Letter to Prospective Patient, or why would I want to do acupuncture?
We get email inquiries from folks wondering if acupuncture is right for them. An email came in from a woman, who was in town short term, just to help her grandmother manage severe back pain.
From the grandaughter:
I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out on behalf of my grandmother, who I believe could benefit greatly from acupuncture due to some intense back pain she has been dealing with for years (she is in her 70s now). I'm currently visiting her in Chico to help her manage the pain, and she is new to the idea of acupuncture and a bit wary about it, so I wanted to reach out to see if your practice might be a good fit.
My grandmother has had severe lower back pain for years, and recently she also found out she has a mid-back compression fracture. She has an MRI appointment in a couple of weeks to help her with that fracture, but in the meantime I would really like her to start acupuncture treatments for her lower back pain as we wait for next steps for her fracture.
She has never done acupuncture before, and is nervous about the process. What is your practice's process of introducing new clients to acupuncture and walking them through the steps/expectations prior to treatment?
My grandmother really struggles with both seating and lying down positions due to her back pain; I know that your practice offers reclining chairs for patients, is it ok for us to bring pillows and blankets for her to adjust her position with?
Dear________
I'm so glad you reached out. I think there's a good chance our clinic would be a good fit for your grandmother and that acupuncture would be effective for reducing her intense back pain and managing it while she gathers more information for possibly further treatment with allopathic medicine.
I wonder if she would be benefit from chatting with me on the phone before scheduling?
I could answer her questions in real time then.
In the meantime I'll say that I've been practicing acupuncture for 15 years and treating severe and chronic back pain is one of the most common things we treat in people of all ages.
Acupuncture is effective https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/pain/
Acupuncture is safe https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/safety/
We have a bunch pillows and blankets to prop people for comfort and you would also be welcome to bring anything you think could be helpful. A nice part of our set up is that you'll be able to come with her (if you want) and help her get settled in. We also have two motorized recliners that help to position people in increments, also help them to get to standing. We have a ramp at the front of the building if she's not able to come up steps.
Sometimes the best thing is to just come give it a try. I welcome skeptics and people fearful of needles. Typically skeptical people, after getting relief, don't care that it's weird that they're having a traditional medicine modality like acupuncture, unfamiliar to many people in the United States. People who are fearful, similarly, after getting relief are willing to overcome, or tolerate that fear in exchange for the benefit.
For a first appointment, she'd make an appointment. Fill out paperwork on line or when she comes. Pay on the sliding scale ($40-80), she decides what she can afford, plus a $15 initial patient fee. Then she'll sit, recline, and get comfy. The acupuncturist ( myself or one of my colleagues) will come over and we'll go over her health history and primary concern. We'll place her needles based on what she needs and then she rest with her needles for 20-60 minutes. She makes eye contact with the provider when she's done, or lets us know if she'd like to get up at a certain time.
Generally speaking the more severe a concern is the more frequent the treatments and the more treatments overall they may need. It also depends on the individuals logistics and goals. We work with the patient to figure that out.
I hope that helps! It's so kind of you to be here to help her and whether it's with us or some other clinic or modality, hope she gets the help she needs.
All the best,
Olivia