What is Alternative Medicine
What can Oriental Medicine Treat? (Diseases - Pain - Trauma - Chronic - Acute - Etc.)
What are the Educational and Legal Requirements in New Mexico for DOM
What should I expect at my first appointment and treatment?
What are the side effects and possible complications of Oriental Medicine?
What qualifications should I look for when searching for a Practitioner?
What can I expect to pay for O.M. Treatments?
What type of Treatment Modalities should I expect? (Acupuncture - Medicinal Herbs - Moxa - Etc.)
How many treatments should I expect to receive?
Specializing in Acupuncture, Medicinal Herbs, and Emotions.
What I believe makes an outstanding DOM!
How Do Emotions Affect Our Health?
Possible Future Site of Clinic
Most Alternative Medicine is not some "new medicine", in fact Oriental Medicine is one of the oldest forms of healthcare in the world. Chinese Medicine dates back as far as 5000 years ago. The reason these types of medicines are labeled "Alternative" is because Western Medicine has become predominate. It is not an overstatement to say that people often view western medicine in deistic and salvitic ways. I do not mean to denigrate western medicine, in fact I have great respect and awe for it, because it is an extremely powerful and successful medicine. My point is that many people think it is the only medicine, and that all other medicines are quackery or substandard.
An analogy to Western Medicine is the microscope. The microscope can look at tissue and see its smallest components, cells. Western medicine breaks things down to their basic foundations, works at understanding very limited areas of the body, their physiology and pathology. There are doctors who specialize in almost every conceivable area of the body, for example, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Heart, Liver, Kidney, Skin, Etc. You get the picture? Western Medicine is an extremely physical science, often discounting all other aspects of life and health, for example, Chinese medicine states that our emotions and spiritual state are major factors to our health, along with stress, environment, our relationships, and our lifestyle. Western medicine does know about these things, its just when they diagnosis you these things have little meaning. Chinese Medicine looks at the whole picture. Instead of a microscope looking a small piece or aspect of your body, Chinese Medicine looks at how the whole body is functioning and relating to one another. For example, you have a headache, it could be related to your emotions, your diet, or the internal disharmony of your body.
Upon arriving you should be made to feel welcomed and wanted. Most private DOMs are very passionate about communicating effectively and treating their patients successfully. Most patients find they receive very personal and specific attention, that their concerns are taken seriously.
Comprehensive History is taken. A Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM) will not only question and study your Major Complaint, but will want to reviews your past and present medical history, your current lifestyle, diet, sleep patterns, stress levels, etc. The reason for a careful review of a person's overall physical and emotional life is because Oriental Medicine believes in diagnosing and treating the whole person. Health is more then are physical makeup, health includes every aspect of our being.
Paper Work. We just cannot get away from paperwork, yes I know it's a pain, but necessary in our modern world.
A Form to sign giving your permission to be treated.
A Form to sign that informs you about keeping your info Private (Hippa)
A medical history form to fill out
Moxabustion form to sign
Arbitration Agreement Form
Consultation with the Doctor. Usually your medical history form is reviewed, and other pertinent information is discussed.
Examination. This obviously varies according to the patients major complaint or condition. But there are a few examination methods you may never have experienced before.
The Doctor will feel you pulse on both wrists. This is a very classical and effective examination technique in Oriental Medicine. There are 28 basic pulse patterns not including many combinations or variations. It may seem strange, but over time your learn to respect it.
The Doctor will examine your tongue. Another, very classical and effective examination tool. We examine the size, shape, moisture, tongue coating, distribution of the coating, the color of the coating and tongue body, etc. The tongue often reflects our health status, and health problems.
Visual and Palpatory Examination. Varies with conditions.