Energy Medicine QA
MY MISSION FOR YOU
Welcome, I am glad you are here! My name is Jaime Ridgway, L.Ac. I am a board certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Reiki Energy Healer. Your health and well-being is very important to me. Whether you are dealing with an acute ailment, have been suffering for a long time, or are unsure of what’s going on I am here to support you on your healing journey. I use a variety of Reiki Energy Healing, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine therapies to help restore your body by promoting its own healing mechanisms.
I believe in the power of healing through various forms of natural medicine, mother nature, and intuitive guidance to assist us on our paths to improved wellness and joy!
A LITTLE ASSISTANCE
We know the human body is a powerful machine. At any given time is it performing thousands of functions. Even when we are “sleeping” our body is doing deep detox and healing work so that when we wake we feel rejuvenated for a new day. The “basics” of human life require a lot of functions on our own part — eating, drinking, sleeping, exercising, resting, detoxifying, eliminating, and of course connecting and playing. When we are constantly busy with activities like working, raising families, running errands or an unexpected trauma occurs (be it emotional/mental/physical), or we simply feel disconnected with our spirit, we tend to get off track and our “basics” get ignored. When we neglect our basics our bodies fall into disharmony and unwanted symptoms and illness appear.
The body is powerful but sometimes it needs a little help and guidance to get back on track. One way we can help it out is to give it a boost naturally as it is designed to do. That’s where the practice of holistic medicine becomes very helpful. Not only will I help you get back on track, I will teach you tools to help yourself and offer guidance on how to connect with your spirit and use your intuition so that you may be guided according to your path.
BENEFITS OF ENERGY MEDICINE
Energy Medicine has been in existence and studied for thousands of years. Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest forms of SAFE & HIGHLY AFFECTIVE NATURAL MEDICINE to date. The theory of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) includes the study of the Mind, Body and Spirit as a whole system, and everything that affects us, in addition to everything that can heal us. It’s about Balance & Flow. What enters inside us must be Transformed, Transported, and Released. This includes our nutrients, our thoughts, our feelings, our toxins, etc. We are in constant need of rejuvenation.
Energy medicine helps to move and balance our energy. When stagnant “slow moving” or blocked “stuck” energy is not released we experience unwanted signs and symptoms of disharmony, like feelings of stress, pain, headache, GI disturbance. When stagnant or blocked energy is released and moved throughout our body using different energy medicine therapies it allows our body to start healing those areas and organ systems naturally.
When energy doesn’t move properly our toxins and old cells don’t get recycled and flushed out of our bodies quick enough. This creates inflammation, pain, and stress. Also, our electrical energy signals in our bodies get scrambled. For example, when we’re overly mentally or emotionally stressed, our energy may become stagnant in our brain “mind” which often creates overactive looping of thoughts (often negative in nature) because the energy is stuck. We end up with a monkey-mind mentality. Overactive thoughts create an excess of emotions which create more stress.
The following is a short list of BENEFITS:
- Stress reduction
- Cortisol control
- Hormonal balance
- Allergies / GI improvement
- Improved Mood – depression/anxiety/grief/fear
- Toxin removal
- Pain relief – Muscle, Tendon, Bone, Headache
- Inflammation reduction
- Improved Sleep & Energy
- Endorphin release
- Neurotransmitter balance
- Improved Recovery after Surgery
- Increased circulation
- Release of stuck emotions
- Energy clearing
- Energy balance / Chakra alignment
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS TCM (TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE)?
TCM is a system of natural energetic healing modalities (i.e. Acupuncture, Cupping, Gua Sha, Tui Na Massage, Herbal / Nutritional Medicine Therapy) that were created based on the belief that the Mind, Body and Spirit are all interconnected. What happens in one part of the body affects another part of the body (i.e. being overly nervous (an emotion) may cause a stomachache (a physical symptom).
The body is alive because Qi “life energy” flows through it via energetic pathways called Meridians. These Meridians are associated with our major organ systems such as our Circulatory / Nervous / Digestive system. When Qi is plentiful, balanced and circulates properly in our bodies we feel healthy and energized. When it is deficient (lacking in quantity), imbalanced, or doesn’t flow properly we begin to experience signs and symptoms of disharmony (i.e. fatigue, headache, poor sleep), and if left untreated may manifest into more complicated imbalances and disease (i.e. chronic fatigue, migraines, insomnia).
WHAT IS REIKI ENERGY HEALING?
Reiki is a wonderful Japanese Energy Healing Technique that helps to clear out unwanted, imbalanced energy so that new, vibrant energy can replenish the body to promote healing from within. It is especially helpful in re-balancing our Chakra system which influences our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
If you are an Empath or HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) this therapy can be life changing because it helps clear away unwanted energy that has been absorbed.
If you have current life or past life trauma that seems to be lingering around Reiki can help with clearing this energy as well.
Overall, people report feeling more like themselves again and feel more connected to the world after having received sessions.
WHAT DO ACUPUNCTURE AND TCM THERAPIES TREAT?
Acupuncture promotes the body’s natural ability to heal itself, therefore, it treats a wide variety of aliments and is a safe and proven therapy for preventative medicine. It helps millions of people all around the world become well and stay well. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health approve acupuncture for conditions which include but are not limited to the following:
- Acid Reflux
- Acne
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Back Pain
- Bell’s Palsy
- Carpal Tunnel
- Chemotherapy Side Effects
- Chronic Pain
- Cold & Flu
- Constipation
- Depression
- Detox
- Diarrhea
- Digestion
- Energy
- Fibromyalgia
- Headaches
- Heart Health
- Hemorrhoids
- High Blood Pressure
- Immune Support
- Injury
- Insomnia
- Knee Pain
- Liver Health
- Low Blood Pressure
- Migraines
- Nausea
- Neck Pain
- Numbness
- Performance
- Post Surgery (dental or internal)
- Quit Smoking
- Radiation Therapy Side Effects
- Sexual Health
- Shoulder Pain
- Shingles
- Stress
- Stroke
- Tingling
- TMJ
- Tune-ups
- Urination Issues
- And much more
IS ACUPUNCTURE PAINFUL?
No 🙂 To most peoples’ surprise it is NOT painful, and more so, the style of Acupuncture I practice is very gentle. Acupuncture is performed using single use, sterile, solid needles as thin as a cat’s whisker. They are not hollow like syringe needles that are used for vaccines and blood draws, therefore, they easily glide into the skin. Most patients do not feel any pain at all. What many patients may feel during a treatment is the sensation of “Qi” moving around the body and this is a very positive effect. Qi sensations very in feeling. It may feel like a heaviness, dullness, tingling, traveling, light pulsing, warmness or coolness either around the needle or effected meridian. Overall, patients feel very relaxed during and after treatment, and many even fall asleep.
HOW MANY TREATMENTS DO I NEED?
Acupuncture is a cumulative and dosage dependent therapy – much like PT Physical Therapy. This means that an average number of sessions per week (1-3) over an average number of weeks or months are needed for proper healing and each session builds upon the next to strengthen the body. You should begin noticing how your body is “responding” to acupuncture within 3-5 visits depending on how acute or chronic the issue is. After this time, the practitioner is more able to gauge how many treatments may be necessary for proper healing. Treatments must be close enough together so the body does not lose the momentum of healing and sessions should not be skipped. Some patients will need ongoing maintenance treatments to support their condition. One to two sessions per month is recommended for maintenance.
Furthermore, each individual’s healing time is different and results vary from person to person. Response time greatly depends upon the length and severity of your condition, the state of your health, how quickly you heal, and your participation in the healing process (diet, water intake, exercise, etc). Some patients heal quicker than others. For example, people with acute issues tend to heal quicker than those with chronic issues.
It is also important to note that acupuncture is wonderful PREVENTATIVE medicine. This means that you do not need to be treated for a particular issue to receive acupuncture; it will help keep your body, mind, and spirit in balance. It is GREAT for STRESS management which is the basis of most disease.
WHAT DO I WEAR TO MY TREATMENT?
For your comfort we recommend wearing loose clothing like soft shorts and a tank/t-shirt. Many of the acupuncture points are located below the elbows and knees or on the abdomen and can be accessed by moving the clothing. Patient gowns are available when needed.
I HAVE A PHOBIA TO NEEDLES. ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO USING NEEDLES?
Yes! Some options include: Acupressure, Auricular (ear) seeds, Cupping, Gua Sha, Tuina Massage, Moxibustion and Reiki.
WHAT PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU TAKE?
We accept cash, check, all major credit cards, and HSA (Health Savings Account) cards.
DO YOU TAKE HEALTH INSURANCE?
At this time, we do not accept insurance. However, if you are certain you have “OUT OF NETWORK” Acupuncture coverage (some plans under Cigna, Aetna, United Health Care do) we will be happy to provide you with a Super-bill (a form YOU submit directly to your insurance provider which explains the services that were rendered) so that you may receive reimbursement. We ask that you confirm with your insurance provider of your coverage for “out of network” acupuncture services before we draft the form.
We DO accept HSA (Health Savings Account) cards.