Care
Acupuncture
Fine, single-use needles placed shallowly at a few points while you rest. I use fewer needles than usual, I choose the points after we talk, and I work alongside your oncology care, never in place of it. Acupuncture does not act on a tumor or change what your oncology team has planned for it.
Who usually comes for it
People in treatment who would like a quiet hour that is only for them
People between cycles who are tired and sleeping poorly
Family members and caregivers
Services
What a visit is like, in order
- 01
Step 1: We talk
About 15 minutes on how treatment is going, your latest blood counts and anything that changed since last time.
- 02
Step 2: I choose what to do
Needles, touch or ear seeds, depending on your counts and your energy that day.
- 03
Step 3: You rest
Lying down or in a recliner, usually for 20 to 30 minutes, with a blanket. I stay close.
- 04
Step 4: We plan
A summary of what I did and a suggestion for the next visit. You decide.
Services
Before and after
Afterward people tell me they feel light, sleepy or a little sore at a needle site. A small bruise is possible, and rarely bleeding or infection, which is why I ask about your counts first.
Tell me first
Your blood counts and the date of your last blood work, blood thinners and aspirin, lymph node removal, ports and lines, a pacemaker or other implant, skin that was radiated, and any fear of needles.
How many visits
I suggest a plan after the first visit, such as weekly visits during a hard stretch and fewer after that. It is a suggestion, not a promise, and results vary.
What it doesn't do, and when to call your oncology team instead
Acupuncture is not a cancer therapy and does not replace chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or any medicine. A fever, chills, bleeding that won't stop, new shortness of breath or a sudden change means calling your oncology team's number now, or 911 in an emergency.
Questions about acupuncture?
Call or write and I will answer within a working day.