Your Questions, Answered

Acupuncture uses very fine, sterile, single-use needles placed at carefully selected points on the body.From a modern perspective, the needle creates a small, precise stimulus that can affect sensory nerves, local tissue signaling, and the way the nervous system processes things like pain and tension.From an East Asian medicine perspective, we also look at patterns connecting different symptoms and areas of the body.For example, someone coming in for headaches may be surprised that we use points in the hand, foot, or leg as part of the treatment. The area that hurts is not always the only place we work.You do not need to understand all of the theory before coming in. Sherie will explain what she is doing and why as you go.

Usually much less than people expect.Acupuncture needles are extremely thin, solid, and flexible. They are very different from the hollow needles used for injections or blood draws.You may feel a quick pinch as a needle goes in, or sensations such as pressure, warmth, tingling, heaviness, or a dull ache once it is in place. Some points are more noticeable than others, and sometimes you barely feel the needle at all.What you should not feel is sharp, intense, or unbearable pain. If a point does not feel comfortable, tell Sherie. She can adjust it or remove it.You are never expected to “tough it out.”

We commonly see patients for pain, headaches, muscle tension, stress-related symptoms, poor sleep, digestive concerns, hormonal and menstrual patterns, and recovery from injury.Sometimes the picture is pretty straightforward. Your neck has been tight for two weeks and you want it to calm down.Other times, several things seem to be happening together. Maybe you have headaches, poor sleep, and digestive changes that all seem worse during stressful weeks.You do not need to decide which symptom belongs in which category before you come in. Start with what you have been noticing and we can work from there.

Your first visit is about 90 minutes, so there is plenty of time to actually talk before treatment begins.We will go over what brought you in, your health history, medications and supplements, sleep, digestion, stress, and anything else that may help us understand the bigger picture.Then Sherie builds the treatment around what makes sense for you that day. For example, someone coming in for headaches and a very tight upper back may receive acupuncture along with a little cupping or e-stim if it would be useful.Follow-up visits are about 60 minutes and start with a shorter check-in about how you have been feeling since your last treatment.Everything is explained first. You can ask questions at any point, and you can always say no to a technique.

There is no honest one-size-fits-all answer.Something that started last week may behave very differently from something you have been dealing with for five years. A recent muscle strain, for example, may need a very different plan from long-standing low back pain that keeps coming and going.After your first visit, Sherie will explain what she recommends and why.There is no mysterious long-term package waiting for you at checkout. The goal is a plan that makes sense for your needs, your schedule, and your budget.