A. Not at all – animals get good results from acupuncture just like people, and I’m pretty sure that they don't believe in it. You just need to have enough of an open mind to want to find out if acupuncture will work for you, and you will only know that for sure by direct experience. I suggest you try it and see what you think.

A. Nope, just wear loose, comfortable clothes that roll up to your elbows and knees. I treat all kinds of conditions (even your shoulder/back/hip pain) by using distal points- primarily those below the knees and elbows and above the neck. While some acupuncturists may favor lots of points on the torso this is usually a matter of personal preference and style, not a necessity to get effective results from acupuncture. There are literally thousands of different ways to do acupuncture and all of them seem to work. And as far as I can tell, no one way seems to work substantially better than any other. There are no studies that I know of that prove that acupuncturists who specialize in a particular area get better results than acupuncturists who don't specialize; there are, however, recent studies out of Germany that suggest that even when you do acupuncture “wrong”, it still works.

A. Everyone is different. Some people notice changes immediately, and others notice improvement a few hours after the treatment, or even the next day. If you’re coming once a week, and you’re noticing your symptoms are returning before you come back in, consider getting an extra treatment for a week or two.

My treatment guidelines produce good results for the majority of people. 

General Guidelines for Treatment Frequency:

For severe or acute conditions or pain level at 8-10/10, I recommend treatments every day, if possible, for one to two weeks*.

For moderate conditions or pain level at 4-7/10, I recommend treatments two or three times a week for a two or three weeks*.

For mild to moderate conditions at <4/10, I recommend treatments once per week for six to eight weeks.

To support chronic conditions or health maintenance, I recommend weekly treatments on an ongoing basis.

It can take several treatments to learn what the right amount of acupuncture is for you.

*Once you experience a shift in the intensity, you can scale back on frequency.

A. It’s best not to do a whole lot of moving around during treatment, but if you have an itch, need to put in your headphones, or cough into your sleeve by all means do so. You’ll notice if you move an area where there are needles placed you’ll feel them a bit more. To “reset” that feeling bring your arm or leg back to the position it was in when I needled it.

A. I don’t work directly with any insurance companies. I’m happy to print you a receipt that you can use when submitting your own reimbursement claim (these are also available in your online account). You are also welcome pay with your HSA card.