PH: 907.334.8001
Forms
New Clients
Core Healing's new client health history is likely much more extensive a questionnaire than you are accustomed to - but for good reason: you! Each question Dr. Marshall has relevance. Detailed, frank answers are for his reference; to understand your health issue, lifestyle, concerns - in order to create a successful unique treatment plan just for you. Please feel confident all such information is HIPAA informed consumer compliant. All records are private, safely filed and stored.
New clients only: please bring a completed New Client Form Packet to your first appointment, or arrive early to complete this important paperwork. COVID safety protocols mean you are welcome to 'mask up', to pick up the paperwork at our front desk, to return to your vehicle to fill it out, as well.
New Client Forms
Save a tree, print double sided.
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Once established, clients 'check in' with a single Appointment Intake Form, designed to check treatment plan progress: the details of your recovery, as well as the ways you've noticed 'unlayering' aspects of your injury affecting you. Feel free to print, fill in this form in advance , to bring, to your appointment - or 'mask up', pick one up at the front desk, to return to your vehicle to fill it out. Running late? Dr. Marshall (also masked up'), will have you come to the treatment room, where you can discuss as you ready for treatment.
Class, workshop or retreat student forms
This completed form is necessary for Core Healing class, workshop, or retreat attendance.
(one page)
Your participation in your own health
is by far the most important key to your
core healing success.
From Doctor Marshall:
Responses to Treatment Important to Know!
There is no 'normal' - there is what your body needs for healing - and, this is unique to you.
Eventually what is normal is the optimal state of being calm, and energized.
Some people have more layers of detoxification to express:
nervous system balancing, tensions blocking circulation flow, inflammation to resolve...
Sometimes people are surprised that even a gentle, seemingly subtle treatment can have such profound effects - not realizing that the 'subtle' can go deeply into the system to achieve powerful healing.
After a treatment it is important to hydrate well.
Sometimes people experience aching as the body moves circulation in, and inflammation out.
This process resolves much more quickly with hydration: the intake of fresh, clean water.
It is usually best to not do vigorous exercise right after, or even the day of a treatment.
Your body needs time to integrate the treatment, and often needs time for 'repair mode' wherein the body is resolving inflammation, detoxifying, and getting the improved, clearer circulation to layers of the body that need healing. Excessive or stagnant vitality patterns are now more freely moving through the body-mind matrix.
Gentle movement, such as walking, is almost always good.
Even better are such body mind exercises as Tai Chi and Qi gong; to help the body integrate the treatment.
Remember that the treatment is truly holistic, which, while meaning 'whole body', also includes
the other layers of your being, such as mind and emotions.
Facilitate the treatment through fluid (hydrating), gentle movement, and listening to your body.
If it needs rest, for instance, allow the treatment more opportunity to continue its positive effects by resting. - Dr. Ryan Marshall
New To Acupuncture?
Read on.
Information and details about treatment quickly dispels intimidation, or worries of 'the unknown' we sometimes feel about the experience of new medical care in our lives.
This is a core healing experience
you can look forward to.
Frequently Asked:
Appointment Scheduling
Self-care first! With respect to the urgency of your treatment event, avoid scheduling your appointment time immediately before or after strenuous activity - or between stressful, time sensitive appointments - since pre and post treatment, your energies tend to focus in support of your healing. Your obvious and subtle response systems will be hard at work between actual treatment appointments: healing,
re-balancing. Appointments and healing intervals between are important to your overall healing plan.
Confirm, if applicable, that health records, medications, and lab results (x-rays, labs etc.) are on file, or have been made available to Dr. Marshall in advance of your appointment - or, take copies of them with you to the appointment. A picture of pre-existing medication labels/doses on your phone is an easy means of sharing this important information.
Cancelling Appointments
If you need to cancel your appointment, we understand - life happens.
As a small business reliant on our clients - giving as much notice as possible allows us to find you an alternate time slot best for your continued health progress and scheduling needs - and allows us to offer your slot to another client in need, while also helping you to avoid any cancellation fee.
How often will I receive treatment?
Just as two people with a same health concern experience it differently - each appointment, experience, and so each treatment plan, is unique, organic. Doctor Ryan will schedule your accordingly.
It is typical for clients to have multiple treatments, and integration time allotted between appointments.
Time between treatments assures your systems will not be overwhelmed with healing responses.
On your appointment day
Healing happens according to the intention and support we give it.
Use your full appointment time to cultivate a deep, relaxing, healing experience.
DO drink a little water before your treatment. Supporting all aspects of health, water also:
-
supports cellular balance
-
grounds
-
re-balances your body's systems
-
aids in releasing toxic residue
DO eat a little healthy food to fuel your session: during and after.
DO turn your cell phone off. This is your time.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid coffee and alcohol at least two hours before and after a treatment. Caffeine, a stimulant, prohibits deep relaxation. Alcohol, a depressant, lowers subtle energy awareness; impairing senses and receptor responses, affecting your subtle energy and body feedback systems, and so Dr. Marshall's access to them.
What to wear during treatment
Please remove jewelry and socks. Sports bras and underwear or shorts are fine to wear during your session. This allows access to acupuncture points and manual therapy treatment areas.
If you're more comfortable completely disrobed, be assured you'll be professionally draped, (covered), at all times, resting easy on a warm infrared boosted treatment table, in a quiet, clinical, professional environment. Heat therapies: wonderful in Alaskan winters. e-Stim: added according to clients' needs.
Soon after a treatment begins, and during treatment, most clients fall into a relaxed restful quiet, often describing clarity, peace, and energy burst states afterwards.
This is the immediate action of the 'feel good' neurotransmitter hormones quickly accessed and activated via treatment.
How Will I Feel?
People who've
not experienced acupuncture
sometimes expect to feel pain from
acupuncture needle insertions.
Dr. Marshall's
gentle method of placement, and use of many relaxing manual therapies
quickly dispels such concerns.
When the needle placements have been balanced at the correct activation depth, occasionally clients experience a mild, dull/aching sensation,
which quickly passes.
Flexible, hair-thin, single use sterile needles have no relationship or similarity to the type, size, placement or applications of those used in conventional medical settings.
This feedback indicates activation of exactly the energies acupuncture uses to restore energy to electrical systems, and circulation to organ systems:
vital for best functioning and health.
Conversation during treatment often happens - a healing experience in itself.
As a session, or treatments progress
both client and practitioner tune-in to health cues the body speaks
- invaluable treatment and progress information.
How Acupuncture Works
Acupuncture bio-chemistry
The scientific answer? Acupuncture activates and influences pain suppressing receptors, increasing the concentration of adenosine; a neurotransmitter in local tissues which becomes active after an injury, to ease pain, and also, Substance P; a potent neurotransmitter important to several physiological and pathological functions including vasodilation, pain, no-ciception (how the central nervous system responds to stimuli), anxiety, inflammation, and neurogenesis. Adenosine slows brain activity, and can induce sleepiness; one of the ways acupuncture is a helpful insomnia treatment.
By down-regulating (turning off) pro-inflammatory cells known as M1 macrophages, and up-regulating (activating) anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages, acupuncture reduces pain and swelling.
Acupuncture can target pain both locally and systemically, and can be used as an anesthetic agent.
Dr. Ryan's use of multiple healing modalities during sessions maximizes and boosts the body's natural healing capacity.
Does health insurance cover my treatment?
Many insurance companies cover acupuncture and manual therapy treatment.
Our team can check to see if your plan requires a referral to Dr. Marshall.
Unfortunately, Medicare/Medicaid does not cover treatment at this time.
The pandemic experience changed many clients' insurance coverage choices.
Core Healing offers significant Time of Service discount , (30%), for patients paying with cash or credit card for their treatment.
Core Healing, LLC Pricing
New Patient:
Focused Eval/Exam 99202 $180
Detailed Eval/Exam 99203 $220
Established Patient:
Focused Eval/Exam 99212 $125
Detailed Eval/Exam 99213 $165
Infrared 97026 $50
Therapeutic Exercises 97110 $85
Manual Therapy 97140 $73/unit
Acupuncture w/o E-Stim 97810 $99
Acupuncture Additional 97811 $65
Acupuncture w/E-Stim 97813 $119
Acupuncture w/E-Stim Addl 97814 $89
Time of Service Cash Discount: 30% cash discount off total appointment service
CPT Copyright 2020. American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. The CPT codes are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. The AMA specifically disclaims all liability for use or accuracy of any CPT codes.
Licensure Requirements
Alaska’s acupuncturists/TCM doctors and practitioners are licensed with proof of successful national examination and certification. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, (NCCAOM), one of two nationally recognized authorities, certifies practitioners after their extensive training and examination completion.
All States regulating this kind of care require national certification exams. California, which introduced eastern medicine to the western world, has established stringent standards of practice that continue to evolve national and state standards and licensing via additional exam and certification processes - therefore practitioners licensed in California, and their state of employment demonstrate an extra level of competency and training. Dr. Marshall is licensed in both California and Alaska.
Credentials
A doctorate degree (DACM: Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine) is the most advanced degree a practitioner can earn - symbolizing mastery in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as a specific area of study, profession - requiring a significant level of research and practice articulation.
Dr. Ryan is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
A practitioner certified by the NCCAOM is called a Diplomate of Acupuncture (Dipl.Ac.) - having demonstrated significant expertness in the full range of the Oriental medicine branches, extensive clinical experience, training in standard medical history gathering and medical practitioner consultation, safety, and ethics, and in patient referral needs; at least three (full) academic years, and *a minimal of 1905 hours study. Dr. Marshall is a Dipl.A.C.
- *National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
Dr. Marshall's initial graduating studies: 3300+ hours.
Licensed in both Alaska and California, he maintains 200+ hours, of yearly,
continued education, and in multiple fields of TCM study.
California's continuing education requirements are 50 hours+ per year, Alaska's: 15.
“L.Ac.” after an acupuncture practitioner’s name indicates the practitioner is a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.A.c.), who has completed education at a nationally accredited school, having passed national board exams, which then allows licensure to practice acupuncture, and for some, in one or more states.
All licensing states mandate a certain amount of annual continued education for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) professions. As a doctor of TCM, Dr. Marshall is a L.A.c.
What differentiates one TCM practitioner from another?Past credentials, recommendations from friends, colleagues, and medical professionals - past testimonials and reputation and results - we choose health care providers who demonstrate a well rounded knowledge of their profession and specialties. We like a welcoming calm, a warm attitude, professionalism, a feeling a 'connection' to the practitioner or practice, by the way the practitioner represents each.
Study and licensure presumes an acupuncturist both honors and practices the Five Branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine care - which improves and informs both professional service and practitioner health. Exemplifying this lifestyle, the practitioner has more health energy and awareness to contribute to clients' treatments, while also indicating to clients trust, belief and benefits of this practice.
The traditional function and desire of an eastern medicine practitioner is to heal others - but also, to educate and empower a client with Five Branches of Medicine resources: to strengthen, improve and deepen health at all levels, and to expand understanding and connection to mind-body health overall.
I have been working with Doctor Marshall since 2012 to
resolve multiple health and pain issues: long term consequences
and ongoing impacts of multiple car accidents and injuries.
His level of care and concern is truly amazing, and I have had
significant health improvements in the last four years.
As a result of working with Ryan, I have changed my diet, I exercise regularly,
and have lost a significant amount of weight because of the reduction
of pain and inflammation in my body.
Through treatments with Ryan I was able to avoid using pain medications
after a recent surgery, and I no longer take any prescription medications
or NSAIDS: both important goals to me.
I’m able to walk, hike, do tai chi, and I hope to snow shoe this winter.
Frankly, I feel 20 years younger and like a new person who is
healthier, happier, more grounded, and embracing life again.
- P.B.
Confidence in your Care
Traditional Eastern Medicine Practitioners, which of course includes acupuncture - first undergo years of extensive, expert supervised training in anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, nutrition, clinic, and very thorough needle specific work. Dr. Marshall is further trained in several specialties including pain and inflammation relief, advanced orthopedics, totalling 11 years academic study, as well multiple complementary energy and manual therapy modalities studied throughout that time, and on an ongoing basis enhance his skills.
Practitioners' active and ongoing commitment to continuing education betters theirs' and clients' health - and is mandated in licensing states.
What is CommunityAcupuncture?
Sometimes called 'armchair acupuncture', this type of session model by-passes individualized appointments and treatment, attention to health history, and privacy and confidentiality - in favor of abbreviated, lesser priced sessions. Acupuncture is offered to multiple participants, seated in a public space, everyone treated together. Needle placements are typically limited to arms, head, lower legs.
Obviously during COVID conditions - this is not an ideal health promoting setting - trading one set of health issues/practice for the dangers of another.
Community acupuncture can be a means of introducing novice health consumers to acupuncture - with the understanding it does not represent all that acupuncture and individual treatment plans offer.
Community acupuncture sessions are abbreviated in scope, in individual attention, and follow-up. Such sessions may not address, treat, or provide followup on specific health concerns, nor detailed care and monitoring of recipients.
Acupuncturists commit to advanced studies and education in order to improve community and client health with their practice - and welcome the availability of health insurance and acupuncture coverage for previously uncovered individuals; to encourage optimal consumer and acupuncture health care advocacy, to support the important, complete experience of the single client, focused-care model.
We at Core Healing are sensitive to the economic realities in pandemic times, and do offer a
time of treatment discount for clients without health care coverage - or with insurance that does not cover our integrative-functional natural medicine platform.
What Is Dry Needling?
It is a testimony to the efficacy and growing popularity of acupuncture - and of the care and training of excellent acupuncturists that we have seen an explosion of conventional healthcare providers offering dry needling as part of their care services. However, extreme caution, and consumer vigilance is required to understand that one form of acupuncture care does not equal the other.
‘Dry needling’ is the term coined by health care practitioners who perform an abbreviated form of acupuncture without the training and experience required of acupuncturists (3300+ hour nationally certified program that addressed multiple systems, aspects of related care, specific, clinical needle use, adequate clinical needle experience with acupuncturist oversight - because there's so much more depth of study necessary than sticking an acupuncture needle into a person. Training tells the acupuncturist a world of information made possible by such extensive mandated study, and, what to do, and why to do it, when the receiver experiences anything specific to acupuncture and its scope of practice.
State law and licensing defines scope of practice. In Alaska, and most other states, acupuncturists are legally and professionally deemed the health care providers trained and licensed to perform acupuncture.
As a training comparison, dry needling (which IS acupuncture):
Acupuncturists: minimal training of 3300 hours, clinical and specific needle training, direct oversight from nationally accredited and recognized TCM organizations.
Physical therapists: a 27-72 hour acupuncture - often online, unaccredited programs, no clinical needle training, no clinical/acupuncturist oversight.
Medical acupuncture physicians: 80-120 hours acupuncture training.
Use of acupuncture needles to penetrate the skin, to stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular, and connective tissues for the management of neuro-musculoskeletal pain and movement impairments - is the definition of acupuncture.
A careful, considered attempt is being made by lobbyists, proponents, and untrained professionals performing 'dry needling' (in wording, advertising, explanation and ultimately use) - to make a distinction between dry needling and acupuncture - to avoid legal, ethical, and consumer health challenges.
Assuming dry needling is 'all there is' to acupuncture is extremely harmful to everyone involved.
Physical therapists, chiropractors, medical doctors, and acupuncturists study, certify - and are licensed in, and restricted to, their studied speciality area, accordingly.
"DN (Dry Needling), Myofascial Trigger Point Needling, and/or Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS),
should not be performed by anyone other than a licensed Acupuncturist and/or
Medical Doctor with a certification in Medical Acupuncture:"
- The Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Association of Alaska,
- The Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine,
- The American Association of Medical Acupuncturists.
acupuncturealaska.com/dry-needling-is-acupuncture/
"Physical therapists and other non-physicians practicing dry needling should – at a minimum – have standards for training, certification and continuing education that exist for acupuncture."
- The American Medical Association (AMA)
- ama-assn.org/ama-adopts-new-policies-final-day-annual-meeting
-
CAM and CARA Support
The Complementary Alternative Medicine and The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act
signed into law, in early 2016, by then President Obama, increase and improve acupuncture and TCM availability to veterans.
Acupuncturists have a government standard (GS) range of GS 9 -12 - recognizing their level of education, training, and experience. Acupuncture and TCM are now recognized as powerful, evidence-based, safe, cost-effective treatment. This means thousands of veterans now have increased access to acupuncture and TCM care at more Veterans hospitals and medical centers.
- sources: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s524/BILLS114s524enr.pdf, http://www.nccaom.org/blog/2018/03/01/acupuncturists-in-va/
Core Healing are proud supporters of our military personnel and families' health; improving our military communities' health care with expanded treatment choices.
No-Cost Acupuncture for Military Veterans, Families
As the VA continues to increase onsite acupuncture practitioner availability - everyone who qualifies for medical coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs automatically qualifies for 100% covered Acupuncture treatments through the Veterans Choice Program.
The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, also called the Veterans Choice Act, is a public law that provides funding for Veterans who seek treatment outside of the VA.
Acupuncture For PTSD
Long after the original impact, physical and emotional trauma still affects the nervous system, which, many times stays frozen and ‘on alert’ until a discharge of that held energy can occur. Energetic movement created by acupuncture and TCM treatment techniques facilitate that release.
For more studies, statistics, and news about acupuncture, TCM, and Core Healing methods of healthcare, see our TCM In The News page.
core
healing
- Dr. Ryan Marshall, DACM, Dipl. A.c, LA.c
"To relieve pain
and inflammation -
I work with patients
to revive and align
their inherent healing processes."