Questions people ask

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 us and we 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. Every treatment has risks. Yours are small, and your acupuncturist explains them before the first needle: soreness, light bruising, feeling light-headed and, rarely, bleeding or infection.

We talk for about 15 minutes at the side of the room about your health and your week. Then you settle into a recliner and rest, usually for 30 to 45 minutes, while the needles are in place. The first visit takes about an hour and a quarter in all.

Wear loose clothes with sleeves and pant legs that roll up past the elbow and the knee. Eat a little something first: not hungry and not full. Bring a list of what you take.

Your acupuncturist suggests a plan at 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.

Tell the front desk. The range is a range, not a wall: choose the amount that works this month and change it next month. Nobody asks for proof of income.

We don't bill health plans, so there is no claim to file with us. Some plans reimburse acupuncture when you send in a receipt, and others don't cover it. We give you an itemized receipt, called a superbill, that you can send to your plan, and your plan decides. HSA and FSA cards: ask your plan administrator.

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

Tell us before the first needle. We avoid some points during pregnancy, and your acupuncturist explains what we do and what we don't. Keep seeing your own doctor or midwife.

Yes. Isaura, Rogelio and Yaretzi speak Spanish and English. Tell us your preference when you book and we will schedule you with one of them. The front desk answers calls, texts and WhatsApp messages in both languages.

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. Acupuncture does not replace your doctor, your medicine or emergency care.