Yes, acupuncture is considered to be safe and well tolerated by patients, as long as it is provided by a well trained, licensed professional who uses sterile, single use needles. Acupuncture is an ancient medical system that has been in use for over 2,000 years and is used to addresses many different concerns, including musculoskeletal pain, headache and migraine, fertility and reproductive issues, anxiety and depression, nausea and digestive issues, and more.

Acupuncture is well tolerated by most patients and adverse events are rare. The most common side effects include soreness, bleeding, or bruising at the needle insertion site. In addition, the NIH lists infection, and injury to organs and the central nervous system as potential adverse events.

Yes, acupuncture needles are sterile and designed for single use. That means we’ll open a sealed pack of needles with you, and we will safely dispose of them in a sharps container immediately after we use them. We are certified in Clean Needle Technique, which defines hygiene and safety procedures for acupuncturists.

Acupuncture should not be painful. You may have some sensation when the needle is inserted, but it should pass within seconds – and often, you’ll feel nothing at all. If you have any discomfort, just let your acupuncturist know and they can make adjustments.

Because the focus of acupuncture is to restore balance to the body by activating the body’s own healing mechanisms, it can be used to help address a wide variety of conditions. It is commonly used to address pain, nausea, headache, respiratory illness, insomnia, fertility, menstrual and perimenopausal concerns, and anxiety or depression, but the list of possibilities extends well beyond these conditions.

This is highly personalized care, so this is a hard question to answer without a full evaluation. Treatment duration very much depends on the condition of concern and can also be impacted by how long you’ve had the condition. In general, it will take longer to address something that has been an issue for years, vs. something that just popped up. Once your provider knows more about your case, they should be able to answer this question with a little more certainty.

Everyone! This is a 2,000+ year old system of medicine that is effectively used to treat everyone from childhood to late in life. It is a highly effective system of treatment that has been validated by over 1,000 studies and is suitable for all people, regardless of age, gender, identity, or condition.

It depends on your concerns and customized treatment plan, but patients are typically seen once or twice a week. In the initial treatment phases, it is often best to be seen more frequently, and once we have made some improvements, we can reduce our frequency. In China, patients are often seen in Chinese Medicine Hospitals daily until their conditions are under control!

We schedule extra time for your first appointment so we can ensure there is time to thoroughly discuss all of your concerns. When you arrive, we will sit together in the treatment room, review the information in your intake forms, and discuss your health history and concerns. I’ll ask A LOT of questions! Once we’ve talked, we will complete a physical exam that is very simple and typically does not require disrobing. You’ll then get your first acupuncture treatment. This usually involves placing 2-6 sterile needles into acupuncture points, and then you get to just rest for a little while. The needles are then removed and your treatment is complete. 

Aside from completing any requested intake forms and double checking your benefits if you intend to use insurance, there is nothing special you need to do to prepare. If you can, wearing looser fitting clothes can be helpful, but there’s no need to worry about what you’re wearing if you’re coming straight from the office.