FAQ

In general, acupuncture is a way to shift how you feel right away using methods rooted in East Asian Medicine and Bodywork. How long the effects of acupuncture depend on the condition and whether a person is addressing root causes while receiving acupuncture. Click here to learn more about Acupuncture and Needle Free Acupuncture. 

Naturopathic medicine visits include a deep dive into patient history and symptoms. If you have recent labs, the doctor will review the lab results or if you need labs, the doctor will recommend those. Treatment plans include lifestyle recommendations, supplements, herbalism, dietary advice and nutrition, and hormone management. Click here to learn about Naturopathic Medicine. 

Cosmetic Acupuncture and Qi Glow facials are also offered at SLO Naturopathic and Acupuncture. A Qi Glow Facial includes a constitutional acupuncture, acupressure massage, cosmetic acupuncture or an herbal mask, gua sha, cupping, and facial teishin beauty wand treatment.  There are non-needling options for those who ware needle adverse. Click here to learn more: Qi Glow Facial.

Naturopathic initial visits are 75 minutes long. This visit gives ample time to discuss you main concerns but also dive deep into your medical history to get a picture of your individual imbalances and needs. 

Naturopathic Medicine: Most naturopathic follow-ups are every one to two months and last 15-30 minutes. Health conditions are most often multi-factoral and as some layers heal, others will  become the new priority. Chronic conditions usually take years to express themselves and take time to heal. 

Acupuncture visits also vary. The goal of acupuncture is to move stuck energy. The effects of the treatments build upon the last treatment. Weekly treatments for the first 8-10 weeks is common and then reduced. Acupuncture always works better if the patient is working on their health between treatments. 

Qi Glow facials can be al a carte for glowing skin, aka the ‘qi glow.’ Getting consistent weekly treatments can help tone tense muscles, reduce fine lines, increase collagen and elastin, and lift the face. If your goal is facial rejuvenation, its recommended to get 10-12 treatments in a 3-4 month period. Since these treatments stimulate collagen, the results take 6 weeks to fully complete (6 weeks is the time it takes the body to turn micro-tears aka needle punctures into collagen and elastin). Subscription prices are available for those interested in getting consistent treatments. 

Naturopathic Visits: 

• ND Initial visit (60-75 minutes): $330
• ND Follow ups (15 min/30 min): $75/$125
• 15 minute ND visit + Acupuncture (must have an initial ND visit first): $150
• Initial patient 6 month package (initial visit + three 30 minute follow ups) – $595 
• Return patient follow up 6 month package (four 30 minute follow ups) – $440 

Acupuncture: 

• Acu Initial (75 min): $165
• Acu Follow up (60 min): $115 
• Monthly subscription (three treatments a month) $295

Insurance companies in California do not cover Naturopathic services, however many do cover acupuncture. SLO Naturopathic is out-of-network with insurance companies. All services are cash upon service. However, if you would like a submit a claim to insurance for reimbursement, please ask and a copy of the ‘superbill’ will be sent to you. Many patients have had success using HSA accounts to cover visits. 

The healing process varies for each condition. In general the more chronic and complex the condition, the longer the healing journey. Root cause medicine usually is multifactorial.  Quick methods tend to be suppressive, while true healing takes time. The biggest mistake is to give up on the healing journey too quickly.

While the majority of American trained acupuncturist learn TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), there’s a wide range of East Asian medicine that include other techniques of acupuncture. Japanese acupuncture uses moxabustion, teishin therapy, sotai, qi gong tuina, shiatsu, acupressure, and other methods to move and balance qi. Many folks find these techniques both gentle and powerful. Needle free treatments are great for sensitive folks that can’t relax with acupuncture needles. 

Yes! Part of holistic care is working with your whole medical team. Another part is appropriately referring to other doctors or medical professionals when appropriate.

No. While Naturopathic doctors are trained in pharmacology and primary care, each state has a different scope of practice. Naturopathic doctors and acupuncturists are not allowed to prescribe medications or take patients off medications in the state of California.  Naturopathic doctors can prescribe natural hormones like HRT. 

Unfortunately, the FDA does little to ensure safety of supplements and herbs. Many over the counter supplements are poor quality, toxic (like high levels of mercury in fish oil), or even don’t have the reported ingredients in the bottle (please don’t buy supplements off Amazon- there’s a lot of fraudulent supplement sales). Doctor quality supplements are tested for quality by a second party, what you see on the label is what is actually in the bottle, and many labs do additional testing to insure that there is no risk of toxicity. These supplements tend to be slightly more pricy, but a lot more effective.