RIKA KASAHARA

CREDENTIALS

• Dipl. Akupunkteurin, TCM Fachverband Schweiz
• Dipl. Herbalistin, TCM Fachverband Schweiz
• Dipl. Ac. (Acupuncture) NCCAOM, USA
• Dipl. C.H. (Chinese Herbology) NCCAOM, USA
• Gesundheitsdirektion Kanton Zürich (Health Department) approved
• Clean Needle Technique Certified
• All Swiss Health Insurances (Zusatzversicherung für Komplementärmedizin) approved
• EMR/RME Recognized Therapist

UNIVERSITY DEGREES

• Master of Science (M.Sc.)  Acupuncture (Oriental Medicine)
• Master of Science (M.Sc.)  Chinese Herbal Medicine (Oriental Medicine)
• Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chengdu (China)

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

Infertility and Gynecology

• Dealing with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – Prof. Adam Balen
• Reduced ovarian reserve: is anyone too difficult to treat? – Dr. Raef Faris
• Natural Cycle and Mild IVF – fertility treatment without the drugs? – Prof. Geeta Nargund
• Boost fertility and prevent miscarriage with nutrition – Dr. Marilyn Glenville PhD
• Male Fertility: Is there a problem and what can be done – Kevin McEleny
• Fertility treatment for older women – Dr. Tarek El-Toukhy
• Improving the odds of IVF working for you – Dr. Yacoub Khalaf
• IVF in patients beyond their 40’s – Dr. Raul Olivares
• Building Healthy Families – What you need to know about PGS – Prof. Simon Fishel
• Which way now? Your fertility options if you respond poorly to IVF – Dr. Rehan Salim
• IVF and cutting edge technologies – do they make a difference and the evidence for them – Prof. Simon Fishel
• Dealing with and treating, endometriosis – Dr. Haitham Hamoda
• Picking the best sperm (through HBA analysis with PICSI) – Dr. Lucy Richardson
• Acupuncture and Herbal Treatments with IVF – Richard Blitstein
• How to Effectively Treat Ovulatory Disorders with Evidence–Based Natural Medicine – Fiona Mcculloch
• Frozen Embryo Cycles – Effective Strategies to Integrate Whole Systems TCM – Lee Hullender Rubin
• Herbal & Acupuncture Approaches to Support Endometrial Receptivity – Keren Sela
• PCOS: Getting to The Root of Infertility – Michelle Buchanan
• Endometriosis: Breaking the Estrogen Dominance – Michelle Buchanan
• Uterine Fibroids – 60 Years of Chinese Clinical Experience – Dr. Xu Jing–Sheng
• Pregnancy Support, Labor Preparation, And Post–Partum Care with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs – Michelle Buchanan
• Acupuncture During Pregnancy: Safe and Ethical Practice – Claudia Citkovitz, Ph.D.
• PCOS: TCM Approach by Western Phenotype for Increased Clinical Efficacy and Improved – Kandance Cahill
• Perimenopausal Transition: Treatment Strategies to Improve Clinical Success – Dr.  Brian Grosam
• Treating Complex Gynecological Conditions with Evidence–Based Acupuncture – Dr. Elisabet Stener–Victorin
• Sharon Weizenbaum’s Complete Pregnancy Course Using Chinese Herbs – Sharon Weizenbaum
• Habitual Miscarriage: Diagnosis and Treatment with Case Studies – Sharon Weizenbaum
• PCOS TCM Approach by Western Phenotype for Increased Clinical Efficacy and Improved Fertility – Kandace Cahill
• MTHFR and the Infertile Couple– A Chinese Medicine Perspective – Brandon Horn
• Gynecology: Three Diseases – Giovanni Maciocia
• Enhancing Fertility with Chinese Medicine – Giovanni Maciocia
• The “Law” of Gynecology: Menstrual Disorders and Infertility – Jonathan Law
• Mastering Basal Body Temperature Charting to Enhance Fertility with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs – Michelle Buchanan
• Women’s Health Supporting Fertility and Endocrine Function with Chinese Herbs – Heiner Fruehauf
• Symposium TCM Reproduktionsmedizin -Verein Intergrativer Reproduktionsmedizin
• How Chinese Herbal Medicine Enhances Fertility Potential in Patients Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s – Gina Mortellaro-Gomez
• Endometriosis: A Leading Cause of Infertility and Menstrual Pain – Misha Cohen
• Women’s Health Supporting Fertility and Endocrine Function with Chinese Herbs – Heiner Freuhauf
• Acupuncture on Endometrial Receptivity – Prof. Yang Jie
• Updating Breech Care – Debra Betts

..and many more….

Other

• Japanese Meridian Therapy Acupuncture – Katsuyuki Oue, OMD (Japan)
• Stroke Rehabilitation Using Xing Nao Kai Qiao Therapy – Prof. And Dr. Shi Xue Min From Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (China)
• Japanese Palpation & Acupuncture: Emotional Shen Disorders – Avi Magidoff
• Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture for Face, Neck, And Abdomen – Dr. Martha Lucas
• Gems from The Classics: Japanese Acupuncture Seminar – Kiiko Matsumoto
• Pulsynergy Made Easy – Jimmy Chang
• Sports Medicine Acupuncture – Whitefield Reaves
• Treating the Middle Jiao – Kiko Matsumoto
• TCM Treatment for Breast Cancer – Dr. Huanbing Wen
• Body Memories and Beliefs in Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture for the Treatment of the Hidden Roots of Disease –
  Dr. Hamid Montakab
• The Mind and the Psyche in Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture for the Treatment of the Hidden Roots of Disease – Dr. Hamid Montakab

CONTACT

Kreuzstrasse 60, 8008, Zurich

patients@kasahara.ch

TRAIN: 5 min walk from the SBB Stadelhofen

BUS/TRAM: Tram 8, 11, S18, Bus 31, to Kreuzplatz and 1 min walk

HOURS

Appointments only. Core hours Mon-Fri: 12:00 – 19:00

FEES

• Treatments, prescription fee, and herbal medicines are covered by most complementary insurances (Zusatzversicherung Komplementärmedizin)
• We accept all insurances except for Visana and Helsana. However, your coverage may vary.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ME

2 x Master’s Degrees and Specialized Educations

Swiss acupuncturists only have vocational schools diploma. I studied at a university in the United States and earned both an acupuncture degree and a herbal medicine degree as essentially a double major master’s degrees. It was a rigorous program that included a fair amount of studies in pharmacology, pathology and physiology, far exceeding what a Swiss acupuncture school.

Specilize in Fertility & Gynecology

When you need a fertility treatment, you would select a fertility doctor instead of your family doctor. Same for TCM. You also need a TCM specialist for fertility and gynecology. I have extensively studied on gynecological conditions and treatment for infertility. As matter of fact, I am just so passionate about achieving you goal of having baby and constantly learning, attending seminars to advance my knowledge to increase success rate.

Multi Protocols & Methods

University Master’s degree educations in the United States also made it possible for me to learn a variety of acupuncture techniques from the USA, China, Korea, and Japan. Because of this, I can utilize different techniques from various countries for you to receive customized treatments. I also studied supplements and nutrition in depth. Combining minerals, vitamins and other supplements with Chinese herbal therapy gives you more treatment options for well-rounded care.

English Speaking +Japanese + Chinese

I am fluent in English and Japanese, and can read medical Chinese. I am able to learn from the original textbooks and resources in Japanese and Chinese. In addition, I can communicate with you directly without a translator, leading to more accurate diagnoses. No need to get important detail lost in translation or pantomime.

Painless Gentle Japanese Technique

In 17th Century Japan, an acupuncturist named Waichi Sugiyama invented the “insertion tube” – a thin pipe, like a straw, that is a bit shorter and wider than the needle. The tube guides the insertion of acupuncture needles. This method is called needle tube method (Kanshin-ho).

Using needle tube method, I insert a very thin disposable needle into this tube and hold with my right hand. Meanwhile, using my left hand to feel out the acupuncture point, I stretch the skin with my thumb and index finger, bring the tip of the tube between those fingers and hold it on the skin with left hand. Then I quickly tap the needle handle, which is sticking out from the top of the tube, with right index finger.

There are multiple benefits to this method. First, locating the point is more accurate because I feel out the point. Second, it’s painless. First time patients always say “oh, it was nothing!”

Some practitioners use only one hand – the thumb and middle finger to support the tube and the index finger to push the needle in. This is not recommended because when you push the index finger, even faintly, the thumb and the middle finger want to meet the index finger at the midway, releasing the pressure of the tube on the skin. Also, the speed of index finger pushing the needle in is nowhere near fast as tapping with a different hand.

Among the Chinese practitioners, the most popular technique is the free-hand method. In this method, the practitioner holds the needle handle and “sees” the point. The practitioner then inserts the needle free-hand. This means only the thicker needle can be used since a thin needle would bend with this method. The free-hand method also tends to cause more pain since the skin-penetrating speed is slower. The benefit of this method is that it is less time-consuming.