Acupuncture For Weight Loss & Maintenance

Trim Excess Weight Naturally, Safely, & For Good With Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Woman forming a heart with hands over navel after weight loss.

Weight Loss & Maintenance

Are you struggling with losing weight, or experiencing health problems as a result of holding on to excess weight? At GoldStar Acupuncture in Modesto, CA, we offer 100% drug-free all-natural acupuncture treatment for weight loss and maintenance.

Learn more about how this traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) procedure can help promote weight loss naturally, safely and effectively, and improve quality of life and overall well-being:

Discover How Acupuncture Can Naturally Promote Weight Loss

Excessive weight gain and the inability to lose weight can be complex conditions, not only the result of “eating too much” or “not exercising enough”. Underlying imbalances, such as insulin resistance, hormone imbalances, chronic digestive problems, stress, sleep deprivation, and other hidden factors are often at play and can make losing weight feel impossible.

Left untreated, carrying excess fat and its underlying imbalances can cause system wide problems with circulation, metabolism, immunity and other important vital functions. Lack of proper treatment also increases the risk of developing various serious long-term health problems, such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high cholesterol, cancer, allergies, autoimmune disease, osteoarthritis, depression, and many others.

Do you know acupuncture offers a holistic approach to regulating metabolism and digestion, losing excess body fat, and promoting health?

Acupuncture is a time-tested method used to balance the body’s digestive and metabolic function, improve gut health, and trim excessive weight. It helps balance underlying dysfunction between various organ and body systems to aid the regulation of hormones, appetite, and digestion, reduce cravings, and improve elimination of waste from the body. It also provides natural relief from fatigue, pain, poor sleep, excessive sweating, stress, depression, and other common issues associated with being overweight or obese.

Benefits of Acupuncture for Weight Loss

  • Boosts metabolism & digestion

  • Reduces cravings

  • Decreases water retention

  • Reduces stress & inflammation

  • Regulates hormones

  • Improves poor sleep

  • Improves mood & well-being

  • Increases energy

How Acupuncture Treatment Works for Weight Loss

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that stimulates a person’s own self-healing mechanism. It involves the insertion of ultra-thin therapeutic needles into specific points along the body’s energy meridians. Acupuncture helps promote healing by balancing and restoring the flow of energy, known as Qi, in the meridians.

While acupuncture has been recently popularized for its effectiveness in treating pain conditions, it has been used to promote safe weight loss and overall well-being for thousands of years.

Closeup of woman's tummy during preventive health acupuncture tuneup.

In acupuncture, obesity and excessive weight gain are caused by an imbalance within the functioning of organs and body systems, namely the Liver and Kidneys, and the digestive, endocrine, and immune systems. Acupuncture for weight loss works by stimulating specific points on the body that are related to these organs and body systems to help balance their functions and interactions and alleviate inflammation, pain, and stress, improve metabolism, reduce cravings, promote digestive health, encourage weight loss, increase energy and boost immunity. Some key acupuncture points for weight loss include:

  • Stomach 36 (Zu San Li 足三里): Boosts digestive metabolism, reduces cravings, and alleviates constipation.
  • Stomach 25 (Tian Shu 天樞): Regulates intestinal function, alleviates constipation.
  • Spleen 6 (San Yin Jiao 三陰交): Regulates digestion and reduces food cravings.
  • Liver 3 (Tai Chong 太沖): Relieves abdominal fullness, pain, constipation, balances emotions and reduces stress-related eating.
  • Liver 13 (Zhang Men 章門: Alleviates bloating, constipation, abdominal distention, fullness and pain, regulates appetite, and promotes healthy digestion.
  • Large Intestine 4 (He Gu 合谷): Improves digestive motility relieves abdominal discomfort.
  • CV 12 (Zhong Wan 中脘): Relieves bloating and indigestion, reduces cravings, and promotes satiety.
  • GV 26 (Ren Zhong 人中): Reduces cravings and appetite and promote better digestion and elimination.

Research shows that acupuncture can help modulate hormones such as insulin, leptin, and ghrelin, and regulate glucose and lipid metabolism to improve digestion, regulate fat storage, control appetite and cravings, and boost energy. Additionally, acupuncture has been found to enhance and balance the secretion of digestive enzymes, regulate the absorption of nutrients, improve gastric motility, and promote the healthy elimination of waste. It also helps regulate the release of inflammatory markers and promote the production of anti-inflammatory substances in the body to reduce the severity of symptoms associated with excessive weight and obesity such as stress, poor sleep, fatigue and muscle and joint pain.

Acupuncture Treatment for Weight Loss Uses Herbal Medicine Formulas

Assortment of Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs arranged on a black stained wooden table.

Acupuncture treatment for weight loss also includes the use of medicinal Chinese herbs. Chinese herbal medicine is well known for its excellent ability to regulate and optimize digestive and metabolic function to help lose excessive fat, maintain a healthy weight, and improve digestion and overall health. It is commonly used to help maintain healthy gut flora balance and repair damaged intestinal mucosal barriers to offer relief for various symptoms of poor digestive health and obesity, including indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, poor appetite, gas, nausea, bloating, excess weight gain, acid regurgitation, and stomach ulcers. Common Chinese herbs used in acupuncture treatment for weight loss include:

  • Astragalus (Huang Qi/ Radix Astragali Membranaceus): Decreases water retention, promotes digestion, and lowers blood sugar.
  • Hawthorn Berry (Shan Zha / Fructus Crateigi): Dissolves food stagnation, promotes digestion, eases stomach and abdominal fullness and distention.
  • Hoelen (Fu Ling (Sclerotium Poriae Cocoa): Improves digestion, decreases water retention, boosts energy, and promotes digestion.
  • Dried Citrus Peel (Chen Pi / Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae): Aids in the digestion of fatty and greasy foods, reduces bloating and nausea, and alleviates abdominal distention, fullness and pain.
  • Ginger (Sheng Jiang/ Zingiberis Officinalis): Soothes the stomach, stimulates digestion, and alleviates nausea, indigestion, and abdominal discomfort
  • Mentha Peppermint (Bo He/ Herba Mentha Haplocalyx): Promotes digestion, and relieves gas, bloating, nausea and stomach cramps.
  • Licorice Root (Gan Cao / Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis): Inhibits gastric acid secretion, protects the digestive mucous membranes, and enhances overall digestive function.

Acupuncture Treatment for Weight Loss Uses Nutrition Therapy

Acupuncture for weight loss also uses dietary modification and nutrition as part of treatment. Nutrition therapy in acupuncture promotes eating a diet consisting mainly of fresh plant-based foods that are the most vital and free from chemicals, preservatives, and over-processing, in combination with the use of herbs and other nutritional supplements as needed. Studies have shown that eating a high-fiber, nutrient-rich diet consisting of more whole, plant-based foods helps eliminate excess waste from the body and turn off cravings for unhealthy foods, while maintaining optimal metabolic and digestive function, and promoting weight loss.

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PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE HERBAL & NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AVAILABLE

What to Expect During Your First Acupuncture Treatment for Weight Loss

Closeup of new patient filling out paperwork for first acupuncture appointment
  • 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.
Acupuncture for shoulder and neck pain.
  • If acupuncture treatment is decided, it will be provided during the same visit.
  • Your acupuncturist will select specific locations on your body, such as points located on your hands or feet, or your arms or legs, or the head, the face, abdomen, the chest, or on the back of the torso, and place needles there.
  • While receiving treatment your acupuncturist may consult with you about changes to your diet and lifestyle that can best suit your situation, and they may also prescribe herbal medicine or vitamins and minerals, and guidance for meditation and exercises, as needed.
  • Lay back and relax, it’s okay 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.
Arrangement of supplements from Pure Encapsulations brand.

FAQs

Unfortunately, there is no straight easy answer. Insurance coverage for acupuncture varies widely among insurance companies both statewide and nationally, with plans requiring certain criteria to be met before coverage is applied. This criteria is not standardized, and insurance companies all make their own policies, including exclusions, limitations and restrictions, regarding acupuncture coverage.

As a result, even when insurance companies advertise they offer acupuncture coverage, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will actually pay for all of it, or even some of it. Most people with an acupuncture-friendly health insurance plan that want to try to use it to pay for acupuncture should expect to accrue at least some out-of-pocket costs, anywhere from co-pays and deductibles to paying for uncovered procedures and products such as herbal medicine and nutritional supplements. It is also not uncommon for acupuncture-related claims to be entirely denied by insurance companies, leaving insured patients responsible for paying the total amount billed.

Fortunately, our office is well-versed on these details to help you understand how and when it is possible to use your insurance to help pay for acupuncture. For more information, or to begin the verification process and request prior authorization for using your PPO insurance with our office, please send us a message.

No, you do not need a referral to receive acupuncture treatment. California acupuncturists are primary care providers and can provide you treatment independently without referral. Some people may seek a doctor referral for acupuncture to try and use their insurance to cover expenses or for help finding a practitioner, but this is not required.

Acupuncture itself is very safe in the hands of a competent practitioner. It generally presents little to no side effects and rarely makes a condition worse. If these do occur it’s usually indicative of the healing process and any ill effects disappear within days of treatment.

However 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.

Where severe danger exists is in the inappropriate application of acupuncture 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.

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 diminish or 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.

Depending on the type of service, 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.

Most adults looking for a natural approach to health and overall wellness are candidates for acupuncture. But 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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