Phillip Ward L.Ac.
Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
"Life is more fun when we feel good!"
Treatments
Every treatment is designed specifically for you to encourage healing, internal balance, and heightened awareness.
Acupuncture
The ancient healing system of acupuncture and herbal medicine is vast and absolutely amazing! According to The Yellow Emperors Classic of Medicine, the practice of acupuncture dates back to around 100 BCE. However, an awareness of the specific acupuncture points and meridian system is much older. In 1991, the remains of a body was found immersed in ice between Austria and Italy. It was determined that the "ice man" had last walked the earth around 3300 BCE. To the researchers surprise he was marked with 57 tattoos, all of which were located near known acupuncture sites that treat disorders he was coping with such as osteoarthritis. The discovery of this ice man suggest that knowledge of acupuncture points have existed for nearly 5300 years! Our ice friend was also carrying a pouch containing polypore mushrooms that when boiled into a tea have anti-inflammatory properties that would also assist him with treating osteoarthritis.
If needles make you nervous there is no need to fret they are the size of a hair. You can fit 20-30 acupuncture needles into one syringe needle that is used at your local blood bank.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is an ancient system that has countless applications. Even though I encourage all of my patients to choose natural, herbal medicine when possible sometimes stronger prescription drugs are necessary for their condition. Fortunately we can often find a nice balance of both herbs and pharmaceuticals to best treat the disease. That is the beauty of herbal medicine, we can use the herbs to rebuild the system and counter negative side effects of the pharmaceuticals while also treating the disease. Combining herbal medicine with western pharmaceuticals is a common practice in China, and is quite effective if done with a watchful eye.
Herbal consultations can be scheduled without an acupuncture treatment.
Nutritional Counseling
Proper nutrition for your specific body type and lifestyle are essential for obtaining optimal health. With so many contradicting ideas about what we should eat it is easy to get overwhelmed with food choices. In our practice proper nutrition is often encouraged even before herbal medicine is prescribed. This promotes better eating habits, improved overall health, and at the end of the day it is one last pill that you have to take. Blood panels are strongly suggested (but not required) in order to get an honest picture of what nutrients are truly missing in your diet. A blood test informs us of exactly what you need and prevents you from taking loads of unnecessary supplements. For example, around 45% of the American population is deficient in magnesium. Over 300 enzymes require magnesium to function properly. But with or without a blood panel we will always encourage you to eat that which will best serve you in your chosen lifestyle. The best "diet" is a healthy lifestyle that you are willing to follow.
Nutrition Consultations and personalized health plans can be scheduled without an acupuncture treatment.
