Services: Frequently Asked Questions

Your acupuncturist will have a conversation with you about the details of your health history and the problem that brings you in. Then your acupuncturist will perform pulse and tongue readings and other physical exams if needed. The history conversation and physical exams help your acupuncturist arrive at a Chinese Medicine diagnosis and a treatment plan. You will then lie on a treatment table and have needles placed. In a typical treatment you will rest with needles for 25-30 minutes.

The most common places you might have needles are in the arms, legs, hands and feet. If you have problems in your neck or head or in your back or hips you might have needles in these areas. Acupuncture treatments can be done lying face up or down. Sometimes small needles may be placed on special acupuncture points in the ears.

Acupuncture is fundamentally a stimulation therapy. The insertion of thin stainless steel needles into points on the body provides a signal to your body to improve function and promotes your ability to heal and self-regulate. We know from modern research that acupuncture helps your body produce pain-relieving biochemicals called endorphins and that it also reduces local inflammation and improves blood flow. It has a beneficial effect on hormones that regulate the stress response, reproductive function, digestion, and sleep.

Receiving acupuncture does not feel like getting a shot or blood draw. The needles are much finer and somewhat dull compared to a hypodermic needle. Often people do not feel the insertion or only feel a slight tenderness at an acupuncture point. You may feel a dull ache or pressure sensation which is considered to be a beneficial part of the therapy called “De Qi.” People often feel a sense of significant relaxation and calm comparable to some types of meditation. Sometimes people will feel more energetic and alert.

Treatment frequency can vary depending on the length and severity of the condition being treated. New problems that have not been present long can resolve in just a few treatments. Long-term chronic problems may require regular treatments over a longer period of time. One acupuncture treatment is similar to taking a pill in that it has an effect that eventually wears off. A typical course of acupuncture treatment for many pain conditions is 12 treatments.

• Acute pain

• Chronic pain

  • Neck pain

    Headaches: migraines, tension, sinus

  • TMJ pain

  • Back pain

  • Shoulder pain

  • Hip pain

  • Knee pain

  • Fibromyalgia

• Neurological problems like foot neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia, Bell’s palsy, occipital neuralgia, concussion

• Painful and irregular periods

• Menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and sweats, insomnia and anxiety

• Nausea

• IBS

• Heartburn

• Constipation

• Fatigue

• Respiratory problems

• Skin problems

• Depression and anxiety symptoms

I am not currently billing medical insurance for acupuncture but am happy to provide a superbill receipt with diagnostic and procedure codes and fees per unit of service as well as treatment notes for you to submit to insurance for reimbursement out of network. Your insurer may not cover the full amount of the fee. I am happy to provide this sort of receipt as well for auto and worker’s compensation claims.