Acupuncture is a core practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been used for thousands of years to restore balance and support the body’s natural healing processes. It involves the insertion of thin, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points located along meridians or channels — pathways through which Qi (vital energy) flows. Each channel corresponds to an internal organ system and plays a role in maintaining physiological and energetic balance.

When these channels become blocked or disrupted, health imbalance and symptoms can arise. If you imagine the body as a network of roads, acupuncture helps clear traffic jams and restore the smooth flow of energy and circulation.

While there’s no direct equivalent in Western medicine, Qi can be loosely compared to the body’s bioelectrical activity, nerve signaling, and metabolic processes. From a biomedical perspective, acupuncture has been shown to improve blood flow, regulate the nervous system, stimulate the release of endorphins and endogenous opioids, and influence connective tissue and fascia — all of contributing to its therapeutic effects.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a holistic medicine, meaning that it views the body as an interconnected whole. Rather than isolating symptoms or conditions into separate specialties, Chinese Medicine considers how different organ systems influence and support one another. While Western medicine is often divided into departments — cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, reproductive health, and so on — Chinese Medicine looks at the relationships between these systems to understand the root of imbalance.

Most patients come in with a handful of symptoms that seem totally unrelated - but from a Chinese Medicine perspective, they often make complete sense. That’s why we love to know everything that you are experiencing. Unless you’re dealing with something like an acute or surgical emergency (though, we can still support your recovery), there’s a good chance we can offer insight and treatment using acupuncture and herbs.

Because treatment plans are personalized, the length and frequency of care will vary depending on your individual needs. Chinese Medicine is a natural system that works by supporting the body’s healing from the inside out — and like all things natural, this process takes time. Healing is not always linear, and that’s okay; what matters is creating an overall upward trend.

As a general guideline, we recommend committing to a course of 8 to 12 weeks, with treatments at least once per week. This timeframe allows the body’s internal landscape to begin shifting and rebalancing. That said, many patients notice physical and emotional improvements within just one or two sessions.

For the most holistic and consistent results, acupuncture is often paired with herbal medicine when appropriate. Every treatment is tailored to meet your body where it is, in the moment.

When most people hear the word needle, they think of hypodermic needles used for vaccines or blood draws. It’s important to know that these are completely different from acupuncture needles — in both structure and sensation.

Hypodermic needles are hollow and designed to either inject fluid or withdraw blood. Because of this, they tend to feel sharp, as they make a small hole punch to the skin. By contrast, acupuncture needles, are solid and extremely thin — often as fine as a strand of hair. Rather than cutting through tissue, they gently glide between it. To give you a sense of scale: you can fit about 20 acupuncture needles into the tip of a single hypodermic needle.

Most people feel little to no discomfort when acupuncture needles are inserted. Common sensations include a mild pinch, a dull heaviness, warmth, or a light traveling feeling near the point — all of which are normal and often fleeting (a few seconds). Once the needles are in, most patients feel deeply relaxed — many even fall asleep during treatment.

Before your appointment:
Please arrive having eaten something within the last few hours — the body responds best to acupuncture when nourished. Wear loose-fitting clothing, ideally with sleeves that can roll above the elbows and pants that roll comfortably above the knees.

During your consultation:
We’ll begin with a thorough conversation about your health history, main concerns, and current symptoms. Chinese Medicine takes a holistic approach to diagnosis, so you may be asked about sleep, digestion, emotional wellbeing, menstrual history, and other aspects of daily life. No detail is too small — we welcome any symptoms you’re experiencing, even if they don’t seem directly related. The more insight, the better. We’re here to listen.

Diagnosis:
After our discussion, we’ll take your pulse using traditional Chinese pulse diagnosis — a key tool for assessing the strength and balance of the organ systems. We’ll also examine your tongue, which serves as a window into the body’s internal landscape, offering valuable information about digestion, inflammation, and overall fluid metabolism.

Treatment:
You’ll then receive your acupuncture treatment, tailored to your unique presentation. When appropriate, additional techniques such as moxibustion (the gentle warming of points using the herb mugwort) may be incorporated. Once the needles are in place, you’ll be left to rest peacefully for about 20–30 minutes — enjoy your “acu-nap!”

After your session:
We’ll review your initial impressions, discuss a personalized treatment plan, and prescribe an herbal formula if indicated.

We look forward to welcoming you into a healing space rooted in care, tradition, and balance.

Before your treatment:
Please arrive having eaten something within the last few hours — the body responds best to acupuncture when nourished. Wear loose-fitting clothing, ideally with sleeves that can roll above the elbows and pants that roll comfortably above the knees.

After your treatment:
Following your session, be sure to hydrate and give your body time to rest. Avoid strenuous activity for the remainder of the day — including intense exercise, alcohol, or anything overly stimulating. It’s also best to skip heavy, greasy, or spicy foods, and instead opt for a lighter, nourishing meal.

Try to avoid exposure to extreme temperatures (like hot baths, saunas, or very cold weather) as your body continues to adjust. While acupuncture is often deeply relaxing in the moment, the effects are still unfolding afterward. Some people feel immediate shifts; for others, it may take a day or two for the changes to settle in.

After treatment, some people feel deeply relaxed or tired, while others feel clear and energized. It’s also completely normal to experience emotional release — whether in the form of tears, dreams, or simply a feeling of lightness. Trust the process, and let it flow.

Chinese herbs are potent, medicinal-grade substances — their effects can be just as powerful as pharmaceutical drugs, but with far fewer side effects. While there’s some overlap with Western herbs (think ginger, chrysanthemum, cinnamon), most Chinese herbs are distinct, and their usage follows a completely different system of diagnosis and application.

Unlike Western herbalism, where a single herb may be prescribed for a specific symptom (e.g., ginger for nausea), Chinese herbs are never prescribed alone. Instead, they are combined into carefully balanced formulas. This multi-herb approach allows for synergistic effects, minimizes potential side effects, and helps guide the formula to specific organs or areas of the body.

Most importantly, Chinese herbal formulas aren’t used to treat symptoms in isolation — they are designed to address the root pattern of imbalance. For example, not everyone with nausea should take ginger. In Chinese Medicine, nausea could stem from a variety of underlying causes: excess heat, cold, weak digestion, food stagnation, and more. Each requires a different formula.

Because formulas are matched to your current presentation, they are not meant to be taken indefinitely. As your condition evolves, your formula will likely be modified — or discontinued altogether — to reflect your body's new state of balance.

We accept all major credit cards, as well as cash payments via Zelle.

While we do not accept insurance at this time, we’re happy to provide a superbill upon request for potential reimbursement through your provider.