Why acupuncture?

Acupuncture has been shown to strengthen our body’s resistance to disease and restore the normal function of our internal systems. It is a longstanding means of achieving and maintaining a healthy state of mind and body. In fact, East Asian medicine is the oldest system of medicine on record; it is a time-tested and safe option for wellness and prevention.

How many treatments will I need?

It varies and depends on what you are coming in for. Acupuncture actually works in a cumulative way. Consider each treatment as a “dose.” Each treatment builds upon the prior treatments. For general wellness, you are welcome to come as often as you feel is necessary. However, if the goal is to treat a more chronic condition, a temporary, regular schedule will be necessary to get back on track. Developing a system of maintenance is also an important component to deciding on a treatment frequency. For example, if you are prone to symptomatic flair-ups, you want to schedule appointments so that you come in for a treatment before your symptoms flair. In my experience, many people’s maintenance “sweet spot” is every other week, once monthly, or bimonthly, depending on the condition.
This is a lot of information, but we will work together to find a treatment frequency that works best for you and your lifestyle.

What do I wear to a treatment?

Come wearing comfortable clothes. During the treatment, you will be lying on a treatment table between two sheets, similar to a massage, so for most treatments, you will be undressed to your comfort level.

What does a treatment look like?

During the first appointment, we will spend the first part doing an initial evaluation during which I will take your health history and ask questions about your health and well-being. Chinese medicine views the body as a holistic ecosystem where everything is connected so regardless of what you are coming in for, be prepared to answer questions about your overall health (digestion, sleep patterns, etc.). These questions are designed to inform me how to best approach your treatment. We will then transition into the treatment phase of the session.

What does acupuncture feel like?

Good news! Acupuncture does not hurt. Upon insertion of the pin, a tiny pinch might be felt, but many people do not feel anything at all. After the insertion, it is common to feel a temporary, dull heaviness at the point of insertion. This is a therapeutic sensation. In general, the most common report I receive is a feeling of calm throughout the body. I will be present at the treatment to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Can I use acupuncture in conjunction with western medicine?

Yes! In some cases, acupuncture works very well alone. In other cases, I strongly encourage you to use it in conjunction with western medicine. When used in conjunction with conventional treatments, it often leads to better outcomes. 

Do you take insurance?

Upon request, I can email you an insurance receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. However, I currently do not process insurance claims internally.

What is True North’s Privacy Policy?

At True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC, we value the privacy and security of your health information. To safeguard your health information, we strictly follow the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA sets national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and personal health information. This notice describes how patient health information is used and disclosed. It also describes how a patient can access his or her health information. In this document, “you” refers to the client.

 True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC, gathers personal information and health information in the information we receive from you, the information we receive from other healthcare providers, and the information we receive from third party payers. Protected Health Information (PHI) is any information that includes demographic information, information gathered during your appointment as it relates to your past, present, and future physical or mental health; or past, present, or future payments for healthcare services.

 You should be aware that during the course of our relationship with you, we will only use and disclose health information about you for the purposes of treatment, payment and healthcare operations.

 Responsibilities of True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC:

The practitioner is required to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with a copy of this Notice of Privacy Policies. The responsibility of the practitioner is to protect your privacy by limiting who can see your PHI, limit how we may use or disclose your PHI, inform you of our legal duties with respect to you PHI, explain our Privacy Policy, strictly adhere to the policies in affect, and notify you promptly if a breech occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your health information

 Without your consent or authorization, True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC, may disclose information about you only to the following groups for the specific purposes: to a public health agency, for a purpose such as controlling diseases, to a hospital in the case of a medical emergency should you need prompt medical services, to a personal representative, who, under applicable law, has the authority with your agreement, to represent you in making decisions related to your healthcare, in case of suspected child abuse, to the appropriate governmental authority, in other cases of suspected abuse, to the appropriate governmental authority, with your agreement or if required by law, or if you are incapacitated or it appears necessary to prevent serious harm to you or others, to health oversight committees, for regulatory, licensing, and other legal purposes, in litigation, subject to certain requirements controlling the terms of this disclosure, to comply with the law or respond to legal actions or lawsuits, for medical research purposes, subject to your authorization or approval by an institutional review board, or if you are in the U.S. military or national security, to your authorized superiors or other authorized federal officials.

True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC, will follow the terms of this notice and advise you if it is unable to comply with a request you may make regarding the use of your health information. True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC, reserves the right to amend their privacy policies at any time and will notify you of any amendments. True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC will not use or disclose your health information without your written consent except in one of the situations described in this notice.

Patient’s Right to Health Information:

Access to Health Information: Your health record is owned by True North Acupuncture and Wellness, PLLC. However, the content is always available for you to review. You have the right to request a copy of your patient file.

Amend or Supplement: Although you cannot change your existing record, you can add notes or comments to your health information. The practitioner then has the right to respond to your amendments.

Restriction Requests: You can request that we not use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree with your request, and we may deny your request if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will agree unless a law required us to share that information. In addition, you have the right to get a list of those whom we’ve shared information with.

Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that you receive confidential communications or your health information from us in a specific way or at a specific location. We will agree to all reasonable requests.

Choose Someone to Act for You: If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information

Please share any complaints about this Notice of Privacy Practices or how this practice handles your health information with us.