When making your appointment you will be sent a confirmation email that contains a link to complete your paperwork online prior to your visit to ensure we have adequate treatment time. The more information you provide, the better. Bring your insurance card if you plan to have the office submit to your insurance. Make sure you have eaten something prior to treatment. It’s not recommended to eat a very large meal right before treatment, but feeling nourished is important. Please budget 90-120 minutes for your first appointment. We will talk about your current health issues and health history prior to your treatment for approximately 15-30 minutes, and the remaining time is spent on exam and treatment. If you must leave at a certain time, please inform me so I can plan accordingly.

Most of my patients undress to their comfort level and lay under a sheet and blanket on a comfortable treatment table – like one would do when receiving a massage. If you prefer, you may also wear loose layered clothing that can be adjusted to accommodate acupuncture needles. I go to great lengths to ensure that my treatment tables are very comfortable for my patients, including warmth and additional covering where needed.

You should expect to receive acupuncture as your main method of treatment, which may include electrical stimulation (E-Stim) where indicated. In addition, treatments may include:

• Herbal medicine: customized herbal formulas in dried “granulated” form or capsules
• Cupping: use of suction under a cup placed over the skin to relax and detox muscles and promote blood flow
• Gua sha: scraping of the muscles with a special tool to release tension and remove congestion from the tissues
• Moxibustion: utilizes the herb Chinese Mugwort to warm specific points to promote healing and strengthen the body
• Infrared heat therapy: an infrared Richway BioMat and infrared TDP heat lamp are used when indicated to promote blood flow, relax muscles and relieve pain – infrared heat penetrates very deeply into the body
• Nutritional advice: in many cases even subtle dietary changes can dramatically improve treatment results – recommendations are may be made where indicated
• Lifestyle consultation and coaching: it’s important to look at lifestyle modifications that may be important to assist in the healing process
• Acutonics tuning forks: sound therapy promotes deep relaxation during treatment

Please contact the office at (406) 551-6391 for more information about pricing.  Cash, checks and all major credit cards are accepted.

We are in-network with the following Montana insurance companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, Allegiance and Pacific Source. In addition, many out of state plans also cover acupuncture. It is recommended that you check with your insurance company to learn about your benefits, or we can verify your benefits for you prior to your visit. Please bring your insurance card to your visit. In some cases, insurance companies do not reimburse for initial evaluation. If it is unclear what your insurance company will be covering, our office reserves the right to require payment in full at the time of service until benefits are secured. Some insurance companies put restrictions on what conditions/diagnostic codes will be covered for acupuncture treatment. If your insurance company does not pay, you are responsible to pay for any outstanding balances and any further treatments at the time of service. Auto-accident insurance cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis. At this time our office is not accepting Worker’s Compensation patients.

Acupuncture is designed to be used in a series of treatments, each one building on the last. Ideally, I prefer to see patients at least once weekly for 3-4 weeks to determine how your body responds and to make necessary modifications to treatment. Often patients will begin to feel some improvements during this time. In more severe cases, treatment may be recommended twice weekly for the first week or two. Acute conditions (not long-standing) tend to respond faster, typically requiring 5-6 treatments to experience significant results. Chronic conditions (more stubborn and long-standing) tend to demand more long-term treatment, typically requiring 7-10 treatments to experience significant results. There are many variables that affect results from treatment, including patient’s self-care and stress levels. Most health conditions respond favorably to acupuncture and Chinese Medicine treatment, but there are certain cases where acupuncture may not work. If you have any questions about that, please contact the office to schedule a free consultation.