+ What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the insertion of tiny, sterile needles into certain points on the body to promote healing and proper body function. It's been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has been proven by western science for safe and effective treatments for a wide array of conditions.

Read more about acupuncture & TCM here.

+ What will my first visit include?

Christiane approaches each patient as a unique individual, assessing the impact of your history, diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors on your health and wellbeing. Your first visit will include a comprehensive intake about your health history, habits, and issues of immediate and long-term concern. The conversation may cover areas of health that are not part of the standard forms and discussions at a Western practitioner’s office.

An examination of your tongue and palpation of both wrist pulses will accompany your discussion. This part of the examination is how a diagnosis is determined in TCM and how a treatment plan is tailored specifically to you. Christiane will also look at any lab work or medical procedures performed in the last few years and may suggest supplements and/or dietary or lifestyle changes based on your labs, goals, and interventions to come.

+ What types of treatments will I receive?

Your treatment will include acupuncture and likely one or a combination of the following tools: herbs, Gua Sha, cupping, an/or electrical stimulation. Christiane also often suggests at-home care, lifestyle changes, and/or dietary recommendations to help you reach your health goals.

+ Do acupuncture needles hurt?

Patients experience acupuncture needles differently, though most report feeling little to no discomfort while needles are inserted and removed. You may feel relaxed or energized, depending on your health and needs at the time of treatment.

+ How long do the needles stay in?

Needles are generally retained for about a half hour, altough 25-40 mintues may be indicated depending on the nature of the condition being treated.

+ How often should I receive treatment?

You can begin acupuncture anytime, including anytime during your menstrual cycle. A three-month commitment is ideal when trying to conceive naturally or preparing for any A.R.T. (Assisted Reproductive Therapy) such as IUI, IVF, or FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer). Weekly or bi-weekly sessions are recommended depending on the complexity of the case.

The regularity of non-fertility related treatments will also depend on the concern at hand.

For pain related treatments, scheduling is based on the severity of the injury, though two-to-three weeks of treatment, with weekly or bi-weekly sessions, is typically recommended.

+ How long are the treatment sessions?

Initial Consultaion & Treatment, 90 minutes Follow-up Treatments, 60 minutes

+ How Often do I need to come in?

General health concerns & pain management

• Acupuncture works with your bodies naturally ability to heal itself, so treatments are usually done weekly until the desired outcome is achieved. Once your maintaining results, treatments are gradually reduced to once a month for maintenance. Recently delevoped symptoms usually resolve within a few weeks, while chronic conditions make take longer. However, you should see positive results with the first couple weeks.

Fertility Treatments

• There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to fertilty as infertility can step from many different root causes. On average, it takes about 3 months to achieve a naturally fertile cycle along with dietary, herbal & lifestyle recommendations. This also applies to sperm quality intervention.

• When using ART, such as IVF or IUI, it's important to come in weekly as well as pre- and post-procedures to increase success rates. We will also perfrom acpuncture treatments regularly for the first 2 months after a positive test to support and hold the pregnancy.

+ Do you treat children?

Yes! Children respond great to acupuncture. Younger children may not even require needles and the points can be stimulated using painless acupuncture "tools". Older children may only require a few tiny, painless needle insertions. They also benefit from Chinese herbal remedies.

+ Do you accept insurance?

While we aren't currently in-network with insurance companies, we can supply a superbill for reimbursement should you find out your covered for acupuncture treatments. We keep our rates reasonable and offer packages at a discounted rate.

Since Mauro Acupuncture does not bill insurance, payment is due at time of service. We accept the following forms of payment: cash, credit cards including Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover, Venmo and personal checks.

If you know you have out-of-network coverage under your health insurance for acupuncture services, here is our policy on how we can help you take care of this. We will ask that you pay for your services at the time of service, either visit to visit or through one of our affordable packages. We will not contact any insurance company to verify your coverage for Acupuncture services. It is your responsibility to reach out to your own insurance company to find out what they may or may not offer, as well as what kind of restrictions your plan may have. Make sure to ask if you have any out-of-network acupuncture benefits. We will provide you with a“super bill” after every appointment. This super bill will have all the information on it for you to submit directly to your insurance company where you can request reimbursement. Statements will be completed within 7 days of request when possible.

+ Are there activities I should avoid after acupuncture?

You can resume your regular activities right after acupuncture. We do encourage you to listen to your body and rest if needed. It's a good idea to stay hydtrated and avoid alcohol for 48 hours for best results.

+ Can acupuncture help with side effects of fertility drugs?

Yes, acupuncture can help relieve unwanted side of effects of fertility drugs such as fatigue, mood imbalances, headaches, nausea and bloating.

+ Can I do acupuncture at the same time as my fertility treatments?

Yes. Infact, many studies show that regular acupuncture treatments can improve success rates of IVF and other forms of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Visit our IVF page to learn more about how acupuncture can help.