Acupuncture FAQ

Acupuncture points are specific areas on the body just beyond the surface of the skin. They have high concentrations of nerve endings, mast cells, lymphatic vessels, and capillaries. When an acupuncture needle is inserted into an acupuncture point, it stimulates the sensory receptor, which in turn stimulates the nerve, which then transmits impulses to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. This complex system of interactions (often called a “feedback loop”) between the brain, hormones, and glands is responsible for regulating a number of bodily processes. Because acupuncture helps to regulate the various feedback loops in your body, it actually allows your body to heal itself of whatever is wrong. This amazing trait is unique to nearly every other medical system, and has sustained acupuncture as a complete system of medicine for over 5,000 years.

Short answer...almost everything. Because acupuncture helps bring the body back into balance, and has little to no side effects, a lot of conditions improve with regular acupuncture treatments. Many people come to acupuncture for headaches, anxiety, depression, stress, back pain, chronic pain, digestive issues, menstrual disorders, emotional strain, infertility, sleep problems, chronic fatigue, etc. Please call or email us to see how acupuncture can support you.

Yes! For our Maryland Clients, we currently accept and are in-network with CareFirst, Cigna, and Aetna for our acupuncture services. We also accept FSA and HSA cards for your convenience. We are in the process of getting credentialed in South Carolina. We are happy to check your insurance coverage for you. Just give us a call or send us an email with your insurance information. If your insurance plan covers acupuncture out-of-network, we can provide you a superbill for reimbursement.

Absolutley not! Acupuncture is a wonderful modality to use for preventative medicine and improved well being.

Nope! There are many different traditions of acupuncture. Tiffany studied and is passionate about Five Element Acupuncture in which nature, the seasons, and how the seasons move within a person is used as her guide. (Ever notice how some people suffer from the winter blue while others dont?) She also has also studied Patterns of Disharmony and other TCM traditions. As a result, Tiffany focuses on treating the root cause of the imbalance to best serve her patients and support them in living their best life.

Sensations vary from patient to patient. Each patient has a different degree of awareness. The needles are the size of a few human hairs and inserted just beneath the skins surface. Some patients may feel a dull ache or tingle sensation for a brief moment when the needles are inserted while others will not feel anything.

Loose, comfortable clothing is always best for treatments, as it provides easy access to your knees and elbows, and it provides you an even greater chance for complete relaxation. If you are unable to wear loose clothing, sheets and blankets are always available to cover up, should you need to remove constricting clothing for your treatment.

During your first appointment we will spend approximatley 2 hours discussing your history, health, and goals for treatment. I will also perform a physical exam and conduct your first treatment. All subsequent follows ups are approximatley 1 hour.

Acupuncture works cumulatively, and many people feel different after their first treatment. It is essential to get treatments close to each other at first because each treatment gains momentum on the last. It's best to begin receiving treatment once a week. After about 6-8 weeks we will reassess the space needed between treatments. Each person responds differently to acupuncture, so we usually won't know exactly how many treatments you will need until we've gone through a few sessions. A typical treatment course for chronic conditions may be around 10-12 treatments in 6 weeks, and for acute conditions it may look like 6 treatments in 4 weeks. Generally speaking, we will be able to space treatments further and further apart as long as you keep steadily improving with each treatment (and stay at that level between visits to the clinic). Maintenance sessions are often recommended every 4-6 weeks to keep your body in a healthy, joyful, and balanced state.