Acupuncture is a gentle, natural therapy that has been used for thousands of years to help the body heal and function at its best. It involves placing very thin, sterile needles into specific points on the body to encourage balance and support your body’s natural healing processes.
Traditional Chinese Medicine describes the body as having pathways called meridians. Think of meridians like a network of highways that connect different parts of your body. Along these pathways flows your body’s vital energy, known as Qi (pronounced “chee”).
When the flow of Qi becomes blocked or out of balance—whether from stress, injury, illness, poor sleep, hormones, or everyday life—you may begin to experience symptoms such as pain, fatigue, digestive issues, headaches, anxiety, or difficulty sleeping.
Acupuncture stimulates specific points along these meridians to help restore healthy flow and communication throughout the body. As balance returns, your body is better able to heal, regulate itself, and function the way it was designed to.
Traditional Chinese Medicine views the body as an interconnected system. Acupuncture uses specific points associated with different organ systems to help restore balance, improve communication throughout the body, and support optimal function. This holistic approach can help promote overall health and the body’s natural ability to heal
From a modern medical perspective, acupuncture has been shown to:
In other words, acupuncture helps activate your body’s own healing mechanisms rather than simply covering up symptoms.
Most people are surprised by how comfortable acupuncture feels. The needles are much thinner than those used for injections or blood draws. You may feel a brief pinch as the needle is inserted, followed by sensations such as warmth, tingling, heaviness, or a dull ache—all of which are normal signs that the point is being activated. Many patients become so relaxed during treatment that they fall asleep.
Acupuncture is commonly used to support:
Our goal is to treat the whole person—not just the symptom. Every treatment is personalized to address the root cause of your concerns while supporting your body’s ability to heal, restore balance, and improve overall well-being.
Acupuncture and dry needling both use thin needles, but the clinical intent is different.
Dry needling is usually more direct. If a specific muscle has a trigger point, spasm, or neuromuscular pain pattern, dry needling may be used to target that tissue. It is often chosen when the main issue is a stubborn knot or local muscle restriction, like a calf that spasms.
Acupuncture is usually broader, when symptoms involve pain sensitivity, stress response, recurring tension, or multiple areas of discomfort. The needles may be placed in a combination of local and distant points depending on the pain pattern, but not necessarily just in one place like with dry needling.
Your first visit starts with a conversation about your symptoms, health history, and goals. We want to know when the issue started, what triggers it, what improves it, and whether there are patterns with sleep, stress, work posture, exercise, or previous injuries.
During treatment, thin needles are placed at selected points based on what we are addressing. Some points may be near the area of discomfort. Others may be farther away. That can surprise first-time patients, but acupuncture is not always about placing needles directly into the painful spot. Points may be chosen because of how they relate to the nervous system, muscle tone, or the broader pattern being treated.
Most patients feel little to no pain when the needles are placed. Some feel a quick tap, mild pressure, warmth, heaviness, tingling, or a dull ache. The needles stay in place while you rest.
After treatment, we look at how your body responds. Did the area feel less sensitive? Did range of motion change? Did the headache pressure shift? Did you feel calmer or sleep better afterward? Those responses help guide further treatments, acupuncture or otherwise.Â
Acupuncture is often a better fit for symptoms that are recurring, tension-driven, or sensitive rather than purely structural.
For example, someone with recurring neck tension or low back tightness that worsens during work stress may be a good candidate.
Depending on the person, acupuncture may be used as part of care for:
Acupuncture is not the right answer for every condition, and we would never want to present it that way. However, for the right patient, it can be a useful part of a broader care plan focused on comfort, mobility, and better function.
Acupuncture is generally considered low risk when it is performed by a trained provider using sterile, single-use needles. The most common side effects are minor and temporary, such as soreness, light bleeding, bruising, or tenderness where the needles were placed. Some people may also feel tired, lightheaded, or more relaxed than expected after treatment. We comply with FDA regulations that acupuncture needles are medical devices and store them in a sterile environment and labeled for single use.
The most common side effect is infection which is typically from nonsterile needles. Other more serious complications like punctured organs, collapsed lung, or injury to the central nervous system are possible but very rare as proper training, clean technique, and patient screening matter limit accidents from happening.
Acupuncture is not appropriate for every patient. Before treatment, tell your provider if youÂ
If your symptoms, health history, or comfort level suggest you might have an adverse affect, a safer more more appropriate approach would be recommended by our doctors.Â
Acupuncture is a very minor procedure and recovery is limited with usually no formal downtime. Pay attention to how your body feels for the rest of the day and adjust your schedule accordingly to give yourself time to recover if necessary.Â
Some patients feel relaxed or a little tired after treatment. Others feel lighter, looser, or mildly sore around certain needle sites. Small bruises, minor tenderness, or slight redness can happen, but typically fade on their own.Â
Drink water regularly, eat normally, and avoid unusually intense activity after the appointment and your body will begin to feel better. If you feel lightheaded, unusually sore, or have symptoms that concern you after acupuncture, contact us and we can help you decide what to do next.
As Doctors of Chiropractic and Functional Medicine specialists, we are trained to evaluate the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, joint function, and movement patterns. Our team is uniquely qualified to help you understand your body and how each part affects another. We understand the connection between headaches and neck tension, back discomfort and muscle guarding, or a variety of other symptoms that do not have one obvious cause. We look at how the spine, joints, soft tissue, posture, and nerve irritation may be contributing to the issue rather than treating acupuncture as a standalone service.
Our clinical background matters when a patient comes in with ailments as we look at the broader view of health. Pain may be because you pulled a muscle but can also be caused by inflammation, poor sleep, stress, nutrition, hormones, or recovery habits. We consider all factors when they are relevant to a patient’s symptoms and their outcome goals.
Beyond physical modalities, our doctors are well versed to understand safe techniques, patient comfort, and appropriate treatment protocols depending on the condition.Â
With experience in clinical settings and private practice since 2012, we’ve helped patients see positive improvements in pain reduction, range of motion, and more using acupuncture and other functional medicine techniques.Â
Most people feel little to no pain during acupuncture. You may feel a small pinch as a needle is placed, followed by pressure, warmth, heaviness, tingling, or a dull ache. Many patients feel relaxed once the needles are in place.
It depends on your symptoms, how long the issue has been present, your overall health, how your body responds, and if you have other treatment plans in progress. Some people notice changes quickly, while others do better with a more consistent plan. We will make recommendations based on your evaluation and response to care.
Yes, acupuncture may be combined with chiropractic care when it fits the patient’s needs. Acupuncture may help support relaxation and tension relief, while chiropractic care may address joint motion, mechanics, and movement patterns.
Often, once the needles are placed you will feel nothing (unless you move, and then your body will rudely remind you that you have needles in the muscle you just moved). Sometimes you will feel the needles when they are removed, sometimes you will not. Once you are needle free, you may have a heaviness or lightness about the area or extremity. You may feel like you did a hard work out, or that you are much looser. Some patients note other responses, but those are the most common.
The best option depends on what we find during your evaluation. Acupuncture may be a better fit for broader pain, stress, tension, or whole-body support, while dry needling may be recommended for more specific muscle knots, trigger points, or neuromuscular tension.
No. Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek acupuncture, but it may also be used for stress-related tension, nervous system support, muscle tightness, recovery, and general wellness. Our team can help determine whether it makes sense for you or not.
Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing is best. Depending on your treatment plan, your provider may need access to areas such as the arms, legs, neck, shoulders, or back.
At this point, you are feeling better than you ever thought you could as you are feeling energized and thriving. You have learned a lot about your body, you are moving more efficiently, you understand your body’s cues, and you have a good idea of what to do with these cues. This means you get to try new things, achieve new goals, and conquer new challenges! As you do, we will be here as your resource, as needed, to help you nourish, boost, and refresh your health.
Pain is generally the last symptom to show up and the first to go away. This means that by the time you realize there is a problem, there has been a problem for a long time. Especially for chronic or recurring issues, understanding how you got to where you are is so important for getting to where you want to go. In this stage of your journey, you will resolve underlying dysfunction, remove cheats, and retrain habits. As we aid you in activating your body’s natural healing potential, we will help you regain movement, energy, and body function both inside and outside. Throughout this process, you will start to feel greater ease and inspiration as you restore communication and efficiency in your body. Together, we will constantly assess, observe, and reassess your body’s responses to boost your results.
You are your own person, with your own collection of life events which brought you to where you are today. You deserve to be heard, seen, and treated as the individual you are. Your journey begins with your Discovery Evaluation. This first visit includes your exam which works to uncover the root of your issue(s), new patient diagnostics, and, of course, your first treatment. This is how we will help you begin connecting the dots and feeling better. After your first treatment, we will ask you to observe your body’s responses– good, bad, or indifferent. There is no wrong answer as this is just starting point information and direction for moving forward. In your second visit, we will review this feedback and your diagnostics to further identify potential underlying causes and compensations. We will combine everything we have learned about you, consider your goals, and together create a plan to resolve your concerns from the roots up.Â
