Long Time, No See
May 4th, 2012
Greetings!
I did not mean to be away for so long, but big things have been brewing in Bad Ass Land. Many of you already know, but in case you did not, Dr. Bad Ass (me) is expecting a little Bad Ass this September! This is VERY EXCITING!!!! I AM VERY EXCITED!!!!
AND YOU may be wondering what this means for you. So here we go…
1.) Decrease in clinic hours
I’ve already changed my poking hours. They are as follows:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 9-5
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 1-7
Friday 9-5
Saturday 9-1
Sunday Closed
As the wee one becomes larger and I start breathing heavy merely from the effort it takes to blink, these hours will probably change again. I will try my best to make it through the end of August, but I make no promises.
2.) Packages must be complete
Many of you still have treatments remaining on packages that were bought last year. These MUST be used before I go on maternity leave or they will be rolled over onto a 5 treatment session card, which I introduced in my last newsletter. You will receive this card in the mail once I resume practice. I do not wish to be punitive, but I do not know when or in what capacity I will return after my bundle of joy arrives.
If you think you might have treatments remaining, please call the office to confirm and make an appointment.
702-562-2202 Do not delay! In theory (and at most!) I will be working for 18 more weeks.
Allergies and Traditional Chinese Medicine
I address this topic every year and sadly it never seems to lose relevance since each subsequent year is reported as “the worst on record”. How an acupuncturist sees allergies is a weakness in Defensive Qi. Your Defensive Qi flows on the surface of your body blocking would be attackers – everything from viruses, bacteria, pollen and other allergens – which are categorized merely as “wind”. When symptoms show up, this is called a “wind invasion” and indicates a weakness in your defensive barrier. This is probably no surprise to any of you who suffer from allergies, because when the wind picks up the symptoms are generally worse. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are helpful in combating not only the symptoms, by expelling this external wind, but also in preventing allergies or reducing their severity by strengthening the Defensive Qi. Additionally, all of my allergy patients are given home care instructions:
WATCH YOUR DIET!
With both conventional and Traditional Chinese medicine, the health of the digestive system is of paramount importance to the health of the immune system and should be addressed immediately. I can’t seem to stress this enough with my allergy patients. To improve Defensive Qi eat a whole food diet as much as possible, which means stay away from processed foods – especially processed sugars and grains. If there’s a lot of congestion also steer clear of damp foods – dairy (of ALL kinds) and beer (of ALL kinds) are to two biggest contributors to increased mucus hanging out in your nose, throat, and lungs. Also, if you have any food sensitivities (corn, wheat, soy, and eggs are common ones), stay away from offending morsels!
STRESS & SLEEP
Also very important to the health of the immune system is managing one’s stress. There are already numerous studies out there that show a correlation between high stress and depression of the immune system. Two of the most important thing we can do to manage stress and improve the function of our immune system (even independent of stress) is to get adequate exercise AND sleep. While acupuncture and Chinese herbs can’t get you off the couch, they are both useful in stress and sleep management.
LIVING WITH ALLERGIES IN THE DESERT
Not only do Las Vegans have to deal with the allergens floating about, but we also have to deal with DRYNESS! This can be helpful in some ways, especially if someone tends toward a lot of congestion. HOWEVER, we rely on the integrity of the mucus membranes of our respiratory system to provide a barrier to external invaders. Because it’s so dry here, that can be trickier than it seems. Here are some helpful hints.
1 – Sleep with at least a humidifier and maybe an air purifier as well. A decent humidifier can be found for under $30 and is an excellent investment.
2 – Use a Neti Pot
OK! OK! Yes the Neti Pot is generally very drying, but it is still useful in irrigating allergens out of the nasal passages. My advice is to NOT use it every day – maybe only 1 to 2 times per week. However, you can use it more often if you have a lot of drainage OR you’re not blowing blood tinged snot out of your nose. (Blood = too dry). ALSO clean your Neti Pot after each use and use distilled/filtered/boiled water only. NEVER EVER use water straight from the tap. Some of you may have seen some inflammatory headlines like KILLER NETI POT GOES ON RAMPAGE AND MURDERS SEVERAL INNOCENT ALLERGY SUFFERERS. I would like to clarify that Neti Pots are peaceful, loving, useful household tools used to combat nasal congestion. However, if improperly used, they can wield some nasty brain eating amoeba or other unsavory microbe. So again, for your health and safety, clean your Neti Pot after each use, fill your Neti Pot with distilled/filtered/boiled water only, and NEVER EVER use water directly from the tap or some other “nefarious” water source.
3 – Use a lubricant on your nasal passages
This is a new one for a number of my patients. Sometimes a humidifier is not enough and extra moisturizing is required. My favorite is Nasya Oil, which is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy and can be picked up from a number of online retailers. Nasya Oil is made of a base oil (often sesame) with a number of Ayurvedic herbs designed to heal and open the nasal passages. It’s applied warm either by placing a couple of drops in each nostril while lying down or by placing a couple of drops on an applicator (usually one’s pinky finger will suffice) and rubbing it around the inside of each nostril. As you may have guessed, it’s best to do this right at bedtime. Nasya Oil is not recommended in pregnancy and some people find the smell less than enjoyable. In these cases I suggest either plain warm sesame oil (NOT the kind you cook with) or extra virgin coconut oil. BONUS: If nasal lubricant is used nightly one may also be able to increase the frequency of Neti Pot use.
Insurance (AGAIN)
I’m still in-network with Teacher’s Health Trust and now also with American Specialty Health. Not many of you out there carry American Specialty Health, but for some larger insurance companies (such as Aetna, Cigna, BCBS etc.) it does provide a 25% discount on acupuncture services under certain circumstances. Check with your insurance provider to see if this discount applies to you.
I’m still waiting to hear back from Beech Street – keep your fingers crossed.
For everyone else I am and shall remain out-of-network. I will work as an out-of-network provider with Cigna due to their consistent and quality customer service. For everyone else, you will be required to pay in full for services at the time of your appointment. We will gladly provide you with a superbill, which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement or as a claim toward your deductible.
If you have an FSA, HSA, HCRA associated with your insurance policy and acupuncture is an allowable expense, this form of payment will be accepted in office.
Signing Off
I truly hope that everyone is having an excellent 2012. You know where to find me, but just in case, here’s my contact information:
Find me inside Galvin Chiropractic at
7380 S Eastern Ave, Suite 125
Las Vegas, NV 89123
Call me at 702-562-2202
Visit me at www.heatherbrookman.com
And to keep abreast of the latest news and specials “Like” my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bad-Ass-Acupuncture/108129532583270
Yours in health and happiness,
Dr. Bad Ass (aka Dr. Heather Brookman)
Happy 2012!
January 8th, 2012
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year!
With the coming of the New Year cultures from around the world spend a lot of time creating intentions and celebrating the possibilities for health, wealth and happiness. For many this also means cleaning things up a bit – whether it’s our house, our diet and other habits, or our emotions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is not only an excellent way to help you reach these goals, but also an advantageous one, and I would love to be part of this process.
Five amazing advantages to using acupuncture:
1- Chinese medicine sees all disease as an imbalance in the body. Acupuncture is used to bring balance back to the body so that it can heal itself.
2- It works… in fact it’s been naturally and effectively treating disease and imbalance for over 3000 years.
3 – No SIDE EFFECTS.
4- While conventional medicine often only focuses on treating or controlling symptoms, acupuncture and Chinese medicine work on the root cause a condition, imbalance, or disease.
5- It’s a COST-EFFECTIVE idea. Trips to the doctor and pharmaceuticals can add up. Additionally, because acupuncture and Chinese medicine are preventative, the number of sick days you experience is reduced!
Holiday Special Extended for 1 more week!
Throughout the holidays I’ve offered a holiday special – 3 treatments for 157 – for both new and current patients! This an exceptional deal AND I’m extending purchase of this offer through 1/14/11.
Some of you might be wondering “What Holiday Special?” If this is the first you’ve heard about the Holiday Special you might want to “Like” Bad Ass Acupuncture on Facebook. I use this format to regularly update you about specials and other news, rather than flooding your inbox with emails.
Open House Saturday 2/4/11 & 1 Year Anniversary
On Saturday, February 4th we will be hosting an Open House at Galvin Chiropractic from 10am to 2pm. Additionally, I will be celebrating One Year of practice in Las Vegas at this location. There will be refreshments, demonstrations, and I will be providing free therapeutic cupping treatments. For those of you who have not tried it here’s a video.
Additionally all attendees who check-in on Facebook at either Bad Ass Acupuncture and/or Galvin Chiropractic will receive an acupuncture Session Card with one session already validated! (See below for more on Session Cards.)
Be on the lookout for an eVite with your name on it!
A couple of FAQs
Although this information is available on my website, I find it’s really important to revisit the questions I hear the most frequently from you.
How many does it take?
One of the most frequently asked questions is “How many treatments will it take?” and really there is no hard and fast answer to this question. As Americans we like things to work or heal quickly (as in yesterday already!!) and acupuncture doesn’t work that way. It’s more like therapy and any type of therapy, whether it’s physical therapy or talk therapy, takes time to build long lasting results. Here are some general guidelines:
Acute problem – less than 6 months
5 treatments is often enough to see a significant improvement. However, 5 treatments may not be enough to completely restore your function back to baseline. After 5 treatments, we will evaluate your progress and come up with a treatment plan together.
Chronic problem – more than 6 months
Expect at least 10 visits. If you have something that has been bothering your for more than 6 months (possibly years) acupuncture takes time to alleviate your symptoms. That is because acupuncture works with your body to speed up its own natural healing process. Again, after 10 treatments there will be a reevaluation.
Ongoing Stimulus
I’m specifically talking about stress. Acupuncture will help you handle stress – there’s countless articles on this topic. Here are 1 or 2 for your perusal. If you don’t think it’s worth it to take care of your stress, there are also countless articles on how stress creates disease in our bodies. It’s vital to get this aspect of your life under control.
How often should I come?
That really depends. In China, when someone is experiencing symptoms negatively impacting their quality of life, patients are often seen 3-5 times per week at first. So, ideally, I would like to see you 3-5 times a week if at all possible. I understand this may conflict with schedules and financial obligations. If you can only come 1 time per week, you will still improve, but your progress toward sustained relief may not be as quick as desired. Over time the frequency of treatment lessens to the point where periodic maintenance is appropriate.
Some of you have heard the story about the guy who had one treatment and they were cured. This is indeed amazing and miraculous! This does happen. . . about 1% of the time.
Packages & Session Cards
Starting Monday, January 16th, I will no longer be offering treatment packages. There are several reasons, but eliminating gray area concerning insurance laws and billing insurance are the two biggies. BUT never fear! The Session Cards are here! With a Session Card you will get a GREAT DEAL!
Buy 5 Treatments – Get the 6th Treatment for Free!
In addition to saving you money, the point of packages were to help you stay committed to your treatment plan. In reality, the Session Cards will actually save you more money! This is a REALLY good thing! There will be a 3 month expiration date from the time of your first treatment.
For those of you with credits from previously purchased packages you will have until Feb 3 to use your remaining sessions. After this time, I will transfer your credits onto a Session Card and mail it to you. This does not apply to gift certificates.
Cupping & Gua Sha
Many of you do not know that I also offer cupping and gua sha both coupled with acupuncture and as stand alone therapies. Both of these methods are excellent ways to treat pain, the symptoms of cold and flu, and a number of other ailments. I’ve provided links to videos of both so you can see for yourself.
The first visit is always 30 minutes, and most follow ups are 15-30 minutes.
I will be offering free cupping sessions during our Open House on Saturday, February 4th.
It’s a great way to alleviate pain for only an investment of only 25-40 per visit and is included with any acupuncture session.
Insurance Update
Currently I am in-network with Teacher’s Health Trust.
I am waiting to hear from Beech Street and from American Specialty Health, which is a sort of alternative health broker for a number of the larger insurance companies such as BCBS, Aetna, and Cigna. I should hear from these folks soon, so please keep your fingers crossed.
In the meantime if your plan has an FSA, HSA, or other flexible spending account, acupuncture is often an allowable medical expense. Additionally, I will work with some insurance plans where I’m not a network provider. Clark County Self-Pay and a number of Cigna plans have been very cooperative in this respect.
Pricing Update
Starting February 1, there will be an ever so slight increase in the cost of services for 1 hour acupuncture sessions and cupping/gua sha sessions. This increase to the acupuncture sessions will be offset with the Session Card deal of buy 5 get 1 free.
Acupuncture
Initial Visit (90 min) 99
60 minutes 72
Additional 30 minutes 30
Cupping/Gua Sha
30 minutes 45 (all Gua Sha sessions are minimum 30 minutes)
15 minutes 25
Additional 15 minutes 15
Acupuncture Demonstrations
My acupuncture demonstrations will return soon. If there is any topic you would like me to cover during these demonstrations please let me know. Your feedback is always welcome.
West Side Location
You may already know that I am scheduling sessions Thursday mornings at The Pilates Studio, LV. The Pilates Studio is located at 3655 S Durango Dr in Suite 26. To schedule an appointment here please call 702-546-8358 - if you do not get me right away you may leave a message on Google Voice.
For all other appointments and concerns, please call 702-562-2202. I look forward to hearing from you and/or seeing you very soon!
Yours in Health and Happiness,
Heather
FREE 15-Minute Consultation
December 2nd, 2011
Greetings!
Many of you have questions about whether acupuncture will help you or one of your loved ones. I welcome you to check out some of the information on this site. Additionally, I offer FREE 15-minute consultations at both of my locations and encourage anyone seriously considering acupuncture to take advantage. This gives you the opportunity to
- Meet me in person and decide whether I’m the right person to help you
- Ask any questions about acupuncture and oriental medicine
This gives me the opportunity
- To see you in person, which will help me determine whether I can help you or not
- To educate another person on the benefits of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, whether they decide to participate in treatment or not.
To schedule your FREE 15-minute consultation, please call 702-562-2202 (east) or 702-546-8358 (west).
A Holiday Special for YOU!
November 25th, 2011
You KNEW it was coming! A Holiday Special for clients New and Old!
3 Treatments for 157!
The Holidays can be especially stressful, but you CAN feel more relaxed, sleep better, and keep your immune system healthy with regular acupuncture sessions. Acupuncture is known to relax our sympathetic nervous system (our flight or fight response) and induce deep sleep allowing the body to release tension and the mind to let go of anxiety and worry. With December’s Holiday Special you can treat yourself or your loved ones to some tranquility and rejuvenation.
This special is available for purchase December 1-31st. All treatments must be completed by January 31, 2012.
Enchanted Garden Party – Benefit for Project Angel Faces
November 9th, 2011
YOU’RE INVITED TO AN ENCHANTED GARDEN PARTY TO BENEFIT PROJECT ANGELFACES
~Project AngleFaces is a Las Vegas-based non-profit that creates programs for sustainable social change by sharing fruits and vegetables with elders and at risk youth and teaches organic gardening skills.
~Join us at Norm Schilling’s award winning residential garden on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 2:30pm. Enjoy incredible live music, delicious food and drink from local purveyors, a kids garden tour guided by Norm Schilling himself, a silent auction of local art and tantalizing goodies, and awesome raffle prizes!
~For ticket information and to RSVP, please visit www.projectangelfaces.org
Start Time: 2:30pm
Date: 12-3-2011
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Day
October 11th, 2011
Title: Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Day
Location: Nationwide
Link out: Click here
Description: Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day is observed every October 24th with the purpose of raising awareness about it’s promise and effectiveness.
All patients who schedule with Dr. Brookman Oct 24-29th will receive a $25 certificate good toward any 90 minute New Patient Session. This makes a great gift for friends and family and help spread the word about acupuncture.
Date: 2011-10-24
Prepare for Cold & Flu Season Starting…. NOW!
October 6th, 2011
Westside Location
September 17th, 2011
Greetings my fine, fine friends!
Starting this Thursday, September 22nd my Westside Hours begin. I will be located inside The Pilates Studio at 3655 S. Durango Drive, Suite 26 in Las Vegas. Hours are Thursday mornings, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm for now.
Please call 702-546-8358 to schedule your appointment or FREE 15-minute consultation today!
AND please tell all your Westside friends about this exciting opportunity to experience the deep relaxation and rest of acupuncture closer to home.
You Know What’s BAD ASS?
September 12th, 2011
This New Patient Special, that’s what!
For the month of September, New Patients Sessions are only a $45 investment - YOU SAVE $47! This is a great way to try out acupuncture for the first time or get yourself started on a treatment plan for health concerns such as chronic or acute pain, anxiety, stress, allergies, and insomnia to name a few…
Call 702-562-2202 to schedule you appointment today! I double dog dare you.
PS: All my forms are available online.
September Acupuncture & Cupping Demonstration
August 29th, 2011
Acupuncture & Cupping Demonstration with Dr. Brookman
See an acupuncture treatment from start to finish! Observe cupping and gua sha and their effect on the body! Bring your curiosity and questions for Dr. Brookman!
Location: Galvin Chiropractic – 7380 S Eastern Ave, Suite 125, Las Vegas
Start Time: 6pm
Date: Tuesday, September 13th
Please call 702-562-2202 to RSVP or for any questions.
This event is absolutely FREE!
