What people ask before they book

Most people feel a brief pinch, or a dull ache or heaviness at some needles, and some feel very little. Tell your acupuncturist what you feel and they will adjust or take the needle out.

Needles are sterile and single-use, opened in front of you and put in a sharps container afterward. Your acupuncturist explains the risks, such as soreness, light bruising and, rarely, more serious problems, before the first needle.

Your acupuncturist suggests a plan after the first visit or two and reviews it each time. It is a plan, not a promise of a result, and your health plan may set a limit.

Some plans have an acupuncture benefit and many do not. We check yours before your first visit and tell you what we find. Your plan makes the final decision.

Yes. Call before your first visit and we check what your claim or health plan covers. Whether a claim pays for acupuncture depends on the claim, the policy and the law, so we check instead of assuming. If you were hurt and no doctor has seen you, see a doctor or go to an emergency room first.

Many health savings and flexible spending cards work for acupuncture. Ask your plan administrator before you book.

Wear loose clothes that roll up above the elbow and the knee, and have a light meal in the hours before.

About 60 minutes: a talk, a look at how you move, a pattern assessment, then needles if you both agree, and a suggested plan.

Tell us first if you are or might be pregnant. Some points are avoided, and we may suggest you check with your prenatal provider.

No. Acupuncture does not replace a medicine your prescriber gave you. Tell your prescriber and us about everything you take, and talk to your prescriber before you change any of it.

Acupuncture does not replace emergency care, imaging, surgery or your doctor's care, and it does not work for everyone. See a doctor first, or call 911, for sudden severe pain, new weakness or numbness, numbness in the groin or between the legs, new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, chest pain, or back pain with a fever.