Acupuncture FAQs

Acupuncture is a therapeutic treatment that involves the stimulation of points on the surface of the body that affect the regulation of various bodily systems such as the circulatory, nervous, endocrine, lymphatic, and fascial systems.

Currently, AcuSoma is in-network with United Healthcare and Optum insurance plans. This means if you carry one of these plans, it is likely your acupuncture sessions may be covered by your insurance. However coverage can vary from plan-to-plan. Reach out to drminklac@gmail.com and she will be happy to contact your insurance and check your coverage.

Be sure when booking through our online portal to upload your up-to-date insurance information so we may check your coverage before you come in.

If you don’t have either of those plans and you have FSA or HSA, you may be able to receive reimbursement for your acupuncture or massage sessions. Let us know if you intend to submit for reimbursement under these plans, and we will be happy to provide a superbill as documentation of your sessions. Reach out if you have further questions!

The effects of acupuncture focus on regulation. In Traditional Eastern Medicine we talk about the body’s functions in terms of excess and deficiency. In other words, some areas of the body are not functioning optimally because there is an excess (for example: swelling, constipation, hyperreactive nerves, scar tissue, cholesterol, overthinking, etc.) or a deficiency (ex. poor circulation, slow metabolism, low energy, lack of movement, anemia, etc.). There are many different examples of these imbalances in the body and since all the systems of the body are interconnected and affect each other, it can be a complicated puzzle to parse out. 

Acupuncture treats patients holistically, this means your practitioner will ask about all different systems of your body, take a complete medical history, and inquire about your general well-being to determine a unique pattern of imbalances to target your treatment plan toward improving function and helping your body restore itself. This also means addressing aspects of daily life that may be a limiting factor to improvement of your condition such as nutrition, movement, and stress management. 

In addressing the whole body and underlying contributing factors, acupuncture can help a patient achieve lasting change that improves their health overall. 

In the treatment itself, the stimulation of points on the surface of the body is thought to stimulate the flow of “Qi” through meridians in the body. But what is “Qi”?

You may have heard acupuncture described as working with the “Qi” of the body. This term is often described as “energy” or “essence”, which for some is enough, but others are left wondering, what is “Qi” really? 

“Qi” is an ancient term that described various phenomena that were not fully understood, but observed in the body, nature, and physics! For our purposes, think of “Qi” as an umbrella term that can encompass many different measurable substances and actions.

To the modern acupuncture practitioner, “Qi” is a descriptive and adaptive term for the form and function (referred to in Traditional Chinese Medicine as the “Yin” and “Yang”) of the body’s systems. When these systems are operating smoothly it is said that the “Qi” is flowing, “Yin” and “Yang” are balanced, the body is healthy and able to self-repair and maintain proper form and function. When the “Qi” is blocked, these systems do not function optimally, and imbalances can form causing pain, dysfunction, and disease. 

It’s important to remember that these are descriptive terms that arose long before the field of biomedical systems and research! What we see in modern research is that these terms continue to accurately describe bodily activities and we are STILL discovering the subtle activities of the body through biomedical studies. Understanding that blood flow, pain signals, temperature shifts, digestive function, hormone production, glandular secretions, movement of lymphatic fluid, formation of scar tissue, and so much more can be encompassed when we talk about Qi. It simply depends on the context. 

Acupuncture treatment aims to correct the flow of “Qi”, and balance “Yin” and “Yang”. Since acupuncture treats each patient as a whole being, this means no matter what condition brings you in for care, the practitioner will ask questions about all systems of your body, medical history, and general well-being to determine a pattern that maps where these imbalances arise.

First and foremost, the most robust modern research shows acupuncture’s effectiveness to treat all sorts of pain conditions, including but not limited to:

  • Low Back Pain
  • Neck Pain
  • Knee Pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Chronic Pain
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Migraines/Cluster headaches
  • Tension headaches
  • Sciatica
  • Acute injury pain
  • Repetitive stress injuries
  • Arthritis
  • Post-Surgical pain
  • Etc.

Because Acupuncture is a holistic therapy, countless other conditions can benefit from acupuncture treatment. Research is ongoing, but the low risk and safe nature of acupuncture makes it a first choice for many patients in managing long term conditions. 

Other conditions that can benefit from acupuncture:

  • Post-Traumatic Stress
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Diabetes
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Infertility
  • Cholecystitis (Inflamed Gall Bladder)
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Vertigo
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Cardiac arrythmias
  • And so much more!

Best results are often achieved in conjunction with a comprehensive team of medical care. Your practitioner can speak with you one-on-one regarding appropriate referrals and support for more complex conditions. Acupuncture can be an anchor of support in your overall medical care and your ally on your journey to better health.

At AcuSoma, acupuncture is intended to be a relaxing experience. 

Typical acupuncture treatments use very thin needles to stimulate various points on the body. 

However, contrary to popular perception, acupuncture doesn’t necessarily have to use needles in a treatment. At AcuSoma, we may use acupressure/massage, fine needles, microcurrent electric stimulation, or moxibustion to stimulate these points. Let your practitioner know if you have concerns or fear around the use of needles in your treatment.

When needles are used it is most common that patients feel little to nothing when the needle is initially inserted. Depending on the goals of treatment stimulation at these points may generate sensations such as dull, achy feelings, tingling, heaviness, or distension around or between points. Each patient is different, and some days patients may feel more sensitive than others. There are many factors that can cause this, but what is important is that if any point inserted feels uncomfortable, let your practitioner know right away so it can be adjusted or removed. 

Commonly patients experience gradual relief that accumulates after several treatments depending on their individual condition. The number of those treatments is largely individual based on each patient’s condition of health and the nature of their ailments. 

While some patients do feel relief of symptoms during their treatment or immediately after, this is not always the case. Lasting change takes time, and acupuncture is not a magic cure-all. Your practitioner will speak with you about your condition and help manage reasonable expectations of therapeutic benefit and timeline. Transparency, honesty, and integrity are priorities at AcuSoma.

For acupuncture only sessions, you do not need to disrobe completely. Please come prepared by wearing loose fitting clothing that can be rolled up or down to access the points to be utilized during your treatment. If you do come wearing tight fitting clothing, your practitioner may ask you to disrobe and will drape you with sheet and/or blanket uncovering only the areas of the body to be accessed for treatment. 

The most commonly used points in treatment are found on the legs, arms, abdomen, and back.

Bodywork FAQs

Bodywork is an umbrella term for treatments of the body that include massage therapy, movement therapies, and energy work.

AcuSoma offers integrative bodywork that relieves pain, frees movement, reduces stress, and restores the alliance of body, mind, and spirit. Each session is a unique and personalized blend of massage modalities tailored to your body’s needs and preferences.

At AcuSoma, each bodywork session is different depending on each patient’s goals, preferences, and the state of their body that day. No two bodywork sessions are exactly alike, even with the same patient. At many massage establishments, clients receive a “recipe” or flow that may be slightly adaptable person to person, but in general each session starts the same, and plays out the same each time. This is not how AcuSoma provides bodywork.

At AcuSoma you are receiving bodywork that is informed by years of experience, is a blend of many different modalities of treatments, and is customized to fit your treatment plan. 

Bodywork helps to reduce pain, improve circulation, increase range of motion, stimulate lymphatic flow, improve proprioception (your awareness of your body movements in space), decrease stress, raise self-esteem, and more.

Your practitioner is educated in many different types of bodywork including:

  • Deep Tissue Sculpting
  • Circulatory Massage
  • Tui Na
  • Relational Somatics
  • Sensory Repatterning
  • Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy
  • Structural Integration
  • Neuromuscular Therapy and more!

While deep tissue can be a major component of AcuSoma bodywork sessions, rest assured that your practitioner holds the firm belief that deep tissue should not be painful and will respect your body’s preferences and boundaries. Your practitioner will be in communication with you during your session to check in on how the pressure feels. Be sure to let her know if you do not like firm pressure or have had bad experiences with “deep tissue” in the past. 

It’s not uncommon for patients to hold a negative belief about deep tissue based on past experiences. The truth is pain is often a sign the practitioner is going too deeply for your body’s limits at that time. Unlike healthy workout soreness, there is no real benefit in pushing through that sort of pain during a massage. 

It should be said that many people do enjoy the feeling of “it hurts so good”. This is different than outright pain, and if that is not a range of sensation you enjoy, there is no need to go there. This range is something we refer to as the “delicious discomfort”, the feeling of meeting areas of tension where they are at and allowing them to melt against firm, connected pressure. 

If the depth is too hard, the tissue reacts by tensing up against the applied pressure and often we are left more tense and sore, the opposite of the desired effect in receiving bodywork. 

So please, let your practitioner know your preference on pressure, and DO speak up during your session if anything is ever uncomfortable so it can be adapted immediately.

For AcuSoma bodywork and combo sessions you are asked to disrobe to your level of comfort. You will always be draped with a sheet and only the areas to be worked on will be uncovered. 

If you are more comfortable keeping your clothing on that is perfectly okay! It just means your practitioner may refrain from using massage lotion or oil in areas of the body that may contact your clothing, and different styles of bodywork may be selected that are more appropriately applied over clothing. 

Depending on the type of bodywork you receive, it is possible to experience mild soreness the next day following your session. This does not always happen, but there are a few things to keep in mind. 

  1. Stay hydrated!

Soreness after a session may reflect your level of dehydration before, during and after your massage. Massage moves blood, lymph, and fluid in your tissue and if you are not adequately hydrated, you are more likely to feel sore. 

  1. Did you speak up during your session in areas that felt more intense pressure? 

Even if you are not sure if the pressure is too much, let your practitioner know. A more comfortable pressure may be found that still achieves release of tension without forcing yourself to endure more intense pressure. If you feel sore the following day, let your practitioner know so future sessions can be adapted.

  1. When was the last time you had deep work in these areas? 

If it has been a long time since your last massage or if you have never had deep tissue work, it’s not uncommon to experience some mild soreness after a deep tissue session. When the body holds onto tension long-term, often the nerve signaling decreases in these areas that are constricted. It can be the body’s way of “shutting off” awareness of tense areas that are unlikely to change and focus on immediate stressors or other areas that need attention. 

Sometimes mild soreness in areas that are chronically tight can be a good sign that the fascial constrictions have been released and these areas are now communicating with your nervous system again. This soreness should not last longer than a day or two, should be mild, and should not feel worse than the muscular soreness associated with a good workout. If you do feel more intense soreness, contact your practitioner, and let them know so they adapt future sessions, make appropriate referrals if necessary, and offer helpful self-care advice to ease your discomfort.