FAQ
How much time do I need to allot for a visit?
A new patient acupuncture treatment will last 60 – 90 minutes. For follow up patients, visits typically last 30 – 60 minutes. For Herbal Consults, a new patient visit will last about 30 minutes, follow up visits 20 minutes. At your initial consultation, you will be given an estimation of the duration of follow up visits.
Do you take insurance?
We have contracts with Aetna, Blue Cross and Healthnet that allow us to provide a discount to patients with coverage from these plans. For other plans we will provide you with an invoice which includes appropriate billing codes (ICD9 and CPT) so that you can submit a claim to your insurance company. We do not bill insurance directly.
How many treatments will it take to see results?
Acute conditions can be resolved fairly quickly, in some cases with one visit. Chronic problems on the other hand take longer, perhaps weeks or even months. At the initial visit, the expected length of treatment will be discussed with you. The goal is to get you better as quickly as possible, and then you can tell others about your satisfaction with the treatment!
Does acupuncture hurt?
Patients often worry that acupuncture will hurt. The needles are completely unlike those that are used for giving shots, drawing blood or infusing intravenous (IV) fluids. They are about the width of a hair and are designed to slide effortlessly into the body. The tip is even shaped to increase the patients comfort. Some patients do not feel any sensation when the needle is inserted; others describe what feels like a mosquito bite or small pinch. Sometimes there is a sensation of tingling, warmth, coolness or heaviness at the site of insertion as well as radiating from the point as the Qi travels throughout the body.
How does acupuncture work?
It is easy to explain how acupuncture works from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective but more difficult to explain from a modern scientific perspective. Some studies have recently shown that acupuncture “lights up” certain areas of the brain and that it induces natural pain relieving endorphins, but these studies do not adequately explain the results we see in the clinic. What we do know is that patients with many different types of complaints respond favorably to acupuncture every day in the clinical setting.
How does the training of an Acupuncturist differ from that of a Chiropractor or Medical Doctor or Naturopath?
The training differs in focus and duration. An acupuncturist who is also an herbalist will undergo over three thousand hours of training with a major emphasis on Chinese Medicine which includes over 1,000 hours of practical experience in a clinic. Most other practitioners in Arizona receive less than 300 hours of training in Chinese Medicine. When patients report they did not have success with an acupuncture treatment, often it is because they went to a provider who has learned the basics, but does not have the comprehensive training of a Licensed Acupuncturist.
Do you have to “believe” in acupuncture for it to be effective?
TCM and acupuncture are not a belief system; they are components of a health care system. As with any healing modality whether Western or Eastern the treatment will be more successful if the patient is able to approach it with a positive outlook. Acupuncture is used to treat dogs, cats and horses who do not posses a belief system yet they respond very well to acupuncture treatments.