What to expect on your first visit…
On your initial visit, we will discuss your main health focus areas and review your medical history. I will conduct a thorough consultation and exam to identify what the underlying problem or disease is and then I will formulate an individualized. treatment plan according to your main complaint, with respect to your individual constitution. This is where I get to know you and identify what might be stopping your body from optimal health. The second phase of your acupuncture or chiropractic visit is the treatment. For the chiropractic adjustment, you’ll be lying face down where gentle adjustments will be given to areas of the spine that are not moving, this will free up any blocked or immobilized areas of the spine. Most people feel much looser and more flexible in their back after this. The acupuncture treatment consists of lying face up on a comfortable table. As you lay face up, needles will be gently inserted at various points on your body, in accordance with your breath. At the moment of insertion, most patients report feeling just a light tap. Once the needles are placed, sensations that may arise include heaviness, warmth, moving, tingling, numbness, or nothing at all. This depends on the person, their condition, and the location of the points. Most people start to feel very relaxed and some even fall asleep. After about 20-40 minutes, the needles are removed.
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture restores the body back to its optimal, functional, balanced state. It takes into account how the whole person is functioning, in order to treat both the symptoms resulting from the imbalance, as well as the imbalance itself. Acupuncture produces its effects by regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person’s blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature. In the Holistic Medicine system, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle; yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major theories in Holistic Medicine are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a “balanced state” and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them.
What are Dr. Amie Shimmel Handa’s credentials/ education?
Dr. Shimmel has been practicing Acupuncture and Chiropractic for the last 32 years. She has had 11 years of post-graduate work. She did her undergraduate schooling at Wagner College where she majored in Biology. After that, she completed a 5-year doctorate degree in Chiropractic Medicine at the University of Health Sciences. She then went on to become a Fellow with the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture. Dr. Shimmel has additionally completed an Advanced Acupuncture certification course at Lincoln College. Dr. Shimmel’s distinguished credentials include her earning a Master’s Degree with high honors in Holistic Medicine and Acupuncture at the Midwest School of Oriental Medicine. She is board certified and holds a diplomat degree from the National Certification Committee of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
Does Dr. Amie Shimmel Handa accept Flex Spending Accounts( FSA) or Health Spending Accounts (HSA)?
Yes, you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for acupuncture if your employer offers it & you contribute to a Flex Spending (FSA) or Health Savings (HSA) account.
Does she accept insurance?
While we don’t accept insurance, if you have acupuncture or chiropractic coverage through your health insurance carrier, we can give you a receipt to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. To find out if you’re covered, call the number on the back of your health insurance card.