FAQs

Acupuncture is an ancient method of medicine that uses the body’s innate ability to heal. Acupuncture uses very fine, sterile, single-use needles placed in specific locations around the body to manipulate the body’s energy in order to bring it into balance. There are acupuncture points all over the body, including the face and scalp. Where you will have needles placed will depend on your signs and symptoms.

This depends on whether the condition is acute or chronic as well as the severity of the condition. Many patients feel some type of change after the first treatment. It is important to understand that acupuncture has a cumulative effect on the body; therefore, each treatment builds upon the last. It is beneficial to cluster the first few visits close to one another for maximum results. A treatment plan will be established at your first visit after a thorough evaluation and re-assessments will be made during follow-up visits.

Healing is an ever-changing situation.

Treatment Plan Example: For acute muscular pain conditions, we typically recommend 2 visits per week for 2-3 weeks at which point we will re-assess. Most acute conditions will resolve within this time frame. Once you are feeling better, maintenance visits every 4-6 weeks are suggested to prevent further injuries from occurring.

The initial appointment takes 1 hour. It includes a complete health history and physical exam, followed by a treatment. Subsequent appointments take approximately 45 minutes.

The short answer is no. You may feel a pinching sensation as the needles are inserted and a dull achy sensation for a brief moment. This is a desired response and will resolve in seconds. Acupuncture is not expected to be uncomfortable or painful. Should you experience any discomfort, let your practitioner know, and we will adjust accordingly.

Acupuncturists undertake 4 years of extensive training from an accredited college and study both eastern and western medicine. After graduating with a professional Master’s degree, which includes clinical rotations, the graduate needs to pass two licensing exams in order to practice in New York. There is a third and optional exam, demonstrating the practitioner’s knowledge of Western medicine which allows the acupuncturist to gain the designation of Diplomat of Acupuncture. Dr. Stacey Simone has attained that designation and has also furthered her education by completing her clinical doctorate in acupuncture.

Acupuncture needles have been used to treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction for several thousand years. Relatively recently, other health professionals, such as physical therapists and chiropractors, have begun using an acupuncture technique called “dry needling” to address these health issues. The technique was originally developed by European and American medical doctors and researchers, involving the injection of saline and pain numbing drugs into painful muscle knots, which appeared to be a major source of musculoskeletal complaints and was given the name: “trigger point injection”.

Studies later showed that, for the most part, the injected substances were unnecessary. In fact, it was the manipulation of the needle in the contracted tissue that resolved pain and restored function.

Licensed acupuncturists complete over four thousand hours of study in order thoroughly understand the science behind Traditional Chinese Medicine and to be permitted to sit for their state licensing exams. Comparatively, practitioners that practice dry needling or trigger point needling, do so after completing courses that are just a few hundred hours of study.

In our opinion, acupuncturists who utilize evidence-based, scientific approaches are better prepared and more highly skilled than other health care providers who have taken these short courses in needling.

Roughly 80% of our patients have insurance policies that cover acupuncture treatments. You can call our office or submit a “check my insurance” request on our web site and we will be happy to verify if you have acupuncture benefits on your policy.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating numerous conditions. Some of the most common are:

• Achilles Tendonitis
• Allergies
• Ankle Strains/Sprains
• Auto-Immune Disorders
• Bell’s Palsy
• Bursitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Concussion
• Digestive Disorders
• Disc Herniations
• Golfers Elbow
• Headaches
• Infertility
• Inflammation
• Insomnia
• Jaw pain (TMJ disorders)
• Knee Pain
• Menstrual Irregularities and/or Pain
• Muscle Tears or Pulls, Ligament Strains
• Musculoskeletal Complaints
• Neck and Back Pain
• Nerve Impingements
• Overuse Injuries
• Rotator Cuff Dysfunction (Shoulder Pain)
• Sciatica
• Shin Splints
• Skin Conditions
• Sport Specific Injuries
• Stress and Anxiety
• Tennis Elbow

Though side effects are rare, they can occasionally occur.

Bruising or soreness at a needle site is possible.

A patient may feel lightheaded following a treatment. It is a good idea to eat something light before a treatment and to get up from the table slowly in order to prevent this from happening.

In a rare instance, a person may feel a change for the worse before better. This is a phenomenon known as a healing crisis. Acupuncture awakens your self-healing capabilities and as things get stirred up, you may first see an exacerbation of current symptoms or a recurrence of previous ailments. This is a positive sign that your body is responding to the treatment and improvement is on its way.