles. Some children are willing to try it, and find that they enjoy the relaxed state during treatment. Herbal medicine is often a helpful addition to addressing your child’s ailment.

COSMETIC ACPUNCTURE & MICRONEEDLING

Cosmetic acupuncture includes facial gua sha and/or cupping. A series of cosmetic acupuncture treatments can:

Erase fine lines, diminish deeper wrinkles; Lift sagging eye lids, reduce bags/circles;

Firm jowls and minimize double chin; Improve muscle tone and increase collagen production;

Eliminate puffiness by improving metabolism and eliminating excess fluids; Improve hormonal balance, benefits acne;

Increase circulation of blood and lymph to the face and improves facial color; Moisturize the skin and tighten pores;

Significantly reduce the appearance of scars and age spots; Reduce appearance of stress on the face;

Promote overall health and well being

Package of 5 sessions (recommended) for $900. Individual session $195

We are now introducing micro-needling in our clinic, otherwise known as collagen induction therapy (CIT) for skin rejuvenation. It is beneficial for all skin types, and can allow for new collagen and elastin in the skin to form in the dermis, in order to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, reduce acne scarring and pore size, and lighten up sun damaged skin. It is also used successfully for thinning hair or hair loss.

This procedure is performed with an AcuMicro Plus device that creates small channels into the skin surface and allows for improved absorption of skin products.

Nanoneedling is another option for those with thinner, more mature skin, or for the delicate skin around the eyes. Instead of micro-needles, the nanoneedles are shallow silicone tips that do not puncture the skin.

The procedure takes 45-60 minutes, and is individualized for your particular concerns and skin issues. We use custom formulated hyaluronic serums during your treatment, and will provide you with detailed after-care instructions and products to take home.

Like all procedures, there are contraindications for micro-needling, and you will be screened prior to having your appointment to insure that it is a safe and appropriate technique for you.

Once a month for 3-6 months is recommended for best results.

Package of 4 sessions available for $980 (savings of $200). Individual session $295

Scalp only treatment: $275

Nanoneedling only: $225

HERBAL MEDICINE

Herbal medicine shares properties of many spices you have in your pantry, shifting your body in subtle, gentle, & positive ways. Dr. Katin only uses herbs that go under the most strict analysis in the USA for pesticides, heavy metals, and adulteration. The companies she works with ensure purity, safety and potency in their herbal extracts by following standards of current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO).

The herbs used in Chinese formulas include roots, bark, leaves, branches, flowers, and minerals. Some examples of Chinese herbs are cinnamon, ginger, dates, gou ji berries, mulberry leaf, fruit, bark, and root. Herbal formulations are always made up of several herbs since they have synergy and specific effect when combined together. Herbs are never dispensed as one single herb at a time.

Dr. Katin is well aware of contraindications and cautions required if you are taking prescription medications. Generally speaking, there are very few medications that can be negatively impacted by Chinese herbs, but you can be assured that your safety will never be compromised.

You may take them in the form of a raw tea decoction, granule powders that you mix with water, a liquid tincture, or as a pill or tablet, depending on what suits you best. In some instances, a liquid extract or raw herbal tea may be custom ordered for you, which can take about a week to arrive in the mail.

ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES

Gua Sha

Gua sha is a technique that involves scraping your skin with a massage tool to improve your circulation, eliminate chronic pain, and stimulate microcirculation. Generally a smooth piece of jade is used, but Dr. Katin swears by her trusty porcelain soup spoon.

It is common to see some red or purple bruising on your skin after a gua sha treatment. This is a normal reaction, and will fade over a few days. The self-care required in the 24-hours after gua sha is to make sure that your skin is not exposed to drafts or cold air or cold water.

The benefits of gua sha range from reducing pain to alleviating a head cold to calming anxiety, so it is often incorporated into treatments.

Cupping

Cupping therapy is not exclusively a technique used in Chinese medicine. It has been used by many cultures, and patients often comment that it was something that their grandmother used to do when they were sick as a child.

People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.

Like gua sha, it may leave some mild bruising, and the same after care is recommended.

Moxibustion

Generally speaking moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which dried plant materials called "moxa" are burned on or very near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm and invigorate the flow of Qi in the body and dispel certain pathogenic influences.

Moxa is usually made from the dried leafy material of Chinese mugwort (Artemesia argyi).

There are many forms of moxa: direct moxa is when the practitioner places small rice-grain sized or cones of moxa directly on the skin, once it has been protected with a layer of cream to prevent a burn. Indirect moxa is in the form of a cigar-looking pole, where the end is first ignited with a lighter or candle, and the practitioner holds the stick close to but not touching the skin, until the patient feels a warm sensation. Another form of moxa treatment doesn’t include heating the herbs with fire at all, instead a powder of herbs is made into a paste, and taped on the skin. My blog has some more details about this form, which is called San Fu Jiu moxibustion.

When is Moxibustion used?

Moxibustion is used for:

• Pain due to injury or arthritis, especially in "cold" patterns where the pain naturally feels better with the application of heat

• Digestive problems

• Gynecological and obstetrical conditions, including breech presentation in late term pregnancy

• Protection against cold and flu strains

• Dr. Katin also uses moxa for patients undergoing chemotherapy, as it can assist the body to protect bone marrow damage from chemo