As we navigate the implications of COVID-19, Desert Song wants to make sure we are doing all we can to support your health and the health of our amazing teachers. We are offering over 34 online classes a week to help maintain your health.
Desert Song Healing Arts Center
Acupuncture
Welcome to Desert Song Healing Arts. We’re excited to help you achieve optimal health!
Acupuncture is the ancient art of inserting very fine needles into specific points along meridians in the body to stimulate its innate healing ability – mostly through the nervous system. While this explanation of acupuncture agrees with most people; there are others that will want a deeper explanation of how it’s really working and to those people we say….it’s a mystery.
Regardless of the finer points of how acupuncture works, the real idea to focus on is that for 2000 years, acupuncture has worked for the multitudes to alleviate health concerns including pain. It’s doesn’t work for everybody nor all the time. But so too, western medicine and pharmaceuticals don’t work 100% of the time either. In fact, in reading many scientific studies, it is amazing that our western medical scientists will get excited about a drug that is 20% effective! That means that the drug didn’t work 80% of the time. The success rate of acupuncture is much higher than that; otherwise, it wouldn’t still be used after all these years.
Here at Desert Song Healing Arts, we offer acupuncture to help you manage your health concerns. Our acupuncturists aren’t primary care physicians and shouldn’t be seen as such. We encourage you to seek a diagnosis for your health concerns from an allopathic doctor if you are not sure what’s going on in your body. We’re here to assist you in managing your health concerns through alternative means. We believe that maintaining a practice in yoga, bodywork and acupuncture can go a long way to stave off the growing number of health problems that Americans are facing. We’re a community of health-seeking/health-minded individuals that have found a space to come together to support one another in our healthy lifestyles.
Some things to consider while contemplating acupuncture:
1. Most health concerns can be helped, and many will find some relief after one session but the idea is to receive a series of treatments to really make a difference in how you feel. In China, people receive a series of 10 treatments over several weeks for acute problems and more treatments for several months to treat chronic conditions.
2. If you’ve been diagnosed as needing a joint replacement and have pain, often times acupuncture treatments may not serve you long-term. While they may give short-term relief, if the joint is degenerated, acupuncture typically won’t stimulate the body to heal the joint. Having said that, please make sure your diagnosis for a joint replacement is accurate by getting a second opinion.
3. Acupuncture can treat a variety of health concerns. While it’s best known for alleviating pain, acupuncture can treat anything from liver disease to anxiety. If you’d like to talk about your health concerns and what acupuncture can do for you, please ask to talk with one of our acupuncturists.
4. It’s best to eat something before your treatment and stay hydrated afterwards. Please do not drink alcohol before receiving a treatment.
5. Basic facts – 1) all needles are disposable, 2) we want some sensation upon inserting a needle, not necessarily pain but sensations are considered good, 3) if the sensation doesn’t go away after insertion and you find the needle uncomfortable, please let your acupuncturist know and the needle will be removed, 4) bleeding can happen and is also often considered a positive outcome – please don’t be alarmed if you have some bleeding.
6. Cupping therapy may be discussed with you before treatment as it can leave cupping marks that may stay on your body for up to 10 days. These marks are not bruises; they are considered to be old red blood cells that have been pulled to the surface – helping the body to reabsorb them. Bruises are due to impact and broken capillaries – cupping does not break capillaries.
7. The acupuncturist may leave the room so that you can rest deeply with your needles in. You will be given a call button – please use it if you need anything at all. Please do not remove your own needles nor get up with needles still in.
8. During your initial intake, you’ll be asked many questions about your body function and history. Some of these questions may seem like they’re not related to your current health concern; however, in Chinese medicine, a thorough intake is necessary to make a correct diagnosis and determine a treatment protocol. Chinese medicine looks at and treats the entire person, not just symptoms.
9. About addictions – acupuncture is a great tool to help alleviate/reduce withdrawal symptoms from any addiction – drugs, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, etc. You are welcome to ask for the addiction protocol without disclosing more information. Just let the acupuncturist know that you’d like to include the NADA protocol which is specific points in the ears.
Thank you for choosing Desert Song to help you in your journey to achieving health and staying healthy.
Acupuncture for Mental & Emotional Wellbeing
Get to Know Massage Therapist & Acupuncturist Lori True, L.Ac., LMT
For three decades, Lori True worked as a licensed massage therapist. She worked at the acclaimed Omega Institute in New York and was a lead therapist at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale. Over her career, she developed a passion for holistic healthcare and helping people to heal their bodies which led her to pursue a Masters of Science in Acupuncture.
Since Lori is a massage therapist, she likes to integrate some body work into private sessions in addition to acupuncture. She also incorporates other Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, such as cupping, moxa, and gua sha.
Although acupuncture treats a wide range of health concerns, some people shy away from it due to a fear of needles. “People need to understand that the needles are as fine as a hair,” Lori explains. “They don’t cause a lot of sensation for patients.” In fact, in addition to healing the body, acupuncture does wonders for one’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Patients often leave sessions feeling greatly relaxed and soothed.
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
The federal law that protects the confidentiality of your health information is called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). According to law, your “protected health information” is any information about you that can identify you. This includes your name, telephone number, address, birth date and health records as well as treatment dates and times. In compliance with HIPAA, Desert Song Healing Arts protects how your health information can be used in the clinic as well as via correspondence to you by phone, fax, mail and email. Your health information will not be shared with anyone without your written consent unless required by state or federal law.
Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information: Your Protected Health Information (PHI) may be used and disclosed by your practitioner, our office staff, and others outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purposes of providing healthcare services to you, to support the operations of our clinic and any other use required by law.
Treatment: We will use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your treatments and related services. If we needed to coordinate with a third party, i.e. hospitals, home care agencies, and other physicians, we would do so only with your written authorization, if applicable. We would also disclose any information only to a person(s) specified by you in writing.
Payment: At the present time we do not work with any healthcare plans. We accept self–pay only. However, we will be more than happy to provide any needed information to you so that you may submit for reimbursement from your insurance company.
Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose, as needed, your PHI in order to support the business activities of our clinic. These activities include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, employee review activities, government audits and conducting or arranging for other business activities. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the front desk where you will be asked to sign your name. We may also call you by name in the waiting area when a practitioner is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your PHI, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment. Additionally, the clinic may contact you to follow-up on your care and inform you of treatment options or services that may be of interest to you or your family. These communications may include: postcards, letters, telephone correspondences and messages, or electronic reminders such as emails (unless you state that you do not want to receive these reminders).
We may use or disclose your PHI in the following situations without your authorization. These situations include: as required by Law, Public Health issues as required by Law, Communicable Diseases, Health Oversight, Abuse of Neglect, Food and Drug administration requirements, Legal Proceedings, Law Enforcement, Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation, Research, Criminal Activity, Military Activity and National Security, Workers’ Compensation, Inmates, requires Uses and Disclosures. Under the law, we must disclose to you and when required by the Secretary of the Department for Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of Section 164.500.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures Will Be Made Only with Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object unless required by law. You may revoke this authorization at any time in writing except in the extent that in treating you a practitioner or our clinic has taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the authorization.