Questions, answered plainly

It is a way of working more than a different treatment. The needles are very fine and often placed only a few millimeters deep, and a good part of the visit is touch: I feel the pulse at your wrist and the skin and muscle of your belly and back to decide where to place a few needles. Some visits use warmth or non-insertive tools instead of needles.

Most people feel very little: a tap, a brief pinch or a dull heaviness that fades. Tell me what you feel and I adjust, slow down or stop. Fear of needles is common, and we can begin with non-insertive tools.

Yes. I use sterile, single-use needles, open them in front of you and put them in a sharps container after one use. I clean my hands and your skin before I place them, and I explain the risks, which include soreness, light bruising and, rarely, something more serious, before the first needle.

It depends on you. At the first visit I suggest a plan, such as a few visits close together and then fewer. It is a suggestion, not a promise, results vary, and you can change or stop the plan at any time.

Yes, for a 30-minute session with a parent in the room. I use gentle tapping and stroking with non-insertive tools and leave no needles in. If your child is unwell, with a fever or a cough that won't go away, please see their doctor first.

I am a self-pay practice and don't bill health plans. Some plans reimburse acupuncture when you send in an itemized receipt, and others don't, so ask your plan. If you have an HSA or FSA, ask your plan administrator whether it can be used.

Wear loose clothes with sleeves and legs that roll up. Please eat a normal meal a couple of hours before, and arrive neither starving nor full. You can keep your clothes on, and I use a sheet or blanket for anything else.

Tell me first if you are or might be pregnant. I avoid some points and adjust the session, and I may suggest you check with your midwife or doctor before we start. Acupuncture is not a substitute for prenatal care.

No. Keep taking what you take, and tell your prescriber and me about everything you use, including over-the-counter medicines and supplements. If you take a blood thinner, tell me before the first needle.

See a doctor first for sudden, severe pain, chest pain, a high fever, new weakness or numbness, trouble breathing, or a loss of bladder or bowel control. In an emergency, call 911. Acupuncture works alongside your doctor's care and does not replace it.