“I’ve suffered from migraines for over 20 years, trying various treatments including standard Western medical therapies, chiropractic and two previous attempts with acupuncture from other practices, all with modest or no improvement. I’ve been very pleased with my progress with Paul Rooney. For the squeamish, he uses a minimum of needles, unlike other practitioners I’ve been to. I also appreciate the comprehensive approach he has to general well-being, including proper diet, exercise and meditation. I was referred to him by a friend who found relief for her migraines, and would not hesitate to recommend him to others.”
Are you NYS licensed and board certified?
What is Patient Centered Healthcare?
How do I make an initial appointment with Paul?
What will Paul be able to do for me?”
How many treatments will I need?
Do I have to stop my medication before starting treatments?
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
Does Traditional Oriental Medicine treat colds and flus?
Is it good for weight loss and sugar cravings?
How did you get into Traditional Oriental Medicine?
I am a NYS licensed and nationally board certified acupuncturist.
dol.jkmcomm.com
NCCAOM’s online directory is designed for individuals seeking practitioners who meet national requirements for board certification in Oriental medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese herbology. These practitioners have met all requirements for NCCAOM certification in the specific program area.
Telehealth is using your computer, mobile phone or tablet to access medical care remotely.
Broadly it means respecting the patient’s life experience and involving them in the treatment decision making process. This is at the heart of Traditional Oriental Medicine. Paul has spent over twenty three years recognizing that the patients are the true experts of their symptoms. Each symptom is a piece of a puzzle in which all the pieces must fit in order to see the true mosaic of the patient. The communication between Paul and his patients are an integral part of identifying and treating the root causes of the symptoms the patient is suffering from.
After contacting Paul via email, text or phone call with any questions you might have and days/times that work for you, Paul will reply within 24hrs. Questions will be answered, an appointment day and time will be given and a link for the Simple Practice platform will be emailed to you. You will click on the link and fill out a form and a medical questionnaire. You will receive a reminder via text/email 24-48hrs before your consultation.
If you plan on using your phone, please download the Simple Practice app before your appointment. At the time of your appointment, go to the email that was sent to you by Simple Practice, click on the link, and it will bring you directly into the session
After reviewing your medical questionnaire and assessing whether or not his treatments will be efficacious and be able to meet your needs, at your initial appointment he will ask more questions about your main complaints and a number of secondary questions that might seem unrelated but in Traditional Oriental Medicine they will be important for the comprehensive picture of the patient. This wide angle view of the patient allows Paul to custom tailor treatment for optimized results.
Paul has over twenty three years treating a wide range of issues from PTSD, anxiety, depression and insomnia to IBS, PMS, high blood pressure, weight loss, immune and lung function isssues.
“Yin-Yang theory is based on the philosophical construct of two polar elements, called Yin and Yang. These complementary opposites are neither forces nor material entities. Nor are they mythical concepts that transcend rationality. Rather, they are convenient labels used to describe how things function in relation to each other and to the universe. They are used to explain the continuous process of natural change…. The character for Yin originally meant the shady side of a slope. It is associated with such qualities as cold, rest, responsiveness, decrease, satiation, tranquility, and quiescence. It is the end, completion, and realized fruition. The original meaning of Yang was the sunny side of a slope. The term implies brightness and is part of one common Chinese expression for the sun. Yang is associated with qualities such as heat, stimulation, movement, activity, excitement, vigor, light, exteriority, upwardness, outwardness, and increase. It is arousal, beginning, and dynamic potential.”
Kaptchuk, Ted J. The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine
The number of treatments depends on how long you have suffered from a particular illness. A standard treatment includes the following:
Stage 1 involves the initial one hour appointment when Paul will outline a personalized treatment plan to include custom herbal formulas, supplements, diet and lifestyle adjustments and meditation instruction where applicable. This may take a follow up appointment of a half to one hour long depending on the complexities of the health issues.
Stage II consists of follow up consultations spaced two to four weeks apart to reassess progress and adjust herbal formulas, diet, lifestyle or meditation instructions. These will usually last fifteen to forty five minutes, again depending on complexities. Results should start to be seen within 4 weeks.
Stage III involves one treatment every one to two months as maintenance.
This is only a general guideline for treatment; your personalized treatment may vary. Often patients get significantly better within the first few treatments. Some even stop treatments at this point and only continue with Chinese herbs and the recommended lifestyle changes. The more you can readjust your life to create conditions conducive to regaining and maintaining health, the faster and better you will heal.
I diligently research sources to ensure the highest quality of herbal remedies are being utilized for my patients. The herbs that I recommend have Certificates of Authenticity (CoAs), are GMP certified and are verified through rigorous chemical analysis as are the vitamins and supplements. Contents are verified through rigorous chemical analysis. I have been thoroughly trained in the use of Chinese herbs and I keep my expertise current by attending seminars and studying with teachers long distance. I keep informed about latest research and am especially aware of possible interactions between western medications and Chinese herbs. These are preventable, and this is why the initial consultation during the first visit is so important. I have been working with Chinese herbs since 1997 and am confident about their effectiveness, safety, and usefulness. When properly administered, Traditional Oriental Medicine herbal formulas have very few, if any, incidents of negative side effects.
Never stop taking your medication without the guidance from your primary care physician.
While you don’t need a referral, it is important to keep your primary care physician informed of changes in your health.
There is over 2,500 years experience mitigating the effects and severity of many viral and bacterial infections. If you use these and some simple lifestyle adjustments such as nutritional strategies (Did you know that a teaspoon of sugar lowers the strength of immune system significantly for several hours?) you can often ward off or greatly shorten and minimize any flu or cold.
In my experience, the use of Traditional Oriental Medicine to strengthen digestion and free the flow of qi in the body has an excellent effect on people being able to reach a healthy weight much more easily than through common weight loss diets and programs. Excess weight is a real deterrent to health and often happiness. I hope to help you figure out the puzzle of healthy weight so that you and your family can remain healthy. Please do not let excess weight stop you from scheduling acupuncture treatments. I have compassion and understanding for the enormous struggle achieving and maintaining healthy weight presents in our culture.
As to nicotine addiction, I have seen many successful results with acupuncture on this front, too. Schedule a half an hour treatment, which works just fine for this problem. You will see good results fast.
This is a common question. So here is the short answer. You can read the long answer on my biography page. I was a novice monk at a Thai Buddhist monastery. There I had the opportunity to see and experience traditional Oriental Medicine at work. When I decided to come back to the US I studied acupuncture at Seattle’s Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (now part of Bastyr University).
I opened my practice in Rochester, NY in 1997. Before that I practiced for a year in NYC. During my three years of acupuncture school in Seattle I worked at the school clinic.
Yes, there has been a lot of good research spanning decades. Google scholar is an excellent resource for published scientific papers. Simply type in your health issues and “Traditional Oriental Medicine” or “alternative medicine” and the relevant studies will come up.
Chinese Medicine has a concept that’s called Three Free Therapies. The idea is that you can use these lifestyle guidelines to take care of your health for free. These areas are exercise, rest and relaxation, and nutrition. We can do ourselves a world of good by examining our habits and lifestyle to see if they promote health and happiness or pain and disease, and then doing something about it.
I regularly offer classes on these topics, suggest books, answer questions or make suggestions during treatments, and write related articles for our free newsletter. I am very happy when I see a patient who has been in pain for years make some simple changes in his/her lifestyle and thus maintain the positive results of acupuncture treatments. I always look for resources in the community that might be helpful, too. I can recommend massage therapists, personal trainers, therapists and other professionals.
Weightlifting for strength, and exercise in general is what I do for fun. I can offer a lot of information on these topics to those who are interested.