Monthly Recharge Membership (and the many benefits of frequent acupuncture)
Rest & Relaxation Coaching, Reiki Practitioner
Maybe you’ve heard…we’ve got a new membership at Minnesota Health Studio that rolled out this month: the Monthly Recharge Membership!
With the Monthly Recharge Membership, each month you receive:
Four Community Acupuncture treatments
Four Infrared Saunas
One private 30-minute treatment of your choice from the following:
20% discount on ALL other services during the month (except community acupuncture)
25% discount on retail
$170/ month, with a 6 month minimum commitment.
This membership is valued at over $400/ month!
Behind the scenes
The monthly recharge membership is undoubtedly a great deal. But this membership is about so much more than sales and marketing. The Monthly Recharge Membership was created by our providers, with results and value in mind.
See, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in general–and acupuncture specifically–is a far cry from a magic pill. TCM is an entire system of medicine, based on a holistic worldview that is rooted in bringing all aspects of our lives into balance. This means that TCM is not a generally “one and done” approach; it requires treatment with a certain degree of frequency to be optimally effective. A few months back, our team of TCM practitioners met to discuss creative ways to encourage our community to get the best results possible for the greatest value. Out of this meeting, the Monthly Recharge Membership was born.
The membership is an incredible value: weekly community acupuncture, weekly saunas, monthly private treatments (from bodywork and cupping, to reiki and Pilates, and more), and deeply discounted additional treatments and retail.
Ultimately though, the beating heart of the Monthly Recharge Membership is the 4 community acupuncture treatments per month. Our experienced TCM practitioners know that there are unique benefits to receiving acupuncture this frequently. To explain more, I asked some of our acupuncturists for their insights. Here’s how MIHS co-owner Larissa Vados PhD, LAc , Emily Nyberg DCM, LAc, and Sophia Catanoso LAc described the benefits of regular acupuncture treatments made possible with our new membership.
1. The membership model aligns with how acupuncture is practiced in Asia
Larissa Vados PhD, LAc and Said Isayed, Minnesota Integrative Health Studio co-owners, met while studying at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tianjin, China
Larissa Vados PhD, LAc and Said Isayed, Minnesota Integrative Health Studio co-owners, met while studying at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tianjin, China–where Larissa completed her PhD.
Larissa says:
“Living, studying, and working in the hospitals and clinics in China was a vastly different experience than my schooling and work experience in the US. The general population of China is much more familiar with TCM and there are no questions about the importance of consistent and frequent treatments when needed. It is not uncommon for patients with more acute, severe conditions to come for treatment 5-6 days per week. Patients with less acute conditions may initially present 2-3 times per week for several weeks.
“The general population of China is much more familiar with TCM and there are no questions about the importance of consistent and frequent treatments when needed,” says Larissa Vados PhD, LAc
In China, because of the frequent and consistent treatment, results do often come more quickly and tend to last longer. Several of my teachers told me when symptoms return, that’s when patients should be seen again. Unfortunately, it is generally not possible for patients in the US to come so frequently at the beginning of a course of treatments, but coming 2-3 times per week initially can make a big difference in many cases. When patients cannot come as frequently, this will often lengthen the total course of treatment. “
Emily agrees that increased visit frequency at the start of a treatment plan with regular follow-up visits can improve patients' outcomes. Emily notes that “this is how many patients are treated in clinics in Vietnam,” noting that “one of the doctors I shadowed saw patients every day for 10 days when addressing a new concern before spreading out their follow-ups and got fantastic results for his patients.”
2. Membership supports affordable, regular acupuncture treatments
Community acupuncture is more affordable and flexible, allowing for more frequent treatments
Larissa acknowledges that given constraints on time and money in our society, “it is not always feasible be it with scheduling or financially to come for private treatments as consistently, which is why community acupuncture is such a fantastic option. Not only is it more budget friendly, we often have a wider variety of appointment times available to suit your schedule.”
Emily says that one thing they are seeing with the Monthly Recharge Membership is that “because you’ve paid for it up front, there’s more of a drive to use it.” And because the membership is a 6 month minimum commitment, “it’s helping patients come more frequently, to see what 4 or more visits a month feels like, and over time what 6 months of acupuncture feels like. You’re committing to that weekly mental, emotional, and physical health check-Min for 6 months. That’s huge.”
3. Frequent treatments help address some of the gaps in care in the US Healthcare system
Sophia observes that the TCM model offers an entirely different paradigm of care. Sophia notes,
“People think of medical service in the US as only going when it’s absolutely necessary. Most people in generally good health may see their doctor only once a year, so a lot of people don’t have much of a relationship with their doctors. With regular acupuncture, it's nice to have a provider that you see more frequently so they can keep track of things. Obviously we’re not MDs, but it’s good to have some provider you’re seeing often enough to be like, for example, ‘you know what, when you first came in you were having 8/10 pain, and now it’s 3/10.’ Letting people see the progress they make, and have a professional charting things for you so that you can keep track of your own health.”
Emily mentioned the documentary 9,000 Needles, which features someone recovering from a stroke in the United States who travels all the way to China for acupuncture, for just this reason: “because he needed more intensive care than he was getting here, and than he could afford.”
4. Frequent treatments support preventive care, and a holistic way of life
Larissa says that societal expectations in the United States present barriers to fully taking advantage of the healing potential of acupuncture: “much can be said about our society and lifestyle, often prioritizing work over rest and self care. All of these issues combine to lead many in our society expecting a quick fix.” Sophia adds: “what I like about having this new membership is that it kind of forces you to take care of yourself in a world where we’re not really good at doing that.”
Larissa says that as effective as it can be, “TCM is not magic. It is not a miracle cure. It is often said TCM is working on the ‘root causes’ of a problem, vs working as a band-aid to cover up the pain or other symptoms.”
Frequent acupuncture supports a holistic way of life
However, says Larissa, TCM
“can work very quickly depending upon the issue being treated and the patient - more acute conditions in relatively healthy patients who follow medical advice for recovery can resolve in very few treatments. In fact, I have treated several acute musculoskeletal injuries, headaches, or digestive problems that have resolved in only one treatment. But in reality, that is not going to happen for most patients. The vast majority of patients seeking our care have come to us as a last resort, after many years of a chronic condition. The longer you have had a condition, the longer it is going to take to have lasting results. I always tell my patients as well, your results will depend on other factors- what else are you doing to help or hinder your recovery? Are you staying active, as much as possible within the limits of your current condition? Are you eating a healthy diet? Are you getting enough sleep to allow your body to heal and recover?”
Sophia agrees:
“ It feels really good to be treated for maintenance. A lot of the time people I see are getting acupuncture as a last resort because they’ve tried everything else, and it’s always really helpful. But I always love when people come in frequently enough that they’re able to just treat things as they come up, and not as a last resort. This is a different way to think about your health: in a way that’s more affectionate toward your body.”
Emily points out that “in addition to treating both acute and chronic conditions, acupuncture and TCM are often utilized as preventive medicine as well, to keep the body and mind in a healthier state.” In many ways, says Emily, “this medicine is best designed for preventive care.” She adds that at an acupuncture visit, people can receive more than the acupuncture itself:
“You can get recommendations that support your body’s constitution…if you’re interested in food recommendations, we can talk about that, herbs, breathing, movement, these are all things you have control of outside of the treatment room, and when you adjust your lifestyle to support what we’re doing in treatments and take care of yourself, that’s really where you see great results come quickly.”
5. Regular treatments put you in the driver’s seat of your care
Sophia says she sees frequent treatments as effective in promoting overall health and wellbeing in part because “the more frequently you’re getting acupuncture, the easier it is to pay attention to little things in your body. People start to pay more attention to their bodies, and notice when things are more out of balance…so it teaches you to listen to your body as well.”
Larissa emphasizes that “TCM works best when the patient and provider work as a team to heal the body.” Emily agrees:
“You get these tools to improve your life and live more vibrantly, healthfully, and with less pain,” says Emily Nyberg DCM, LAc
“When you come in regularly for acupuncture, we can continue to move stagnant qi or address a deficiency, but we can also give you things you can do to implement in your life—we’re helping facilitate your health, not “fixing” it. That’s something I love about this medicine. You get these tools to improve your life and live more vibrantly, healthfully, and with less pain. It’s really cool to see people come in for an extended period of time and follow how their lives have changed because of things they’re doing outside acupuncture.”
If you are interested in experiencing the benefits of regular acupuncture for yourself (along with infrared sauna and other treatments!), consider our Monthly Recharge Membership.
You can call the clinic (612.345.5648) or stop in to purchase today.
