Cost per treatment: $25 (Dr. Josephine Lee)

Acupuncture addresses homeostasis, which is the body’s ability to maintain balance. The body that is out of balance electromagnetically becomes ill and expresses specific symptoms. The practice of acupuncture is based on the Traditional Chinese Medical theory of meridians. According to this theory, “qi” or vital energy and blood circulate in the body through a system of electromagnetic energy channels called meridians—connecting internal organs with external organs or tissues. Symptoms of discomfort occur when these energy channels are out of balance similar to an out-of-tune radio with poor reception. By stimulating certain points on the body’s surface through needling, the flow of qi and blood can be regulated and symptoms are thus eliminated. These stimulation points are called acupuncture points or acupoints. The very thin needles are usually left in the acupoints for approximately 15-30 minutes. Typically, patients do not experience pain while the needles are being inserted into the acupoints. Acupuncture has been found to be effective in relieving pain and many common complaints such as headache, allergies, indigestion and/or emotional stress.

Unlike hot lasers (used in surgical procedures and hair removal), which cause thermal changes and destroy tissue, cold lasers are not capable of inducing thermal changes in tissue. They apply a stimulative effect rather than a destructive one. The use of cold laser is increasing in popularity within the physical therapy and medical fields. The clinical applications of the low-power laser include: acute and chronic pain reduction, acute and chronic inflammation reduction, enhanced tissue healing, cell regeneration, and an increase of individual cell uptake of nutrition. Among specific conditions to which cold laser application is made are lymphatic drain, TMJ, head and face pain, migraine and tension headaches, neck and shoulder pain, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, arthriticarpal tunnel, sciatic pain, and athletic injuries.