Who is Alternative Medicine Center?
Are you a licensed health care professional?
What is Homeopathy?
What is Acutherapy?
What is TCM?
How do I schedule My appointment?
Initial Appointment
Missed appointments
Fee Schedule and Payment
Insurance coverage
Economic Hardship:
Phone and Skype Consultations:
Service Hours and Emergencies:
What happens during my Initial Appointment?
What happens during a Comprehensive Evaluation?
What happens during an acutherapy session?
How does acutherapy work?
Who is acutherapy for?
Acutherapy Pros and cons
Is Acutherapy safe?
My question was not included in the FAQ? Who is the Alternative Medicine Center?
Alt Med Ctr LLC Owner Mario Fontes L.Ac., Dipl. O.M., H.M.A. Alternative Medicine Practitioner TOP | HOME Are you a licensed health care professional?
Mario Fontes is a licensed Acupuncturist in the State of Arizona, a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine certified by the NCCAOM, and practices Alternative Medicine by providing treatment of the spiritual vital force in accordance with Hahnemannian (the founder of classical homeopathy) principles through the use of homeopathic remedies that are highly diluted and prepared in accordance with the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States. TOP | HOME What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine that is holistic, scientifically based, safe to use, inexpensive and can cure chronic disease. It is a system of medicine that is unique and different from other forms of alternative medicines. It was founded by Samuel Hahnemann over 200 years ago, although the principles on which it is based have been utilized in healing for thousands of years. Homeopathic remedies work through activating the body’s own powers of self-regulation and self-healing. Since its inception, homeopathy has benefited people from all walks of life and of any age, in countries all over the world Dynamization: The release of the healing force from inside the drug through the mechanical action of trituration and succussion. Organic and inorganic substances are ground together at a ratio of 1 part of the substance to 99 parts of lactose sugar of milk. This trituration process reduces them to a powder, soluble in liquid. These liquids, or tinctures, are further reduced by dilution with water or alcohol in the same proportions (1 to 99). Further potentization of the resulting liquid is accomplished by a method of vigorous shaking known as succusion.
Remedies: Homeopathic Medicines or Remedies are made from both organic and inorganicsubstances accorindg to the The Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States.There are currently more than 4,000 homeopathic remedies available and this isadded to daily as more remedies become known about. About 40 of these are availabewithout a prescription. TOP | HOME What are Acu-therapies?
Acupressure/Tui-Na Massage: Medical methods using the arms, hands, fingers, elbows and knees as tools for treating diseases and illnesses.
Acupuncture: The insertion of extremely thin disposable sterilized needles through the skin, to various depths at strategic points on the body.
Cupping: The practice in which a cup is applied to the skin thru suction so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup.
Electro Acupuncture: a form of acupuncture in which pairs of acupuncture needles are attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses between them.
Gua Sha: Scraping or rubbing the skin until reddish and elevated to prevent sickness and strengthen your body’s immune system.
Heat therapy: The application of superficial heat to the outside of the body for pain relief and health.
Low Level Laser Therapy: The use of low-intensity or low levels of laser light to stimulate cells to better respond to stress and injury.
Moxibustion: The burning of moxa (Artemisia Vulgaris) on the skin to produce analgesia and treat disease. TOP | HOME What is TCM?
The Alternative Medicine Center practices TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) which utilities herbal medicines derived from mostly plant, but some animal and mineral compounds. Herbal Medicines offered are maximum quality, efficacy and safety. The Alternative Medicine Center uses only quality herbal hediicines are tested for key herbal constituents, heavy metals, purity, and microbial content. TOP | HOME How do I schedule an appointment?
Call the Alternative Medicine Center (602) 332-8079 to schedule an appointment. TOP | HOME Initial Appointment
A comprehensive homeopathic evaluation is performed to assess the root cause of your ailments. Evaluation results in a treatment plan which may include: acupuncture/acu-therapy, homeopathy, and/or herbal medicine. TOP | HOME Insurance Coverage
Upon Request Alt Med Ctr will provide a bill with appropriate diagnostic and procedure codes so that you can file for reimbursement from your insurer. Amounts recovered vary with insurance plan. TOP | HOME Missed appointments
Missed Appointments without prior cancellation are billed to your credit card at $25.00. To avoid charge, appointments require a minimum of 24 hours notice. TOP | HOME Fee schedule:
Comprehensive Homeopathic Evaluation 90-20 minutes - $200* Follow-up Visits 45-60 minutes - $75* Free in Office Consultation 15 minutes - No Charge* Home Visits (additional fees): $25.00* Payment is due at time of service, in cash, check, money order, Visa, or MasterCard. In cases of extreme financial need, payment options can be discussed. If no arrangements are made and your account remains delinquent past 120 days, the account is referred to collections. You are responsible for all collection fees and related legal costs. There is a returned check fee of $35.00. TOP | HOME Economic Hardship
Unemployed/Uninsured patients can receive services at the same rate as the average insurance per visit co-payment cost. In circumstances of unusual financial hardship the Alternative Medicine Center will be able to provide these services. You will be required to fill out all applicable forms and must provide legal and adequate proof of economic hardship. You will be expected to pay for your own medications (average price $20.00) and schedule a follow up appointments as needed. TOP | HOME Phone and web consultation
Out of town patients phone consultations are billed at the regular office rate. Web cam teleconferences are also available at no extra charge. Brief telephone calls (less than 10 minutes) to clarify issues from consultation or brief progress reports incur no charge. Calls are billed at $25.00 per 15 minutes under the following circumstances: When you receive a new prescription or new problems arise or when your call exceeds 10 minutes. TOP | HOME Service hours and emergencies
Hours are by appointment only. Phone calls are usually returned within 24 hrs or on Monday after the weekend. (note: I added this) Please leave a telephone number where you may be reached. For any emergencies, urgent, severe or life-threatening conditions that require immediate treatment seek care from your local urgent care or hospital emergency department. TOP | HOME What happens during my initial appointment?
The initial appointment takes about an hour (60-90 minutes). During this time you will be asked questions about your health history and asked for pertinent information regarding you condition. Your alternative Medicine practitioner may perform one or more of the following procedures: Pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, blood pressure and heart rate; perform visual and or manual exams. Your alternative medicine practitioner will then decide what the best treatment modality for your condition is. You may be referred to a specialist, or if there is a medical emergency to the appropriate medical facility. TOP | HOME What happens during a comprehensive evaluation?
A comprehensive evaluation is usually reserved for patients who require a constitutional homeopathic interview. This usually takes about 90-120 minutes. During this interview process patients will provide in-depth information about themselves and their respective pathologies. TOP | HOME What happens during an acutherapy session?
Acu-therapy therapy usually involves a series of weekly or biweekly treatments in an outpatient setting. It's common to have up to 12 treatments in total. Although each acu-therapy practitioner has his or her own unique style, each visit typically includes an exam and an assessment of your current condition, therapy, and a discussion about self-care tips. Initial visits last an hour, follow up appointment can last 30 minutes to an hour.
Before therapy begins, you'll lie down on a comfortable surface. If acupuncture is performed you may feel a brief, sharp sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally the procedure isn't painful. It's common, however, to feel a deep aching sensation when the needle reaches the correct depth. After placement, the needles are sometimes moved gently or stimulated with electricity or heat. As many as a dozen needles may need to be placed for each treatment. Once the needles are inserted, they're usually left in place for five to 20 minutes. TOP | HOME How does acutherapy work?
The traditional Chinese theory behind acu-therapy as medical treatment is very different from that of Western medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, health results form a harmonious balance between the complementary extremes (yin and yang) of the life force known as qi or chi.
Qi is believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. These meridians and the energy flow are accessible through more than 350 acupuncture points. Illness results from an imbalance of the forces. TOP | HOME Who is acutherapy for?
Acu-therapy may be used as a stand-alone treatment for some conditions, but it's also increasingly being used in conjunction with other therapies. Studies indicate that acu-therapies specifically acupuncture may offer symptomatic relief for a variety of diseases and conditions, including low back pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, migraines, osteoarthritis, dental pain, chronic menstrual cramps, and tennis elbow. Acupuncture has been used to alleviate the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and the pain incurred from the constant surgeries that cancer patients undergo. The Mesothelioma Center offers the most comprehensive and current information on asbestos exposure and a complete list of malignant mesothelioma symptoms. TOP | HOME Acutherapy Pros and cons
Acutherapy including acupuncture has both benefits and risks. Consider the benefits:
• Acupuncture is safe when performed properly.
• It has few side effects.
• It can be useful as a complement to other treatment methods.
• It helps control certain types of pain.
• It may be an alternative if you don't respond to or don't want to take pain medications. TOP | HOME Is Acu-Therapy safe?
Acu-therapy may not be safe if you have a bleeding disorder or if you're taking blood thinners. The most common side effects of acupuncture are soreness, bleeding or bruising at the sites. Rarely, an acupuncture needle may break or an internal organ might be injured. However, these risks are low in the hands of a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner. TOP | HOME My question was not included in the FAQ:
Please email your question and concerns to mario.fontes@altmedctr.com. TOP | HOME | 
