DEFINED TERMS
Thompson Family Acupuncture Clinic is an integrative clinic that incorporates a variety of treatment modalities. Due to the diversity of modalities offered at Thompson Family Acupuncture Clinic, your treatment may include any or all of the following general modalities: East Asian medicine (acupuncture, cupping, gua sha), Chinese herbal medicine, nutritional & lifestyle counseling, tui na (massage), craniosacral, visceral synthesis. All of our East Asian medical practitioners are licensed in the State of Washington and have completed graduate level training and national board certification.
Practitioners at Thompson Family Acupuncture Clinic may perform any of the following specific procedures as necessary to facilitate assessment of condition, diagnosis, treatment, or otherwise address health concerns:
General Diagnostic Procedures: including but not limited to orthopedic examination, pulse analysis, and tongue observation.
Acupuncture: insertion of special sterilized needles or lancets at specific points on the body.
Herbs/Natural Medicines: recommending various therapeutic substances including plant, mineral, and animal materials. Substances may be given in the form of teas, pills, powders, or tinctures (may contain alcohol)
Nutritional and Lifestyle Counseling: includes the use of foods, diet plans, or nutritional supplements for treatment.
Soft Tissue Manipulation: includes the use of massage, intraoral techniques, cupping (a technique using glass cups on the surface of the skin with usually a heat-created vacuum), and gua sha (rubbing an area of the body with a blunt instrument) to reduce muscle tension and fascial adhesions.
Electrical Stimulation: includes the use of an electroacupuncture machine connected to acupuncture needles to provide percutaneous milliampere or microampere current stimulation to designated points on the body.
Topical Treatments: application of creams, oils, liniments, pastes, or plasters to assist in soft tissue manipulation and/or to reduce pain and inflammation.
Potential Risks: While not common, harm can occur from any therapy and it is not possible to consider every possible complication to care. Acupuncture is generally a safe method of treatment, but, as with all types of healthcare interventions, there are some risks to care, including, but not limited to: bruising; numbness and tingling near the needling sites that may last a few days; dizziness or fainting; and aggravation of pre-existing symptoms. Burns, blistering, and/or scarring are a potential risk of moxibustion and cupping, or when treatment involves the use of heat lamps. Bruising and petechiae is a common side effect of cupping and gua sha. Unusual risks of acupuncture include needle breakage, nerve damage and organ puncture, including lung puncture (pneumothorax). Infection is another possible risk, although the clinic uses sterile disposable needles and maintains a clean and safe environment. The patient must inform the practitioner if the patient has a severe bleeding disorder or pacemaker prior to treatment.
The herbs and nutritional supplements (which are from plant, animal, and mineral sources) that may be recommended are traditionally considered safe in the practice of Chinese medicine, although some may be toxic in large doses. Some herbs may be inappropriate during pregnancy. The patient will notify a practitioner who is caring for them if the patient is planning to or becomes pregnant or if they are nursing. Should the patient become pregnant, they will discontinue all herbs and supplements until they have consulted and received advice from their East Asian medical practitioner and/or obstetrician. Additionally, the patient will notify their East Asian medical practitioner of any food allergies and sensitivities prior to the consumption of Chinese herbs. Some possible side effects of herbs and supplements are: nausea; gas; stomachache; vomiting; liver or kidney damage; headache; diarrhea; rashes; hives; and a tingling of the tongue.
Potential benefits: Restoration of health and the body’s maximal functional capacity, relief of pain and symptoms of disease, assistance in injury and disease recovery, and prevention of disease or its progression. Thompson Family Acupuncture Clinic defines health as the state of optimal physical, mental, and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Our office will work toward the goal of helping our patients achieve optimal health and balance.
Notice to Pregnant Persons: All patients must alert the practitioner if they know or suspect that they are pregnant, since some of the therapies used could present a risk to the pregnancy. Labor-stimulating techniques (including labor stimulating acupuncture points) or any labor-inducing substances will not be used unless the treatment is specifically for the induction of labor. A treatment intended to induce labor requires a letter from a primary care provider authorizing or recommending such a treatment.
We do not offer to diagnose or treat any disease or condition other than that which is within the scope of practice for acupuncture. However, if during the course of treatment we encounter unusual findings, we will advise you. If you desire advice, diagnosis, or treatment for those findings, we will recommend that you seek the services of a healthcare provider who specializes in that area. Acupuncture is not intended to substitute for diagnosis or treatment by medical doctors or to be used as an alternative to necessary medical care. It is expected that you are under the care of a primary care physician or medical specialist, that pregnant patients are being managed by an appropriate healthcare professional, and that patients seeing adjunctive cancer support are under the care of an oncologist.
Our practice objective is to eliminate a major interference to the expression of the body's innate wisdom for health and restore the balance of qi, blood, yin, and yang in the body. Our primary method of care is acupuncture. Secondary methods include Chinese herbal medicine, soft tissue manipulation, electrical stimulation, nutritional and lifestyle counseling, and topical applications.