When COVID-19 hit and patients retreated to their homes to shelter in place, there was an overwhelming need for patient-centered health care…without touch and without acupuncture needles!
“How can this happen?”
Well, I thought the same thing. I have never separated my modalities before. I offer: diet/lifestyle counseling, Western and Eastern herbal prescriptions, acupuncture, heat therapy, essential oil and an ancient perspective on Western medicine disease processes in a our modern world.
There is so much to talk about!
The majority of my in-person patients receive acupuncture and/or heat therapy. These are wonderful, helpful tools. However, I’ve noticed that my telemedicine clients benefit from visits even though there is no direct contact!
How?
There are many methods of diagnosis in Chinese/Japanese medicine. First is looking: at the tongue and someone’s physiognomy. What does someone’s body shape indicate? The ancient art of face reading is particularly helpful in this context. I have done extensive education in this area to help my patients during this time of need by expanding my clinical facial, tongue and physiognomy diagnostic skill set
There is so much information that my patients and I exchange, it is difficult to quantify. When patients come in for an acupuncture visit, I spend my time utilizing hands-on diagnostic techniques in addition to the therapy of acupuncture.
However, when I see people for a telemedicine appointment, our time is just as rich. I can spend time answering detailed queries such as:
“What is my constitution, and how does it play into my ‘disease’ process?”
“Tell me about the Chinese perspective on antibiotics, vaccines, health and wellness.”
“What is the difference between a medicinal diet and a lifelong diet?
The questions go on and on as people learn more about their condition and constitution. There is no shortage of topics to cover or information to convey.
There is a tendency to put an Oriental medicine practitioner into the box of “Acupuncturist”. This is akin to equating a Western primary care physician to a “pill pusher”. Hopefully, Western medical physicians have more tools than just pharmaceuticals, just as an “acupuncturist” has so many more tools than simply needles.
Fertility patients and I spend telemedicine appointments going over their BBT charts, in addition to other fertility signs and symptoms. I explain and order laboratory results, examine diet/lifestyle patterns, review herbal and nutritional therapy, and so much more during telemedicine appointments.
Many of my patients are continuing to see me in person during the pandemic. Some people have traded their in-person appointments for telemedicine consultations and the results have been very gratifying!
This pandemic has opened up worlds for me and my patients alike. If you are afraid to leave your home, or if you live hours away and want to work with me, or you want to work with your health in a non-acupuncture-oriented visit, the door is wide open!
Take the step through, you will be happy you did!
To make a telemedicine appointment simply click here!
