No. 28 Van der Merwe Road
Somerset West
Tel & Whatsapp: 0646435767
Email: service@helderberg-acupuncture.com
Dr. Jin-Yun Hu
known as Andy, a native from Taiwan, has been practising Traditional Chinese Medicine in South Africa since 2016. Dr Hu is licensed as a practitioner in both South Africa and China, and also is the acting chair-person for SAACMA.
The Helderberg Acupuncture Centre
is a small and private TCM Centre, situated in tranquil Somerset West.
Services offered: Acupuncture, Cupping, Moxibustion, Tuina, and Chinese medicine.
Please refer to the Services section for more details.
Qualifications:
TCM Phd (Heilongjiang, China)
TCM Masters (Heilongjiang, China)
Registrations:
AHPCSA: A11743
Practice No: 0657697
Compound & Dispense No:
WC05077D-0
APPOINTMENTS & FEES
Morning Sessions
(Week days only)
09H00 - 12H00
Afternoon Sessions
(Week days, except Wednesdays)
14H30 - 17H00
Fees
Initial Evaluation: R600
A once-off payment applicable to new patients only, AND per illness. This fee is not included in the treatment fee.
Follow-up Consultation: R300
A recurring payment applicable to all returning patients. This fee is not included in the treatment fee.
Treatment: R800
Dependable on results of the evaluation, and per session, this fee may be increased as needed.
The Helderberg Acupuncture Centre operates strictly on appointments only. Walkins and phone consultations are not accepted.
MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT via:
Whatsapp or email only. We do not provide an online booking system to keep our schedule hassle-free, efficient, and encourage shorter waiting times.
CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT within 24 hours after receiving your appointment details.
Unconfirmed appointments are automatically cancelled, and allocated to the next patient.
CANCELLATIONS & NO-SHOWS are subject to a penalty to the full value of an follow-up AND a treatment fee!
ARREARS will result in no further appointments or treatment.
SERVICES
involves the insertion of very thin needles through a patient's skin at strategic points on the body.
Application: Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain, overall wellness, and stress management.
Risks: Acupuncture is safe when done by appropriately trained practitioners using clean and single-use needles. A patient may feel a slight sting, pinch, ache, or some pain when the acupuncture needle is inserted. Additional pressure may be caused by the movement of needles after the needle has been placed in the body. Let your acupuncturist know if you are uncomfortable or in a lot of pain at any point during the session. Intense pain may mean the needle has not been inserted or placed correctly.
Techniques: Dry, Electro, Traditional.
Benefits: Acupuncture is not a quick-fix, and patients may need several sessions to benefit from treatment. It reduces a wide range of pain, including lower back and knee pain, and tension headaches. It also improves anxiety, nerve damage, and facial elasticity. Furthermore, acupuncture is excellent for detox.
Acupuncture
involves the application of glass, bamboo, earhtenware, or silicone cups to the skin for a few minutes in order to create a suction effect, which then aims to help stimulate blood flow and balance energy through means of a deep-tissue massage.
Application: Cupping is used to treat pain, inflammation, Herpes Zoster, acne, facial paralysis, and cervical spondylosis.
Risks: Cupping is safe when done by appropriately trained practitioners with steralized cups. A patient may experience a slight discomfort, bruises, or burns where the cups come into contact with the skin.
Techniques: Dry, Wet, Needle-cupping.
Benefits: It promotes blood-flow and relaxation, and relieves chronicle pain. Cupping is also effective for detox.
Cupping
involves the use of heated sticks, made from dried and ground mugwort leaves, held near the acupuncture needles to warm and stimulate the acupuncture points.
Application: Moxibustion is most commonly used to treat gastrointestinal issues, pain from arthritis, joint or muscle pain, and chronic pain, urinary incontinence, and fertility.
Risks: Moxibustion should be done only by appropriately trained practitioners to avoid burning the skin. Some patients experience allergic reactions like coughing, nausea, or vomitting. The practitioner must be notified as soon as patients experience any form of discomfort.
Techniques: Direct (skin contact), Indirect (needle contact).
Benefits: Moxibustion could prevent colds and flu, or alleviate stroke rehabilitation and breech presentation. It improves the immune system and overall vitality.
Moxibustion
Tuina
is an ancient form of massage that focuses on balancing a person’s energy. As is the case with acupuncture, it targets specific acupoints, but practitioners use fingers instead of needles to apply pressure to stimulate these points. Tuina massage is often used in combination with acupuncture.
Application: Tuina is most commonly used to treat neck and back pain, musculoskeletal disorders, premenstrual syndrome, fatigue and insomnia, carpal tunnel, headaches, arthritis, osteoporosis, stress, digestive conditions, and respiratory conditions.
Risks: Tuina massage is generally safe and well-tolerated. Patients have to remember that it’s not a gentle or relaxing massage, and some discomfort during or after a session may be experienced. Slight bruising is also possible. It is not recommended for patients with fractures or who are prone to fractures, vein inflammation, or any type of open wound. It’s also not recommended for patients with chronic back issues.
Techniques: Practitioners use various techniques, including kneading, pressing, rolling, and stretching that differ in speed and force.
Benefits: Tuina rids the body of blockages and disturbances that manifest as illness, disease, and emotional issues, leading to better health. Furthermore it reduces pain, and improves blood circulation.
are mainly plant-based herbs prescribed to normalise the imbalance of energy. They may, however, include minerals or animal products.
Application: Chinese herbal medicines treat disorders, ranging from gynaecological and gastrointestinal disorders to poor diet, emotional upsets or infection.
Risks: Herbs can be risky to the body as much as pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated with the same caution and respect. Some herbs can be toxic in high doses, while others can cause allergic reactions. Make sure your practitioner is fully qualified, and never abandon your regular medication or alter the dose without the knowledge and approval of your doctor.
Techniques: interior and exterior, hot and cold, deficiency and excess.
Benefits: It stimulates the body’s natural healing capabilities, and is effective for improvement of the libido, anaemia, anxiety, depression, and lower back pain.
Chinese medicine
General Info
All new patients have to take note of the following important points:
Compulsory evaluation
An Initial evaluation consultation costs R600 per illness.
Evaluations exceeding the 30-minute time-frame are subject to an additional charge of R300 for each 15 minutes.
Each follow up evaluation is R300
No patient is exempt from an evaluation, and no patient will receive treatment without engaging in an evaluation.
The evaluation fee does not include any treatment sessions.
Treatment sessions
A single treatment session lasts around 20 minutes, and the cost of a treatment fee ranges between R800 to R1200 per session, which depends on the severity and condition of the illness, and will be determined right after the compulsory evaluation check up.
The treatment fee remains fixed throughout a patient's treatment course - on the condition that treatment sessions remain as agreed between the patient and the practitioner.
Treatment starts immediately after the compulsory evaluation session.
Patients may interrupt a treatment course only once and extend a treatment course by a week without the need of a new evaluation. Patients who interrupt treatment for a period longer than a week, and patients who discontinue treatment, will require a new evaluation at the same cost as a compulsory evaluation.
Payment
We do not provide card facilities or a credit system for first time patients. All fees for new patients are payable in cash only. Please prepare for the amount of at least R1500.
Returning patients can make use of our card facilities, pay by EFT, or pay in cash. Patients using EFT-facilities have to use their registration details as a reference, and they have to send us an e-mail or Whatsapp notification immediately after a payment.
We do not offer discount on any of our services.
Appointments
Under no circumstances do we accept "walk-ins" . Patients have to book an appointment at least two days in advance, and appointments are made by telephone, Whatsapp, or e-mail.
Due to the complexity of rescheduling and cancellations patients are advised to strictly follow the booking rules:
(a) appointments have to be confirmed at least 48 hours in advance,
(b) appointment are classified confirmed only after this office has received a payment of AT LEAST 50% of a patient's treatment fee towards the applicable appointment,
For first time patients, the appointment confirmation deposit is R500 for each person.
(c) all other appointments are classified unconfirmed and tentative. Patients who arrive for unconfirmed or tentative appointments may be added to the day's waiting list depending on the daily schedule.
Cancellations and rescheduling
Cancellations and rescheduling cannot be done telephonically. Please send us an SMS or Whatsapp to our emergency/after hours cellphone number.
All refunds are subject to a 10% handling charge of the total fee, plus the following penalty charges:
(a) above 48 hours* - no penalty charge,
(b) above 24 hours* - a 50% penalty charge,
(c) less than 24 hours* - a 100% penalty charge.
*Hours mentioned in this info sheet are understood as normal work hours. Weekends and public holidays are therefore excluded from this description.
Medical aid
We work with all medical aids in South Africa. However, patients are responsible for claims from their medical aid. This office provides patients with invoices for these claims only after having received all dues, and only within one working day, but it does not submit claims on behalf of patients.
This office will not re-issue receipts and invoices. Therefore, patients have to keep all of these in a safe environment should the need arise to use them.