Category Archives: Botox

After BOTOX Instructions

My post-procedure recommendations for Botox

  1. Do not vigorously rub the areas injected with Botox for 4 days.  But you can touch these areas lightly.  I do want you to wash your face gently, wear makeup, wear sunblock, etc.
  2. Do not exercise vigorously for the next 4 hours after Botox injection.

Reasons and more details for the Botox post procedure recommendations above:

  • Rubbing can cause the Botox to move.  It is first injected as a liquid.  When the Botox gets moved by accident – it can cause the relaxations of muscles in areas other than the intended Botox targets.  This may lead to eyelid droop or double vision for example.  However, these risks are rare, but because they are present, I still want patients to take the precautions of avoiding vigorous rubbing after Botox.  Vigorous rubbing includes – rubbing with a knuckle, getting eyebrow waxing, Microdermabrasion, and perhaps using the Clarisonic brush.  Also things that rub the areas of Botox injection include face down massage, face down acupuncture, face down chiropractic manipulation.  The area I worry about the most is the glabellar area (the area between the eyes).  Other areas of Botox injections are reviewed here along with number of units and pricing.
  • Working out can cause the area of Botox injection to bruise more easily.  Four hours seems like a reasonable amount of time to allow any unrecognized subcutaneous bleeding to subside and thus the risk of bruising would become less.  With exercise there is an elevation of blood pressure which can sometimes cause subcutaneous bleeding to recur and thus cause more bruising.  However, with 4 hours of abstinence from exercise, the risk of additional bruising is decreased.

The risk of bruising after Botox injection

I believe that the risk of getting any sort of burise after Botox injection is about 20 percent.

Contact Us for any questions regarding your Botox aftercare

Please feel free to call us.  We would love to hear from you and any questions you may have after your Botox injection.  (209) 551-1888.

Other services that we offer besides Botox:

Our main webpage:  www.SurgeryToday.com

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Disclaimer:  These are my part of the directions to my patients.  Please talk to your doctor in person for his or her directions.

 

Back Pain Acupuncture Treatments in Modesto, CA

acupuncture

Acupuncture for Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Hip Pain

One of my favorite things to do in acupuncture is to treat back pain with acupuncture.  I am an acupuncturist and surgeon practicing in Modesto, CA with my wife, Dr. Tammy Wu who is a board certified plastic surgeon.  My office is inside her office – we practice at the same location.  Her name is on the top of the building.  Our address is 2336 Sylvan Ave. Suite C, Modesto, CA 95355.  For more info besides this blog, you can visit our more formal back pain acupuncture page.

I’m using the term back pain to include the whole posterior chain of the body which includes the neck, the back – upper and lower back pain, and hips  – for example pyriformis syndrome, or pain in the buttock area, and sciatica pain (irritation of the sciatic nerve).

I can’t fix everyone’s back pain, but muscular back pain works best with acupuncture

I’ve noticed that the back pain / neck pain / hip pain that responds best to my style of acupuncture is pain which is mostly related to muscles.  Pain in the back can originate from three main sources: muscular back pain, skeletal/joint related back pain, and nerve related back pain.

However, the results may be different for back pain acupuncture with other practitioners.  I’m just blogging about my own results.

Back pain relief is one of the most effective things I do with acupuncture

I do a lot of different things with acupuncture.  I work on stress, depression, fertility, asthma, allergies, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, smoking cessation – the list goes on, but back pain acupuncture is on top of the list for effective relief of symptoms.

Is the back pain relief temporary with acupuncture?

I get this question often.  Sometimes the back pain / neck pain / hip pain, etc comes back.  But often times, I think it’s because we didn’t get rid of the source of the problem.  Sometimes the back pain is postural or caused by work – some of these things are hard to change.

Does back pain acupuncture hurt?

A few patients say that it doesn’t hurt at all.  But most patients will feel something, but it’s not that uncomfortable that they wouldn’t come back.  There are four forms of acupuncture which I use and if the patient is somewhat uncomfortable, I can eliminate some of the forms of acupuncture and still have a reasonably effective acupuncture treatment for the back pain.  The four forms of acupuncture used to treat back pain in my Modesto practice are:

  • Energetics acupuncture
  • Microsystem acupuncture – using the ear.
  • Local acupuncture
  • Electro acupuncture

Note the electricity doesn’t hurt as much as it sounds.  In fact many patients report that it feels soothing.

hammer for back pain?

Don’t worry, I won’t use a hammer as part of back pain acupuncture.

What to expect after acupuncture for back pain

  • Some feel a better range of motion right after the treatment – as they are walking out the door
  • Some feel nothing at all
  • Some feel soreness the next morning.
  • Many start to feel better 48 hours after the treatment

How many treatments are needed?

For most patients with back pain, I’ve found that patients will usually need 5-10 treatments.  I think most patients do about 8 sessions.  But I usually tell the patients that we have to determine a “cut off” for acupuncture.  Because I have found that I can’t fix everyone’s back pain, I’d like to come up with a way to make sure that we’re not wasting time and resources.  I’ve found that if a patient has tried acupuncture for four times and has not received some partial relief, I’m about 90% sure that additional acupuncture wouldn’t help.

Is there Botox for Back Pain?

YES! there is!  This is available as well at my practice.  Injecting Botox and precise location of shots are very similar to parts of acupuncture.

Do we take insurance for back pain acupuncture?

Unfortunately we do not accept insurances.  Some patients have found methods to bill insurances on their own if they know that they have acupuncture coverage.  We are not involved in that process.  Many have reported receiving about $25 back for their visits for back pain acupuncture.  We know for sure that most insurances do not cover for certain acupuncture treatments such as fertility.

Other back pain and acupuncture resources

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I hope you will consider Surgical Artistry in Modesto, CA for your back pain treatment.  We’ll use acupuncture techniques and possibly Botox if requested.

 

Aesthetic Treatment Plan based on Facial Anatomy

Aesthetic injection of botox and fillers

Developing an Aesthetic Treatment Plan: Evaluating Facial Anatomy June 8, 2013.

Evaluating Facial Anatomy for Injectable Fillers and Botox

An fantastic discussion of evaluating facial anatomy, especially intrinsic aging of the facial bony structure, and fat pads. The injector in this discussion, Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald, expert Dermatologist in Los Angeles is truly an artist and has a great ability to evaluate. I don’t entirely agree with everything, but I think that’s the artistry in our craft. But I finished the educational activity knowing that there’s much for me to learn and improve upon in my Botox and Juvederm aesthetic practice in Modesto, CA.

My main take home message: Fat Compartments of the Face

For me, a lot of what was discussed are things that I already do in my practice.  But I enjoyed listening to the topics of the fat compartments of the face.

Fat Compartments of the Face – Anatomy

The discussion here is supplemented with my own notes from:

Rohrich and Pessa, Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 119: 2219, 2007

  • Subcutaneous fat of the face is partitioned in distinct anatomical compartments
  • Nasolabial fold is a discrete unit with distinct anatomical boundaries
  • Malar fat pad is composed of three separate compartments: medial, middle, and lateral temporal cheek fat.
  • Orbital fat is located in three compartments determined by septal borders.
  • Facial aging is, in part, characterized by how these compartments change with age.

More Notes on Facial Anatomy.  There is much much more to facial anatomy than those very few pictures and descriptions on that webpage which I made a while ago.

Aesthetic Definitions

She talks about Hyaluronic Filler and Neuromodulators.  She uses these terms because they are non-specific, and doesn’t favor one manufacturer over another.

0.75 hours of CME credit earned from www.Medscape.com

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180% increase in 1 year in the number of patients enrolled in Brilliant Distinctions in our Modesto Office: Surgical Artistry

botox bottles

New statistics! Compared to last year, we have a 180% increase in the number of patients taking advantage of rebates & coupons from Brilliant Distinctions.   In dollar amounts, we have more than a 235% increase.  As of 5/30/13 $47,085 has been redeemed by Surgical Artistry patients through this program.  I’d like to congratulate our staff, the Botox staff, and most of all thank our patients.  Actual numbers:

5/30/13 data reveals:

  • Total number of patients  573

  • They have redeemed a total of  $47,085  with Allergan’s Brilliant Distinction (BD) program

     

Brilliant Distinctions

5/20/12 data reveals:

  • Total number of patients  317

  • They have acquired a total of  $19,960  via Allergan’s Brilliant Distinction (BD) program

     

 

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How Much Does Botox Cost in Modesto CA with Dr. Calvin Lee?

by Calvin Lee, MD

written 5/24/13, at this time we charge $11.70 per unit of Botox

Why a strange number like that?  Because it’s 10% off our original price of $13 per unit.

botox-modesto-collection-s

Empty vials of Botox, Picture by Calvin Lee, MD

 

Average Cost of Botox – all patients – doesn’t matter what area:

But of interest, I had calculated a few months ago the average Botox patient’s check out amount.  The price came out to $339.00.  But the range is huge.  The number came out of sampling of 46 patient charts.

Most Common Cost of Botox, all patients = $304

But most patients aren’t actually paying that figure, the most common charge that is seen is $304 for 26 units of Botox.  The average, as you know, may not be the same number as one that is the most common.

Botox cost broken down per area

This chart is helpful if you know which areas you’d like to have injected with Botox

Location of Botox injection Most Common
cost of Botox		 Common
Cost Range
Area between the eyes (Glabellar area) $234 $140-$280
Crows feet (both) $234 $140-$280
Forehead $117 $70-$234
Around the mouth (top and bottom) $82 $46-$93
Dimpling of the chin $117 $93-$140
Vertical neck bands (each) $70 $70-$93
Jowls (both) $140
Down turn of the mouth (both) $93 $46-$93

The top two (Glabellar and Crows Feet) are the most common areas injected in our Modesto, CA practice.

botox bottles

I was about to go to the operating room today and I heard this question asked at our front desk.  I’m thinking that this is a pretty common question and thought I’d just post my own answer here.  I know my staff did a great job of explaining the ranges and reasons for certain charges related to the question of “How much does Botox cost?”  I did hear a little bit of the conversation which involved discussions of how many units I might use in each area.  I think that’s fine too, but perhaps I’m starting to think that patients don’t entirely care about the units, the primarily care more about the costs.  But of course from our standpoint, as providers of Botox, we think of it in units.  But I am thinking that the consumers of Botox will usually think of it in dollar amounts.  But our office wants to make it clear that we customize the Botox injections to fit a patient’s goals, muscle size, weight, and prior experience with Botox.

For More Info on Botox

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