Business Spotlight: Flowing Chi Medical offers best of both worlds

All too often, patients end up having to choose between either eastern or western medicine for care. But not at Flowing Chi Medical, where patients can receive the benefits of both modalities in the same clinic.

Owner Julie Foster, M.D., recently obtained the credential to practice oriental medicine to go along with her family practice board certification, which she has held since 2000.

Dr. Foster had spent the past 13 years at Tumbleweed Medical in Carson City, before striking out on her own to open Flowing Chi Medical in December 2016.

She said she decided to get her oriental medicine credential because she has seen the handwriting on the wall with respect to treatment modalities.

"The way medicine is going, this is why I did this class," she said.

Dr. Foster said she completed a comprehensive acupuncture training course through the Academy of Pain Research in 2015, deciding to integrate the benefits of Chinese medicine with those of traditional western medicine.

The result is Flowing Chi Medical, which opened for business on Dec. 7 last year at 601 E. Washington Street in Carson City.

Dr. Foster's new practice is in a space shared with Carson Tahoe Chiropractic, from which she rents out two exam rooms: One devoted to acupuncture treatments and the other for traditional medical consultations.

Although eastern and western medicine are often seen as competing modalities, Dr. Foster believes they actually complementary of one another.

With traditional western medicine, she said, a patient presents with a health problem and the doctor prescribes medicine or other treatment to resolve it.

But eastern medicine takes a different approach, she said.

"In Chinese medicine, you look at their tongue and determine which meridian is causing the problem," Dr. Foster said. "Then you attack those points on the meridian."

The meridian in eastern medicine refers to the flow of chi — or energy — located throughout the body.

She said her method begins with locating the points on the energy meridian.

"I try to spend my time finding acupuncture points on the meridian that coincide with what your tongue looks like and what your symptoms are," she said. "I find the tender points and put needles in those."

And spending time with patients is an important aspect of Dr. Foster's new practice.

"I see an average of 4-8 patients a day," she said, "so each patient can get an hour of treatment."

An average acupuncture session takes about an hour, Dr. Foster said, sometimes longer. But she devotes this kind of time to all of her patients, whether they are seeking acupuncture or traditional medical treatment.

"I try to spend time with patients encouraging them to live the most rewarding life possible," she said. "I truly do want to help my patients get through whatever crisis they may be having (medical or emotional) and I want them to want to wake up everyday grateful for the time that we are allowed to be present on this amazing planet."

Flowing Chi Medical is focused on preventative medicine, Dr. Foster explained, getting patients back into optimal physical and mental health.

"Flowing Chi Medical is a concierge medical practice with a primary goal of helping you achieve the best possible state of health using both western and eastern medicine techniques to do so," she said.

Flowing Chi Medical does not bill insurance, Dr. Foster said, but offers a membership plan in which patients can receive medical and acupuncture treatments at a significantly reduced rate.

Patients do not have to be members to receive care from Dr. Foster. Flowing Chi also offers non-member rates.

For the time a patient spends at Flowing Chi and the level of care they receive, there is notable long-term value in the treatments available from Dr. Foster.

"The idea is that I will get you into a state of health where you really don't need to see me," she said. "I'm not in this to get rich. I try to just be fair."

Starting her own practice has given Dr. Foster the flexibility to offer the best of both worlds in eastern and western medical practices. She also is the clinic's sole employee, so patients deal directly and only with her.

There is no answering service at Flowing Chi Medical. Members of her practice have access to her cell phone, so they can speak directly with her.

"This practice was about doing it on my terms, where I am satisfied at the end of the day," she said. "I'm happy with medicine, and I like the fact that I can offer the acupuncture as a complement."

To learn more about Flowing Chi Medical, visit its web site here or like it on Facebook here.