What are your consultation fees and payment methods?

Initial consultation including treatment cost $130 has a duration of approximately 60 minutes.

Follow-up consultation including treatment cost $90 and has a duration of approximately 45 minutes.

Please note: Supplements and herbal medicine are tailored to the individual and vary in price according to the prescription.

I accept cash, EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX or bank transfer. Accounts are processed on the day of consultation.

Do you accept private health insurance?

Yes, as a HICAPS provider, instant private health fund rebates are available to clients who receive acupuncture treatments and have extras cover with their fund. Please check with your private health insurance provider to check if acupuncture treatments are covered in your policy.

Do I need a referral?

Referrals are not required to make appointments, however, health summaries with current medications and medical histories are greatly helpful.

How many treatment sessions will I need?

Your condition and your body’s response to treatment will determine how many sessions you will need. Some people only require a few sessions, while others need more. The ideal that acupuncture holds is not to fix anything, but to restore the body’s natural flow of energy so that healing can occur at its own pace in a harmonious way.

We suggest that 5 to 10 regular sessions can give you an appreciation of the effects of acupuncture for your condition. Naturally, to achieve your goals more quickly, the more frequently you receive treatments the quicker the progress.

What can I expect at my first consultation?

Please allow an hour for your first visit to the clinic. In your first consultation, I will take you through a holistic diagnosis based on a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) framework. We will chat about your goals and talk through any acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine questions that you might have. A tailored treatment will then follow and may involve acupuncture and/or other treatment modalities. After the treatment, I will discuss with you about your immediate outcome and plan further treatments as needed.

Does acupuncture hurt?

The needles used in acupuncture are fine sterile stainless steel disposable needles and are not much thicker than a human hair with a very smooth surface. At most, you might experience a tingling, warmth or heaviness in the areas where the needles are inserted, but many inform me that they do not feel any sensations at all. Many patients feel deeply relaxed and often fall asleep during treatment.

Are there any side effects associated with acupuncture?

Mild side effects can occur such as light-headedness, dizziness and nausea which are transient. A small bruise can occasionally occur from the session which will disappear after a few days. Unusually, certain health conditions may flare for a short time afterwards which settle to an improved state which indicates an effective treatment. Acupuncture is very safe when performed by a trained acupuncturist.

What should I do after my acupuncture treatment?

Taking it easy after an session will allow the acupuncture effect to maximise.

Avoid coffee and alcohol that day as they disturb the regulating effect of acupuncture.

If you feel sleepy afterwards you should relax and take a nap if you can.

If you feel a marked increase in energy don’t spend it all on excess activity, it’s best to conserve this. If you have had work on a painful condition use warmth such as heat bags to improve the reduction of the pain.

Icing is not recommended on painful sites as it induces constriction of blood and lymph flow reducing healing times.

What is Chinese herbal medicine?

In Chinese medicine, herbs are natural substances used for healing purposes which can include plant matter, minerals and animal products. Herbs can be produced as pills, powders or just raw herbs. There are many ways in which they can be used - they can consumed internally as decoctions, teas and tinctures or applied externally as poultices.

My clinic is wildlife aware to ensure that endangered species are not further threatened through their use and does not use or support the use of Chinese medicines containing illegal traded wildlife ingredients.

How does Chinese herbal medicine work?

In Chinese medicine, through their many years of use, all herbs were found to have particular properties which gave them therapeutic effects. They have temperature properties such as cool or warm, or taste properties such as bitter or sweet, and also TCM organs that their functions direct towards. Most often, several herbs are combined and tailored into a formula to treat your particular condition and symptoms, and it is often this combination rather than one or two active ingredients as with Western Medicine, which facilitates the healing.

In terms of Western Medicine, the herbs have been found to have inherent medicinal functions such as anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-pyretic (fever reducing), anti-emetic (vomit reducing), immune function boosting and circulation improving function.

What is your cancellation and late policy?

Elemental Balance Clinic requires 24 hours notice for appointment cancellation. If less than the required notice is given, Elemental Balance Clinic reserves the right to recover the full cost of the session.

If you are likely to be late to your appointment, please contact me to advise when you will be attending your appointment. Arriving more than 15 minutes late could result in your appointment being cancelled, or a shorter treatment time.