We are happy to help.

Many studies have shown acupuncture to effective for a number of conditions, but no one is certain 100% about how it works. At the simplest level, acupuncture helps bring the body back into balance and facilitate its own healing mechanisms. From a Western medical perspective, acupuncture may modulate the bodies inflammatory response, initiate the "relaxation response" by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, relieving pain and releasing endorphins.

No. We do not do any direct billing of insurance companies or other third parties. Most insurance plans do not cover acupuncture, but you will want to check with your company to see what they cover. We can provide a detailed receipt that you can submit for reimbursement, but it is your responsibility to find out exactly what your plan covers and what information they need for reimbursement. Note that many times the insurance copays will be higher than our sliding scale.

Acupuncture can be a helpful tool for children. Due to the community nature of our clinic, we can not easily treat infants and children younger than 8. Treatment can be appropriate for kids who can remain relatively still and quiet for at least a few minutes and, most of all, who are willing to try acupuncture. Please keep in mind that making a child submit to a procedure they are saying "no" to is not in anyones best interest, despite how much we believe it may help them. We do not needle children that are scared or generally do not want to try acupuncture as a way of affirming a childs personal boundaries. Also note that children cannot wait in our lobby without being accompanied by an adult. If you need to bring a child with you to your appointment, they will be asked to rest quietly in the treatment room with you. For many of our patients the treatment room is a relaxing haven from outside elements. Please use your best judgement as to whether bringing your child will create unnecessary disturbance for the rest of the room. A little noise goes a long way in a quiet space. Whenever possible, please arrange other childcare so that you can fully relax during your visit.

We focus on the benefits of acupuncture using needles, and this is our chosen form of treatment as a clinic. We find acupuncture to be a very effective tool, so we do not utilize other Chinese medicine modalities (moxa, cupping, gua sha, electro-stim, tuina, massage, cranio, etc.). When needed, some of our practitioners can prescribe herbs. At this time, however, we do not offer herbal only consults.

Acupuncture initiates a complex cascade of physiological reactions in the body-mind that are generally positive and health promoting. It is particularly good at reducing pain, inflammation, and stress. Check out the What Can We Treat? page for more information.

The number of treatments required depends on the severity and duration of the symptoms being addressed. The acupuncturist will discuss a treatment plan with you at your first visit. In general, many people begin treatment once or twice a week and taper off as their symptoms decrease.

You will remain clothed during treatment. Plan to wear something comfortable. Many of the acupuncture points we use are on the hands, feet, arm, and legs, so wear clothing that can be pushed up to access these areas.

Generally about an hour. Once the needles are placed, you can actually stay in the treatment room as long as you like. Some people do best with shorter treatments, some people like to rest with the needles for a long time (our record is 6 hours!). After a few treatments, you may get a sense for when you are "done." If you need to be out a certain time be sure to let your practitioner know in case you fall asleep.

Not usually. Many people find acupuncture to be relaxing and even fall asleep during treatment. Depending on where a needle is placed, there may be some sensation (quick pinch, tingling, dull ache, or heavy feeling) during the insertion but there should not be ongoing pain during treatment. If you do experience pain, please ask the acupuncturist to either adjust or remove that point.

Absolutely. We only use sterile, single-use disposable needles, which means they are never reused.

Yes. All of our practitioners are licensed acupuncturists in Arizona. They all have post collegiate graduate school level Master's Degrees in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

This is a question that can have a long answer. In short, acupuncture points are located all over our bodies, and we choose the best points for your treatment based on our many years of education and experience working with other people like yourself who have similar conditions. For most sessions we place needles away from the painful areas, and this is generally known in the acupuncture world as using distal points ("farther away from the source"). If we determine that local points could be helpful, we may decide to use these also. We all work as a team, you and your acupuncturists, so we welcome and encourage your feedback and questions along the way to get you the best possible results.