Services

What Services Do We Provide?

Pathways Acupuncture provides both acupuncture treatments and Chinese Herbal Medicine prescriptions. We generally do not offer massage therapy in our Low-Cost clinics but do so in Private Individual Sessions at a fee of $65.00 per hour.

Treatment Options:

Low-Cost Clinic Treatments – This clinic makes acupuncture affordable for everyone. Here, I treat three patients an hour, with each patient in a treatment room divided by curtains, similar to a hospital room setting. The fees are based on a sliding scale of $20-35 per treatment (with a $5-$10 First- Appointment-only additional paperwork fee). The first visit includes a health interview done in a private room for confidentiality.

This new business model, which has been sweeping across the nation in the last four years, allows you to get the ongoing treatment you need to reach the greatest level of health. By getting the ongoing care that you need, you can enjoy a pain-free life, slow down the aging process, and restore your body’s ability to rejuvenate and energize itself.

Appointments for the Low-Cost Clinic are made mostly online. Appointments can now be made, canceled, or rescheduled securely and confidentially via my updated website at www.PathwaysTC.com. For those who do not have a computer or are not computer savvy, feel free to call me at (231) 360- 3718 to make an appointment by phone.

For online appointments: On my website Home Page you will see a yellow button that links you to the new scheduling service. There, you will first register as a new user and then be able to schedule your appointments. The service will send you an email confirming your appointments and even reminding you the day before. This new service allows me to keep passing on the savings to you in the form of lower fees.

Private Individual Sessions – These are for people who need or want more one-on-one attention. Treatments are conducted in a private room and more discussion about treatment and dietary issues is possible along with Chinese Herbal medicine consultation, if needed, or deep tissue massage for musculoskeletal issues. These sessions cost $65.00 per hour treatment. Please email us at pathwaystc@charter.net to schedule this kind of session or call (231) 360-3718.

Specialty Clinics – Our PTSD and Substance Abuse Specialty Clinics are conducted in the same setting and manner as our Low-Cost Clinic except that we treat four people per hour. Fees are $15 per treatment.



Common Questions

Acupuncture

How does it work?

The Western Explanation
According to Western science, acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points located near or on the surface of the skin which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in the human body in order to achieve a desired healing effect.

Acupuncture points are areas of designated electrical sensitivity. Inserting needles at these points stimulates various sensory receptors that, in turn, stimulate nerves that transmit impulses to the hypothalamic-pituitary system at the base of the brain.

The hypothalamus-pituitary glands are responsible for releasing neurotransmitters and endorphins, the body's natural pain-killing hormones. It is estimated that endorphins are 200 times more potent than morphine. Endorphins also play a big role in the functioning of the hormonal system. This is why acupuncture works well for back pain and arthritis and also for P.M.S. and infertility.

The substances released as a result of acupuncture not only relax the whole body, they regulate serotonin in the brain which plays a role in human disposition. This is why depression is often treated with acupuncture. Some of the physiological effects observed throughout the body include increased circulation, decreased inflammation, relief from pain, relief of muscle spasms and increased T-cell count which stimulates the immune system.

The Eastern Explanation
According to Traditional Chinese medicine a vital energy called "Qi"circulates throughout the body along specific pathways or channels. There are 12 major channels, each of which specifically influences a certain group of functions in the body. These channels are named for the organs they are associated with: Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Urinary Bladder, Kidney, Triple Burner, Pericardium, Gall Bladder, and Liver. Different channels go to different parts of the body, but, in general, they run up and down the arms and legs of the body and into the head and trunk.

In order to have health, the flow of energy, or Qi, within these channels must be sufficient and balanced throughout the body. If the vital energy in any of these channels gets blocked, depleted, or too excessive, disease or pain can occur in that channel or in the organs associated with it.

How is acupuncture performed?

Acupuncture is performed by inserting very fine needles into points on the body that connect to the energetic channels that flow beneath the surface of the skin. These points have been mapped by the Chinese over a period of two thousand years. Recently, electromagnetic research has confirmed their existence and their location in the body.

Using acupuncture, we can adjust and balance the flow of energy through the channels, thereby revitalizing and restoring the health of the body. Acupuncture is extremely good at taking care of chronic pain. It is also effective in soothing the mind and balancing the body’s hormones and chemicals.

What does Acupuncture feel like?

Acupuncture administered by a highly trained and certified professional is safe and effective. Jennifer uses acupuncture needles that are sterile and disposable for one-time use only. Unlike an injection needle, acupuncture needles are very thin and bendable, about the diameter of a hair, and do not have a hollow center. An insertion tube is used to help the needle through the skin quickly and painlessly. With some acupuncture points, the patient feels nothing upon insertion and with others they may feel a slight sting like a mild mesquito bite. Once the needle is in, patients feel a sensation of warmth, tingling, heaviness, or a movement of energy along the meridian being treated. Patients often fall into a deeply relaxed state and sleep during the treatment.

What to expect as a patient

First Visit
Your first appointment will be 1 hour in length. I begin by reviewing your Health Questionnaire. Please download, print and complete the Health Questionnaire (Click here) BEFORE your appointment and bring it with you. I will interview you about your main health concern(s) as well as your...

  • Energy
  • Sleep
  • Temperature
  • Perspiration
  • Appetite
  • Thirst
  • Bodily Pain or Discomfort
  • Chest sensations
  • Breathing Issues
  • Emotions
  • Digestion
  • Bowel Movements
  • Urination
  • Menstruation

Making a diagnosis
After I have completed a thorough interview of your health, I check for various qualities in your pulse and your tongue that will help in making a diagnosis. Through the pulse I can check the health of each of your organs. By examining the tongue I check for signs of blood stagnation, excess heat or cold in the body, mucus buildup and so on. Once I have taken everything into consideration, I decide upon a treatment plan tailored to your needs using acupuncture.

Down Loading The Health Questionnaire

Please fill out the Health Questionnaire at home by down loading and printing out the forms. Please bring the completed forms with you to your first appointment You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) to access and print the file. Click here to download the Health Questionnaire.

How many treatments will I need?

Acupuncture is a PROCESS. It is very rare for any acupuncturist to be able to resolve a problem with one treatment. In China, a typical treatment protocol for a chronic condition could be acupuncture every other day for three months! Most of my patients don’t need that much acupuncture, but virtually every patient requires a course of treatment, rather than a single treatment, in order to get what they want from acupuncture.

One big reason that I am able to keep my prices so low is because of the extraordinary amount of marketing my patients do on my behalf – I don’t have to advertise and rarely do. I cannot express how grateful I am for this. My patients are such effective marketers because they have first-hand experience of how well acupuncture works. All of my satisfied patients basically made a commitment to a course of treatment.

On your first visit, I will suggest a course of treatment, which can be anything from “I’d like to see you once a week for six weeks” to “I’d really like to see you every day for the next four days”. This suggestion is based on my experience with treating different kinds of conditions. If you don’t come in often enough or long enough, acupuncture probably won’t work for you. The purpose of my sliding scale is to help you make that commitment. If you have questions about how long it will take to see results, please ask me, or if you think you need to adjust your treatment plan, please let me know. I need you to commit to the process of treatment in order to get good results.