Acupuncture in Telford PA with

Rolly Brown and Suzanne Kaczor

Email Rolly Brown

Covid-19: The New (and evolving) Normal!

Feb. 27th, 2023: A message from Rolly Brown:

For those who have been out of touch with me, my acupuncture practice moved to a new location in Telford PA in February 2021.

I am not currently accepting new clients.

If you've already been my client, you may inquire about scheduling by calling or texting my cel at 215-262-7233, or by emailing me at rolly@rollybrown.com .

Fortunately, when my wife and partner Janice MacKenzie became too ill to work, our friend and colleague, Suzanne Kaczor (pronounced "Katzer") had a space available at her nearby office in Telford PA, so I've moved into her offices.

My schedule at the new office is limited to one day per week: Tuesdays.

After Janice's death in December, I took some time off...to begin the grieving process, to reflect on the future, and to try to keep things safe as Covid cases raged during the holiday season. Now I'm back in practice.

Suzanne's business (and my new location) is
Indian Valley Acupuncture
4023 Bethlehem Pike
Telford PA 18969

Her website, which includes travel directions, is https://www.indianvalleyacupuncture.com/

For those who prefer a female practitioner, I highly recommend her.

My contact number will be my cel: 215-262-7233

As the Covid-19 situation seems to be improving, I am gradually trying to get my practice back to some degree of normalcy. The goal is still to minimize any kind of unnecessary contact which might result in Covid transmission. Please bear with us as we work to adapt to a continually changing situation.

During the worst of the pandemic, we operated with many restrictions. The following ones still apply:

Rolly on clothing, particularly for women: My first priority is making sure that any degree of undressing does not make you feel violated in any way. However, it's often important to be able to reach acu-points on various parts of the body, so I've always provided a pair of 24" X  48" bath towels. We can no longer provide towels for covering. You may bring your own towels, or you can bring shorts and a halter top, or you can ignore the issue and dress normally, and we'll work around it as best we can.

There may be other issues as well, but these are the basics. If you think this sounds extremely difficult, so do I. The increased operating cost is substantial, and the time required is greatly increased. (I must leave a 30 minute break between clients for sanitizing the space.) I'm not sure if the practice will survive, but I'm moving forward. Even though I've been vaccinated, it's notable that no vaccine is 100% effective, that asymptomatic Covid carriers can be shedding the virus for weeks, and that, if a practitioner becomes a carrier, they could infect many of their vulnerable clients. The virus is unforgiving, and that's why we understand the need to continue complying with some restrictions. We thank you for your forebearance.


Rolly Brown answers some questions about Acupuncture

When can acupuncture help?


Acupuncture has traditionally been used to treat many and various disharmonies of the body, mind, and spirit. While Western researchers at first recognized only its pain relieving abilities, acupuncture has also been proven helpful in treating many mood related disorders as well as all manner of functional disorders. A partial list includes;

How does acupuncture work?

Put simply, acupuncture involves inserting extremely fine sterile needles to a shallow depth under the skin. The needles trigger a response from the body.
Looked at in the traditional Chinese way;
The body is described as being suffused with energy ("qi" or "ch'i", pronounced "chee"). This energy flows in and around a system of channels. Acupuncture points lie along these channels and, like tiny electrical transformers, serve to stimulate and smooth the flow of energy, creating a condition in which the body's ability to heal and regulate itself are maximized.
Looked at from a more Western point of view;
Western science still hasn't accurately identified all the mechanisms at work, but there appear to be several. Here are some theories.

What happens during a treatment?

When I treat someone, there are three phases:
  1. Interview; I want to know about the symptoms that caused you to seek treatment, but I also need to know a little bit about who you are. There are many aspects of your life which influence your health, so I ask questions about your medical history and also about the unique nature of who you are, and its influence on your health.
  2. Examination; This includes the traditional Chinese practice of pulse diagnosis, observation of structural and surface details, and also palpation (pressing and feeling) of areas on the arms and legs and abdomen to determine certain aspects of treatment strategy.
  3. Treatment; Needles are inserted and left in place, usually for about 20 minutes. Although you may feel some slight pain when I'm actually accessing the acu-point (this is called "obtaining the ch'i"), the needles usually cause no discomfort while they're left in place. (Needles are much finer than a normal medical injection, and the sensation is not at all the same. )You may feel some pleasant tingling or warming sensations during this time. Needle removal is also usually painless.

How much treatment is necessary?

This, of course, depends on the individual situation. In order to give acupuncture treatment a fair chance, I start by asking clients to commit to a series of 4 to 6 treatments (one per week). By the end of these treatments, it should be fairly clear whether treatment is being effective. Sometimes, four treatments are all that are necessary to restore balance. Many people opt for a monthly or seasonal "tune-up". (In ancient China, it was common to get a seasonal treatment as preventive medicine.) Others use acupuncture on an "as needed" basis. If symptoms recur, they call for an appointment.
We consider it a matter of principle to avoid over-treating, but we know that it's also important for a practitioner to be honest about whether he or she believes the client needs more treatment. Suffice it to say that we never try to "hard sell" a client on further treatment after the four initial sessions, and we believe that, once these four treatments get the ball rolling, the body will often take over and restore harmony.

How much does treatment cost?

The current treatment fee, as of Jan. 1st 2024, is $100. Payment is expected at the time of treatment.

On Courtesy and Cancellations

We all like to be treated with respect, and a good treatment relationship is based on mutual trust. You can trust me to keep appointments, maintain confidentiality, and act honestly and ethically in what I believe to be your best interests.
In turn, I need to be able to trust clients to give adequate notice (24 hours) if they are cancelling an appointment, so someone else can have the opportunity to use that hour, and so my time isn't wasted unnecessarily. Therefore, I expect to be paid a $40 fee for uncancelled no-shows. Of course, this works both ways; if I were ever to stiff you (hasn't happened yet), you'd get a $40 discount next time.

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