A service
Acupuncture
Thin, sterile, single-use needles placed at points your acupuncturist chooses after they listen and look at how you move. Most needles stay in for 20 to 30 minutes while you rest.
Adults come for back, neck, shoulder and hip pain, including pain after a crash or a strain at work. You do not need to believe in it for a visit to go well; you need to say what you feel.
A visit
What a visit is like, in order
- 01
Step 1: Talk
Your acupuncturist asks about your pain, your work, your sleep and everything you take.
- 02
Step 2: Look and feel
A look at how you move, and at your tongue and pulse, the way acupuncturists do. This is a pattern assessment, not a medical diagnosis.
- 03
Step 3: Needles
You lie on a padded table under a sheet or blanket while a few to a dozen needles are placed, then rest. Tell us if anything is uncomfortable and we adjust or take the needle out.
- 04
Step 4: Afterward
Some people feel sleepy or light, and some are a little sore at a needle. Light bruising can happen. Call us if anything worries you.
Before we begin
Tell us first
Any of these changes what we do. Say so when you book or at the start of your visit.
You are or might be pregnant
Some points are avoided in pregnancy. We may suggest you check with your prenatal provider first.
You take a blood thinner or bleed easily
Needles and cups can bruise more. Your acupuncturist adjusts what they do, or waits for your doctor's word.
You have had lymph nodes removed
Tell us which side. We keep needles out of that arm or leg.
Needles worry you
Say so. We can start with fewer needles, or with none, and go at your pace.
You faint easily
We keep you lying down and can keep the first visit short.
A new rash or skin infection
Tell us where. We keep needles away from the area.
How many visits, and what this does not do
How many visits
Your acupuncturist suggests a plan after the first visit or two and reviews it with you each time. It is their plan for you and not a promise of a result, and your health plan may set a limit of its own.
What it does not do, and when to see a doctor instead
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.
Needles can cause soreness, light bleeding or bruising and, rarely, more serious problems. Your acupuncturist explains the risks before the first needle.
Questions about cost?
We check what pays before you come in, and a self-pay estimate is in writing before your first visit.