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Acupuncture and Qi Gong

Acupuncture is the 2000 year-old art of inserting very fine needles into specific points on the body, for the purpose of influencing the body’s life-force energy, known as “qi” (pronounced “chee”). Qi circulates through a network of channels (similar to blood vessels) called meridians. Meridians connect the surface of the body to the internal organs, allowing an acupuncturist to affect the body’s physiology and organ function by stimulating points along the meridian, called acupuncture points. Acupuncture can be combined with electrical stimulation or used in conjunction with heat produced by burning specific herbs near the body, a practice called moxibustion.

During and acupuncture session, your acupuncturist will perform several diagnostic evaluations in order to determine the patient’s specific pattern of disharmony. Diagnosis is made by pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, observation, and questioning. Once a diagnosis is reached, an acupuncture treatment is designed to correct the patient’s specific imbalances. Needles are generally left in the body for 25 to 45 minutes. Most patients find acupuncture to be very relaxing.

Acupuncture is an excellent tool for maintaining optimum health and preventing illness. People receiving regular acupuncture treatments experience increased energy, deeper sleep, greater feeling of well-being, smoother moods, better digestion, and less pain.

Scott A. Evans, LAc

Oriental Medicine/Acupuncture

Doctor of Oriental Medicine/ Acupuncture-LAc

Certified Chinese Herbalist-NCCAQMN

Licensed Acupuncturist-NCCAOM

Scott Evans holds a BA in Psychology and a MS in Oriental Medicine. He is licensed as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in New Mexico and as a Licensed Acupuncturist in California. He is nationally board certified (NCCAOM) in Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. His interest in travel has taken him to over 50 countries. In the late 1980’s he met and was treated by a traditional healer on a small island in Thailand. This sparked his interest in traditional medicine. He then went to live in Japan, where he studied Japanese acupressure (shiatsu), achieved the rank of 2nd degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido, and began a 16 year practice of Vipassana meditation. Upon his return to the U.S., Scott spent a year at the Heartwood Institute in Northern California, studying tai chi, yoga, shiatsu, massage therapy and nutrition with author Paul Pitchford (Healing with Whole Foods). He then earned his Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine at Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, NM. Scott has a private practice in Lodi, California. He believes in listening attentively to his patient’s needs, then applying the wisdom of Chinese Medicine, along with his own clinical and life experience to give patients the

best care possible.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Acupuncture treatment is often combined with Chinese herbal medicine. A Chinese herbalist has hundreds of medicinal herbs in his repertoire. Herbs are combined into formulas, containing as many as 20 individual herbs. There are many “classic formulas which have been proven effective over time. These formulas can then be customized by adding or removing individual herbs, to match the patient’s unique pattern of disharmony. Each herb has specific functions, such as clearing heat the body or from a specific organ, enhancing energy in the body or in a specific organ, nourishing the blood, increasing fluids, and so on. When combined into a formula, single herbs have synergy, meaning that the effects of the combined herbs are greater than the sum effect of each herb individually.

Traditionally, herbs are prescribed in a dried form and are boiled into a tea. It is now possible to take Chinese herbal formulas in concentrated powders or in tablet form. Chinese herbs, when prescribed properly, are free from side effects, and can be taken safely with most prescription medicines. They have been used effectively for hundreds of years. Chinese herbs are used to treat acute colds and flu, fatigue, digestive problems, headache, menstrual problems, menopausal issues, skin problems, among many other health problems.