Acupuncture Relief

Acupuncture & Traditional Naturopathic Medicine for the WHOLE Family

Providing Natural Relief & Total Wellness Since 300 BC

Acupuncture is a complete drugless system of natural healing. It helps activate and cultivate the body’s Self-Healing abilities to promote optimal health potential and total wellness.

Our Method

Gentle Comfortable Effective Needling Made to Order, Just For You

Our method is based on a very gentle style of acupuncture involving the use of thinner needles and a shallower needle insertion. These powerful treatments are very relaxing and comfortable, and deliver highly effective and consistent results.

Health as expanded consciousness

We view health as a vehicle for expanded consciousness. Our method values the process of helping you discover and cultivate your life’s puzzle piece so that you may be the best version of you. We incorporate a very highly specialized style of acupuncture aimed at balancing the body’s energy centers, cultivating discernment, and clearing blockages to help you reach your highest potential.

Our Tools

We Only Use the Finest Acupuncture Needles for Gentle and Stress Free Acupuncture

There are many different types of acupuncture needles and they are not all the same. We only use the Seirin brand of acupuncture needles, the finest, smoothest, safest and most advanced acupuncture needles available in the world. Made only from the highest quality surgical grade stainless steel, Seirin acupuncture needles are the global standard for safe, high quality, painless acupuncture therapy.

  • We use sterilized, individually packaged, single-use disposable acupuncture needles. These surgical-grade needles are only used once during each treatment and then safely discarded.

  • Our acupuncture needles have guide tubes with rounded ends that center the needle handle and shaft.  This ensures optimum control, accuracy and comfort during treatment.

  • The acupuncture needles we use are very thin and sharp, allowing for virtually painless insertion into the superficial layers of the skin and muscles. This helps minimize any discomfort during treatment.

There’s More to Acupuncture Than Just Needling— A Lot More!

Acupuncture involves more than just the insertion of needles into specific areas of the skin to treat different types of pain. Acupuncture is merely one branch of a complete holistic medicine system called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a modern term commonly used to describe the various traditional naturopathic medical theories, techniques, and methods that originated in ancient China, and have since been used over millennia in the East Asian region of the world. On its own, TCM is a complete system of medicine that is rooted in holistic and functional principles and concepts of natural medicine.

TCM IN MODERN TIMES

For some time now TCM has been incorporated into mainstream healthcare throughout Europe and North America, making up the core of what has been called Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Many of the primary holistic and functional principles of TCM have also been used as the foundation for emerging models of healthcare in the West, such as integrative medicine and functional medicine.

CORE PRINCIPLES OF TCM

  • TCM fosters a patient-centered approach where the patient is educated and encouraged to become responsible for their own health and wellbeing.
  • TCM emphasizes understanding and improving the functional core of the human being as the starting point for intervention.
  • TCM aims to restore balance to body systems by strengthening the fundamental processes that underlie them.
  • TCM focuses on both the mind and the body as an integrated whole that must be balanced and harmonized for optimum health.

TCM IS PREVENTIVE

In TCM, treatments do not rely on a Western medical diagnosis. Using its own unique and complete system of diagnosis, TCM addresses health issues based on a root-and-branch diagnostic philosophy. Similar to a tree, the body is viewed as an interconnected unifying whole system that is in dynamic relationship to its natural environment. TCM not only takes into account the manifesting symptoms of disease (branch), but also identifies patterns of imbalance at the root of poor health. This allows acupuncturists to treat a person’s needs simultaneously using highly individualized and complete treatments geared towards prevention.

TCM and Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the most commonly used and well-known therapy of TCM. This is why TCM is often simply called acupuncture and TCM practitioners are known as acupuncturists. But in addition to acupuncture, acupuncturists also use a variety of treatment options to improve overall well-being. They also use diet and nutrition therapy, meditation instruction, herbal medicine, energy healing, massage and manual therapy (acupressure), cupping therapy, exercise and fitness therapy (qi gong, tai qi), and heat therapy (moxibustion). These all are part of the built-in benefits of receiving acupuncture and these actually serve to support the effects of acupuncture treatment.

Explore Acupuncture Treatment Options

Acupuncture treatment for neck pain.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used traditional naturopathic therapies in the modern world. It is a system of medical diagnosis and treatment primarily developed in China over thousands of years. Recently, it has been used and integrated as a standalone method into modern healthcare settings worldwide. Utilizing heat therapy, massage (acupressure), cupping, and very thin, hair-like needles, acupuncture stimulates specific areas of the body to activate it’s self healing abilities and promote physical and mental-emotional well-being.

Although evidence is inconclusive, a large body of scientific studies suggest that the healing effects resulting from needling acupuncture points may be initiated through a series of reactions in the body. Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the nervous system, enhance blood circulation, activate the immune system and normalize hormone levels. This may not only help explain acupuncture’s pain-reducing effects, but also its therapeutic benefit for a wide range of poor health conditions and symptoms.


Diet and Lifestyle Counseling helps facilitate the body’s own natural healing and health building potential through individually formulated nutritional and lifestyle modifications. Rooted in naturopathic principles from ancient China, it is a supportive process that helps identify the underlying cause of imbalances to target a revised action plan that acknowledges and fosters responsibility for self-care using nutrition.

Hand-carved wood art of Five Elements in acupuncture.

Mind Training uses traditional naturopathic meditation & mindfulness techniques to bring the wandering mind back into the present moment, out of distracting thoughts. It provides the tools needed to center and calm the mind so that life can be lived more calmly, fully, and compassionately. It also has powerful physical health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving circulation, reducing anxiety, deepening relaxation, eliminating stress, enhancing concentration, & increasing energy.

Assortment of herbs in glass jars in acupuncture office.

Herbology is a traditional naturopathic approach involving the use of medicinal herbs. For thousands of years, acupuncturist have been combining herbs into potent combinations known as herbal formulas. Herbal formulas are used to create specific responses in the body and help treat a wide variety of health problems. The strength of herbal formulas lies in the theoretically sound and time-tested methods of combining different medicinal herbs together to naturally treat multiple unique symptoms and patterns of imbalance at once.

Life-force energy emitting from hands during acupuncture treatment.

Energy Healing is a traditional naturopathic approach used to center, align and strengthen the flow of vital life-force flowing through the body’s subtle energetic fields. It is used to assist with awakening and expanding consciousness to deeper levels of healing and wellness.

Energy Healing is an ideal option for those interested in cultivating wellness, or deepening their meditation or yoga practice. It can also be used by those suffering from deep-seated physical or mental-emotional issues, those who want to ease life transitions, or those who seek to break free from old habits or unwanted trauma and emotional programming.

How Acupuncture Works

Acupuncture Heals From Within

Acupuncture facilitates natural recovery by activating a person’s own regenerative and protective self-healing response. It takes a holistic and functional whole mind-body approach to bring the body and mind into natural alignment. Acupuncture helps people naturally improve how they respond and adapt to any number of factors that challenge health and wellbeing. After treatment plans are complete, ongoing maintenance sessions are recommended to help achieve and maintain a healthier whole you.

Acupuncture is cumulative

Receiving acupuncture more frequently at the beginning of a course of treatment will typically help people feel better quicker (relief stage). As the condition improves, acupuncture treatments are usually spaced further apart (healing stage). By and large, in order to maintain and support effects, and to achieve personalized health and wellness goals, most people continue receiving regular acupuncture treatments on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis (wellness stage).

Conditions Treated With Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be used to help improve the body’s natural response and adaptation to a wide variety of conditions and symptoms that threaten balance and health. Pain, trauma and other health disorders closely linked to the inflammatory response, such as mental-emotional and physical stress, tend to respond well to acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture can also help improve joint range of motion, promote muscle relaxation, reduce inflammation and swelling, and regulate blood flow and lymphatic drainage. It can also help to enhance tissue and wound healing, normalize immune response, regulate hormones, promote homeostatic organ activity, improve memory, and regulate sleep.

Some evidence has shown that acupuncture may be effective for a wide variety of Western-defined disorders and diseases. Reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)  indicate acupuncture can be used as effective treatment alone or in combination with conventional therapies in the treatment of many different types of health problems, including:

  • Cardiovascular Conditions- stress, essential hypertension

  • Eye, Ear, Nose & Mouth Conditions- acute conjunctivitis, toothaches, post extraction pain, gingivitis, pharyngitis

  • Gastrointestinal Conditions- spasms of esophagus, irritable bowel, colitis, gastroptosis, gastritis, gastric hyperacidity (i.e. acid reflux), duodenal ulcer (pain relief and without complication), constipation, diarrhea

  • Gynecological Conditions- infertility, PMS, dysmenorrhea, menopause syndrome, benign irregular menstruation and amenorrhea

  • Hormonal imbalances- metabolic syndrome, diabetes and pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia

  • Immune disorders- seasonal/perennial allergies, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune conditions, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, low immunity

  • Musculo-skeletal Conditions- muscle pain, swelling, stiffness and weakness, localized traumatic injuries, sprains, strains, tendinitis, contractures, arthritis, fibromyalgia, work and sports related injuries, low back and/or neck strain, osteoarthritis, tendinitis (ie “frozen shoulder”, “tennis elbow”, etc), sciatica

  • Neurological Conditions- headache and migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, facial palsy (early stage, within three to six months), paresis following stroke, peripheral neuropathy, Meniere’s disease, neuralgia, disc problems, post-operative pain, Parkinson’s disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome

  • Psychological Conditions- stress, depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, insomnia

  • Respiratory System Conditions- acute sinusitis and rhinitis, common cold and allergies, tonsillitis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, respiratory infections

  • Skin Conditions- acne, dermatitis, eczema, hives, pimples and zits, rash

  • Other Conditions- addictions, withdrawal from alcohol, and recreational and pharmacological drugs, appetite suppression, obesity, infections

Maximizing Your Acupuncture Experience

  • Plan for your appointment to last from 1 to 2 hours.
  • Please make sure to shower and clean your body before your visit.
  • Eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of fluids 1-2 hours before your appointment.
  • Plan on wearing loose, comfortable clothing that can be easily rolled up or removed.
  • Plan on removing your shoes and socks, and clothes that may interfere with examination and treatment. For your comfort and convenience we offer a clean medical gown and clean athletic shorts.
  • Arrive 10-15 minutes before appointment time to check in, complete New Patient Forms, and use the restroom.
  • If you’re taking any medication or supplements be sure to include this information in the forms you fill in and let your acupuncturist know.
  • You will be asked to remove your shoes and socks, and any clothing that may interfere with examination and treatment (if necessary a clean medical gown and clean athletic shorts are offered to change into).
  • We will ask you about the nature of your visit and follow up with you on the information you provided in the forms.
  • We may ask you a series of detailed questions about any health problems or symptoms you might be having.
  • We will examine your health using a wide variety of acupuncture and traditional Oriental medicine diagnostic methods including facial, tongue, and pulse diagnosis.
  • We will determine if treatment is appropriate, and discuss treatment options and frequency, financial arrangements, and any other concerns you may have.
  • If acupuncture treatment is decided, it will be provided during the same visit.
  • We will also provide you with nutrition, herbal medicine, and/ or lifestyle consulting, and meditation and exercise instruction, as needed.
  • Plan for your appointment to last from 1 to 2 hours.
  • Lay back and relax, feel free to fall asleep!
  • Avoid overexertion and plan to take it easy afterwards to give the mind and body time to adjust to the treatment as it can produce strong shifts.
  • Follow all instructions for diet and lifestyle modification, meditation and exercise, and dosing with nutritional and herbal medicine supplements.
  • Schedule your next appointment according to the treatment plan established for you.

Frequently Asked Questions- FAQS

Total visit time is between 60-90 minutes, with 20-75 minute acupuncture treatment time.

Everyone responds to acupuncture differently but in general the approach we use is so gentle and the acupuncture needles we use are so thin that most people won’t even be aware when the needles are inserted. If they feel anything at all, it may be a slight pinch at the site of needle insertion followed by a brief dull ache that dissipates within seconds. Other common sensations felt during treatment include slight tingling, subtle muscle twitching and spasms, heaviness, extreme relaxation, and warmth in the hands and feet.

Comparison chart of acupuncture needles to matchstick, hypodermic needle, and sewing needle.

Acupuncture itself is very safe. It rarely makes a condition worse and generally presents no severe adverse effects. However danger exists in the inappropriate application of the therapy by poorly trained and unskilled non-acupuncture therapists and physicians, many which do not receive the same instruction and training as licensed acupuncturists.

To ensure safety when receiving acupuncture, it is highly recommended to use a practitioner who has received proper education and schooling in acupuncture, and is certified and licensed to practice acupuncture by an official governing acupuncture board, agency, or organization.

We are an out of network healthcare provider and may accept some types of out of network PPO insurance policies that have acupuncture coverage components. However please note, due to the many inconsistencies, limitations, and restrictions encountered when trying to use insurance to help pay for acupuncture and related services, we generally will not bill insurance companies directly. More commonly we will provide you with the documents needed (ie superbill, receipt, etc) for you to process the claim directly with your insurance carrier.

If you have a PPO insurance policy with acupuncture benefits and plan to try and use it to pay for services received in our office, we encourage you to contact us first before making your appointment to begin the verification process and get prior authorization for using your insurance with our office.

Similar to other modern medical therapies, the placebo effect is in play to some degree. However you do not need to “believe” acupuncture works in order for it to actually help. There is decades of modern scientific evidence documenting the beneficial physiological effects of acupuncture on the immune system, endocrine system, nervous system, and the brain, and there is thousands of years of documented evidence showing the positive effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide variety of poor health conditions.

Acupuncture works regardless of your religious beliefs or spiritual attunement. And acupuncture will not interfere with your religious practice.

No, you do not need a referral to receive acupuncture treatment. Some people may seek a doctor referral for acupuncture to try and use their insurance to cover expenses. However acupuncturists are primary care providers and can provide you treatment independently.

In general, acupuncture will not minimize any treatment or medication you have used or will use. Recent studies suggest acupuncture may actually enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of other treatments and reduce some of their adverse reactions.

However because acupuncture and some herbal and nutritional supplements prescribed by acupuncturists can sometimes potentiate the effects of other treatments, it is advisable that you disclose all of your medical history to your acupuncturist, especially if you’re taking medication or are undergoing other types of treatment, or have recently undergone other treatments, so that any precautions can be made prior to treatment. For more information, send us a message.

Most adults looking for a natural approach to health and overall wellness are candidates for acupuncture. But acupuncture is not for everyone, and there are times when precautions must be made.

For example, people who are not eligible for acupuncture include those with hemophilia or contagious skin diseases. On the other hand, people on blood-thinning medication, or who tend to bruise easily, or who are pregnant, can receive acupuncture but should disclose their medical history to their acupuncturist prior to treatment so that certain precautions are made.

If you have a specific health condition and you’re not sure if acupuncture is right for you, the best way to find out is to request an appointment for an evaluation and consult.

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