Questions people ask first

Most people feel a quick pinch, a dull ache or a heavy, warm feeling, and some feel nothing at the point. The needles are much thinner than the ones used for shots. If anything feels like too much, tell your acupuncturist and they will adjust or stop.

Yes. We use sterile needles from sealed packs, open each pack in front of you and use each needle once. Used needles go into a sharps container. Risks are small, and your acupuncturist explains them before the first needle: soreness, light bruising, feeling light-headed and, rarely, bleeding or infection.

Your acupuncturist suggests a plan on your first visit, for example visits close together at first and then fewer. It is a suggestion, not a promise, and results vary. You can change the plan or stop at any time.

Some plans pay for acupuncture and many do not, so ask your plan whether it has an acupuncture benefit, how many visits it allows, whether you owe a copay or deductible and whether you need a referral. Medicare covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain, up to 12 visits in 90 days, with up to 8 more if you improve and no more than 20 in a year, and it must be given under the supervision of a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner. Whether Medicaid covers acupuncture depends on your state and your plan, so ask us and ask your plan.

Many HSA and FSA plans can be used for acupuncture. Ask your plan administrator, and ask us for a receipt with the details your plan wants.

Wear loose clothing that rolls up above the knee and the elbow, and eat a light meal an hour or two before. Please don't come hungry or right after a big meal.

We talk for about 15 to 20 minutes about your health and your week. Then you rest on a padded table, usually for 20 to 30 minutes, while the needles are in place. The visit takes about an hour and a half in all.

Tell us first if you are pregnant or might be. Some points are avoided, and we may ask you to check with your doctor or midwife before we begin.

No. Keep taking everything your prescriber gave you, and tell us all that you take. Acupuncture works alongside your doctor's care, never in place of it.

See a doctor first for sudden, severe pain, chest pain, trouble breathing, a fever with a stiff neck, new weakness or numbness, or loss of bladder or bowel control. In an emergency, call 911.