People suffering from a cold, flu or any airborne illness are not permitted in the clinic. If you think you are sick, then please don't come in. Contact me, and I will get you herbs that you can pick up outside. 
I am professionally trained to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, and I'm structuring my clinic after my school's clinic. SWAC's clinic saw 150+ of patients a week, and prevented the spread of disease very well. They wiped down handles daily. Critical areas of each treatment room was sprayed down with sanitizer and wiped down between patients. Fresh paper sheets were applied to treatment tables for each new treatment. Practitioners washed their hands before and after treatments and avoid touching things. Guide tubes for patients were never reused on another patient.
In addition to all this, I am taking extra steps to protect myself and my patients. I have held an official safety meeting reviewing my setting and procedures. I created daily and monthly cleaning checklists. I store the dirty laundry in a clean bag, which will be washed daily with my clothes. I will not wear the same clothes or scrubs more than once without washing them. I will refrain from wearing a rings and bracelets. I use Lasercyn daily to help protect myself. I have three HEPA air filters in the office that will run during business hours. I have a UV sterilization box intended for cell phones that I use on my phone and on my pediatric tools, which patients can also use on their own phone while in the office. 

The answer to both of these questions can be found by clicking here, or on the "Book Now" button on the right side of the screen.  
The price of herbs depends on the individual's formula, dosage and frequency. I will provide an exact total before your herbs are made, so you can always refuse the amount beforehand. 
There is a 20% discount available for Active Duty and Retired Military, Police, and Firefighters. There is a 10% discount for their immediate family members, medical, delivery and associated personnel. In order to receive this discount acceptable proof must be provided.
Cash and check payments will receive a 3% discount of their bill. Cryptocurrency payments will receive a 10% discount of their bill. I accept Bitcoin, Ether, Bitcoin Cash, Stellar, and many more. 
If you order 2 weeks worth of herbs, then you will receive 10% off. If you order a month's worth of herbs, then you will receive 20% off. 
Patients can also buy a package deal of 10 Service Hours to receive 11 service hours worth of credit to be spent on any type or length of appointment offered by Casey Calkins at Silver Pines Acupuncture LLC or on herbal formulas from Liberty Apothecary LLC. (E.g. a $600 package deal would be saved as a $660 credit) 

I treat individuals with symptoms. Symptoms such as obesity, anxiety, infertility, migraines, back pain and neuropathy. I do this by balancing the patience's pulse using a variety of different tools. I don't treat western diagnoses. I don't have the training, licensing or tools to make or treat a western diagnosis. I could have five patients with the same western diagnosis. Each one could have a different eastern diagnosis. 

I also try to go for a one and done treatment. Feeling better can depend on how long your chief complaint has been going on, and how severe it is. Chronic complaints generally take longer to resolve than acute complaints. A general rule is the longer you have been sick without being treated in the correct manner, then the longer it will take for you to recover. Some people just won't ever have the physical and energetic resources it takes to be able to recover from their illness. 
Another factor is what treatment you want. The dosage and strength of the treatment strategies I offer vary. For example, the treatment for pain that offers the smallest dosage and is most gentle is pulse balancing with tuning forks. On the other hand, the treatment for pain that offers the potential for the greatest dosage and greatest strength would be electro-acupuncture stimulation. The patient that receives the electro-acupuncture for their pain will likely receive greater relieve for a longer period of time. 
In addition to the dosage and strength of treatment, the frequency of treatment has a huge impact on recovery. An individual that is initially able to receive their first three treatments within a week will likely recover faster than if their first three treatments were within a month. The best way to receive the most consistent treatment is with herbs. Herbs can be taken throughout the course of a day, each and every day. 
Herbal treatment is like training wheels for the body. An example of this is taking herbs for a chronic condition. If you take the correct herbs regularly, then your symptoms will improve and may disappear. They may reappear if you don't take your herbs. Over time you'll notice that you need less tea to get the same results. Eventually your body will figure out how work without the training wheels. You will know when you know longer need my treatment because you will forget that you even need to take your tea, and you will still remain symptom free. 

I strive to have the most gentle needle technique, but sometimes it hurts. Acupuncture is a generally safe method of treatment, but that it may have some side effects, including bruising, numbness or tingling near the needling sites that may last a few days, and dizziness or fainting. Occasionally there will be sharp sensation upon needling.  When this happens, please speak up and I will remove the needle. 
I offer alternatives to being needled. One alternative is to receive treatment with the pediatric tools and to apply magnets. Another is through Tuina. Both pediatric tools and Tuina can cause discomfort or pain as well. For people, like myself, that are needle sensitive this pain can be tolerated. You have the final say when it comes to where you draw the line as far as dosage goes. You can always ask me to remove a needle or to stop activating a point using Tuina or my pediatric tools, and I will respect your requests. 

Only if the area that needs to be treated is covered. For balancing pulses, only the transport points are necessary. Transport points are located distally from the elbows and the knees. 

A balanced pulse shows that the body is in harmony and is able to properly heal itself. 
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Pulses are balanced by using one of the different methodologies that I know. There are two systems that I regularly use. One has it's roots in Japan and the other in China. The Chinese version of pulse balancing is instrumental in helping me make a diagnosis for herbal formulas. The Japanese version offers no insight into diagnosis for herbal remedies, but instead aims bring harmony via a grander perspective. Both systems of pulse balancing can be accomplished using adult or pediatric acupuncture, moxibustion, tuina, magnets, and/or tuning forks. Only the Chinese system of balancing pulses can be accomplished using herbal medicine. 

Japanese pulse balancing treatments start off by comparing the pulse in the wrist and with one in the neck. Next active points on the channels that need more energy are gently stimulated. Then the patient rolls on to their stomach for tuina massage on the vertebrae that correspond to the channels just stimulated. The patient returns to their back. Active points on the channels that need less energy are strongly stimulated.  The last step is "Hara Work." This is where I gently and firmly press my hands into your abdomen to remove any remaining stagnation.  I finish by checking the results of the pulse balancing. 

Chinese pulse balancing treatments start off by checking the pulse in the wrist, while comparing how points on different channels and meridians affect the pulse. Points that help are stimulated. Some are gently stimulated, while others are strongly stimulated depending on their energetic needs.  Next the patient rolls onto their belly for tuina massage on the corresponding vertebrae.  The patient will then return to face up on the treatment table. Next is the appropriate "Hara Work," which is most often just rubbing your belly in a clockwise direction to keep everything moving properly. I finish by checking the results of the pulse balancing.  

For a detailed explanation, visit the resources page. 

Be sure to eat with 4 hours of your treatment. This will help prevent side effects such as dizziness. Be sure to drink enough healthy fluids, before and after treatment. Showering before a treatment and NOT putting on lotion will help prevent infection. Not showering, bathing, exercising or having an orgasm after a treatment for the rest of the day will help keep the energetic pattern set during treatment as strong as possible. After a good night's rest, you can return to these activities.   

Diagnosis, treatment and the tools used are the main differences. There are some methods of diagnosing that are only applicable to adults, while other methods only work on young children. Young children are small enough for me to do general, full body treatments in very little time. Children are rarely needled. I use a roller and my silver Shonishin (little people acupuncture) tools on them instead. These tools do not break the surface of the skin. 
If you are an adult that doesn't to be needled, then I can usually accomplish the same goal using my pediatric tools.

Moxibustion, or moxa for short, is a processed herb that is burned near or on the patient's skin. There are a variety of ways and reasons for both practitioners and patients to use it. The energetics of burning moxa is the closest thing we have to matching the energetics of the human being, thereby, optimizing bodily functions and leading to the best possible health.
Moxa can burn you and leave a scar. You will have to sign a document acknowledging this fact. 
To learn more about how you can use moxa at home, please visit this video by Maya Suzuki. 

Tuina is the medical massage of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In China, one either specializes in acupuncture, herbs or tuina. I use tuina to reinforce the modalities use to balance pulses. As long as time permits, I always use tuina in my treatments to balance pulses. I often use a technique called rolling to gently massage the vertebrae that correspond to the channels that I needled.

Magnets on stickers or adhesive tape are a great way to prolong the treatment. No one is allowed to walk out of my office with needles still stuck in them, but everyone can leave with a magnet stuck on them. Magnets provide a great way to gently stimulate points over a longer period of time. You can also apply them yourself between treatments. They work because of how I interact with acupuncture points. During a treatment, I am either sending the message to the point that I want it to do more or less. With the two polarities of the magnets, I can send those same messages. I find that four magnets are sufficient for most people to stimulate up to four acupuncture points unilaterally. I like to wear mine overnight, and then take them off in the morning. If you are someone that requires symmetry or more than 4 points to be stimulated, then I would recommend extra magnets. If you'd like to reuse the magnets, then please keep track of your magnets and bring them to your next treatment. 

Herbs allow you to receive consistent, all day treatment when not in my office. Herbs offer you an opportunity to take greater responsibility with your health. Those who take herbs two to three times a day are typically more invested in their health than those who do not. Those that take the time to cook raw herbs display the most initiative and seem to recover the quickest.

Patients that want herbs must go through the hour and a half long herbal consultation before receiving herbs. It's a good idea to go through this process even if you don't plan on taking herbs right away. There may come a time in the future where you may want to take herbs acutely, like for a cold, and you won't be able to schedule an initial herbal consultation in time. There is an extensive interview process that allows me gauge your constitution in Chinese medical terms. This process can be sped up by downloading the appropriate paper work, here, and filling it out ahead of time. After the questioning, you are given a Chinese style pulse balancing treatment. From here you will only receive an herbal formula the day of your initial herbal consultation if you are taking the herbs for an acute condition for a short period of time. If you are taking herbs for a chronic condition, then I may want extra time to be able to review your case and formula. 

Once you have your formula you will be given instructions on how to and how often to take your herbs. Always take your herbs with warm water, and never cold water. It takes more energy for your body to process cold herbs. The amount to take is often the upper limit on what I think is best for you. Listen to your body. A smaller amount may be necessary for you. If the formula is correct, then over time the dosage required to achieve the desired effects will likely lessen. Everyone will start out with two to four days worth of herbs. To get a refill on these herbs, you will need to come back in to see me. I will want to ask you some questions and check your pulse. If all appears to be going well then I will refill you up to twice as many herbs before. It may take 2-3 different formulas to hone in on the correct diagnosis and formula. If you start of with 2 days of herbs, then the next time you could receive up to 4 days of herbs. We can repeat this process, each time doubling the amount of time until your next visit. If you have a major life event that changes your needs and your formula, then the amount of time until your next refill resets back to 2-4 days worth of herbs. 

In my opinion, the two different systems excel in different aspects health, while being blind to other aspects. This is why a wise patient will utilize both and all the tools at their disposal to improve their condition. The two systems use different tools to diagnosis. They come up with different diagnoses for the same condition in the same patient. The two systems use different treatment methods. 
I don't treat Western diagnoses because the treatment methods for Western diagnoses are out of my scope of practice. Furthermore, Western diagnoses offer me little in terms of Eastern diagnosis. I can treat 8 people with multiple sclerosis, and come up with 8 different Eastern diagnoses, each with their own unique treatment principle. Those 8 people may have the same Western diagnosis, but each of them have their own unique experience with differing symptoms.