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©2012 Edward Lee, L.Ac Five Element Acupuncture
How does Five Element Acupuncture different from other methods of
acupuncture?
Five Element Acupuncture is an ancient medicine that uses the principles of nature to bring the body, mind, and spirit into balance. This frees up energy so that the body can begin to heal itself. Most acupuncture practiced today focuses mainly on the energetic of the physical body. The popularity of this form of acupuncture is not surprising since Western culture and medicine has focused extensively on the physical body and we have grown accustomed to understanding disease through our bodies. However, Five Element Acupuncture goes further and looks at the state of balance in the mind and spirit.
Five Element Acupuncture is an ancient medicine that uses the principles of nature to bring the body, mind, and spirit into balance. This frees up energy so that the body can begin to heal itself. Most acupuncture practiced today focuses mainly on the energetic of the physical body. The popularity of this form of acupuncture is not surprising since Western culture and medicine has focused extensively on the physical body and we have grown accustomed to understanding disease through our bodies. However, Five Element Acupuncture goes further and looks at the state of balance in the mind and spirit.
Drink 64 oz. of water a day. (Eight cups of water, minimum.)
Dehydration is rampant and the cause of so much imbalance. We hear
this a lot for a reason: ITS TRUE!
Eat breakfast. We need fuel to be at our best and it sets up our bodies for lunch and dinner.
Go to sleep by 11pm. And asleep by ten is even better. You know that second wind we get around 11-12pm? We need to be asleep so that our bodies can use that second wind to heal.
Move. Walking, running, yoga, Pilates, biking, swimming, rollerblading, etc. Breathe hard, sweat, and get that heart beating. We are not designed to sit at computers. (Irony noted)
If you are tired, can't sleep, or have headaches, stop drinking coffee. Coffee doesn't give you energy; it only fakes it by pretending to be adrenaline.
Eat breakfast. We need fuel to be at our best and it sets up our bodies for lunch and dinner.
Go to sleep by 11pm. And asleep by ten is even better. You know that second wind we get around 11-12pm? We need to be asleep so that our bodies can use that second wind to heal.
Move. Walking, running, yoga, Pilates, biking, swimming, rollerblading, etc. Breathe hard, sweat, and get that heart beating. We are not designed to sit at computers. (Irony noted)
If you are tired, can't sleep, or have headaches, stop drinking coffee. Coffee doesn't give you energy; it only fakes it by pretending to be adrenaline.
Does insurance cover acupuncture?
Most insurance covers acupuncture but you need to check your policy to see if you are covered. Edward gives patients invoices to submit to their insurance companies for reimbursement.
How much do the sessions cost?
New patient treatments are $160-$200 for a two-hour treatment and then each follow-up treatment is $80-$100.
What can I do now?
Normally, I don't give general advice because there is no one solution to all problems. We are all different and need different adjustments to come back into balance. What is poison for one person may not affect someone else at all. That said, here are the most common helpful recommendations:
Most insurance covers acupuncture but you need to check your policy to see if you are covered. Edward gives patients invoices to submit to their insurance companies for reimbursement.
How much do the sessions cost?
New patient treatments are $160-$200 for a two-hour treatment and then each follow-up treatment is $80-$100.
What can I do now?
Normally, I don't give general advice because there is no one solution to all problems. We are all different and need different adjustments to come back into balance. What is poison for one person may not affect someone else at all. That said, here are the most common helpful recommendations:
Mind level: This has to do with how we are thinking. Obsessively
thinking about a person or situation over and over, putting off or
procrastinating what we need to do, overly focusing on past or future
events. When the mind is balanced our thinking is clear, quick and
focused on the moment; our past helps us make better decisions and
our plans for the future are flexible, ready to change if the current
situation changes.
Spirit level: The ability to feel that, despite the current situation, everything is okay. Imagine that you are at a party and there is a group of kids running around having a great time. The kids go running by laughing and yelling. They run through a gravelly area and one of the kids falls down hard. In one scenario the kid gets up, brushes the gravel from their body and even a bleeding cut on their knee, and takes off after the group of kids. This is an example of balance. Nothing is going to keep that kid from life. In the other scenario the kid gets up, looks upset, sees the blood and has a complete melt down. Mom runs over to the kid and despite all the consoling, the kid cries themself to sleep. This story gives the two ends of a spectrum of possibilities.
When the body, mind and spirit are all tended to, the body can heal at a far deeper level, which brings about not only relief of physical symptoms but also clarity of mind and a sense of well being.
Spirit level: The ability to feel that, despite the current situation, everything is okay. Imagine that you are at a party and there is a group of kids running around having a great time. The kids go running by laughing and yelling. They run through a gravelly area and one of the kids falls down hard. In one scenario the kid gets up, brushes the gravel from their body and even a bleeding cut on their knee, and takes off after the group of kids. This is an example of balance. Nothing is going to keep that kid from life. In the other scenario the kid gets up, looks upset, sees the blood and has a complete melt down. Mom runs over to the kid and despite all the consoling, the kid cries themself to sleep. This story gives the two ends of a spectrum of possibilities.
When the body, mind and spirit are all tended to, the body can heal at a far deeper level, which brings about not only relief of physical symptoms but also clarity of mind and a sense of well being.
Edward Lee, L.Ac
Five Element Acupuncture