Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of Acupuncture is to maintain wellness. Acupuncture can provide treatment for a variety of physical and emotional conditions. Patients with chronic pain take drugs to try to relieve their physical or emotional symptoms. Many become addicted to drugs or their minds are in a fog. Acupuncture can provide non-invasive pain management.
Acupuncture provides a gentle healing treatment that may succeed where other treatments have not. Acupuncture can address ailments, health issues and pain. It can maximize wellness and maintain balance. The number one reason to get acupuncture treatments is to promote vitality and a healthy sense of wellbeing and to intensify the healing of the body, mind and spirit.

It depends on your health insurance policy. Call your insurance company to verify that your policy covers acupuncture treatment for the specific health issues.

Also, you need to determine if your policy requires a referral from your doctor for your acupuncture appointment. In addition, you will need to know the number of treatments Insurance will pay for the calendar year, co-payments amount, deductibles, when your total deductibles are met, and any exclusions that may apply. If you are unable to obtain this information, we may be able to help you find out to determine if your insurance plan has acupuncture benefits.

You may also use your health savings account and flexible spending account cards for acupuncture treatment. Call your Insurance Company to verify it.

Yes, acupuncture is safe if performed by a trained and competent practitioner. Acupuncturists are required to use disposable sterile needles that are discarded as medical waste.

Hence, there is no risk of cross-infection. Licensed acupuncturists with the appropriate education are also well trained in anatomy, qi energy channels, knowledgeable about needle depth requirements and sterile needle technique to ensure your safety.

Your first appointment at the Brandon Acupuncture Center and Wellness is a meeting to discuss and understand your health issues, goals and your health-care needs. In addition, we will review your completed forms to understand your current health and health history. At your first appointment, we administer some tests and perform a medical exam and nutritional assessment.

We will devise a personalized treatment plan to further your health goals and improve your condition using Integrative Medicine with Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture and collaborate with your MD Doctor when necessary. Our treatment plans include nutrition recommendations, supplements, Chinese Herbs and homeopathic products if needed, mind-body strategies and exercise suggestions.

Over the past 20 years, research has been conducted to understand how acupuncture works. The 1997 National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported, “Acupuncture can cause multiple biological responses, mediated mainly by sensory neurons to many structures within the central nervous system. This can lead to activation of pathways affecting various physiological systems in the brain as well as in the periphery” [1] and “acupuncture activates the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, resulting in a broad spectrum of systemic effects. Alteration in the secretion of neurotransmitter and neurohormones and changes in the regulation of blood flow, both centrally and peripherally have been documented. There is also some evidence of enhancements in immune functions produced by acupuncture” [2]

[1] & [2] National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Acupuncture, Program & Abstracts (Bethesda, MD, November 3-5, 1997). Office of Alternative Medicine and Office of Medical Applications of Research, Bethesda.

You may purchase Health Product online through our website. We use PayPal or credit cards vis PayPal to ensure secure online transactions. No credit card information is stored our website. Once purchased, products will be shipped by the next business day and should arrive within 3 – 5 business days

It is usually recommended that a series of six to ten treatments be given, initially. However, every case is unique, and some can be resolved in only one or two treatments. It dependents on what you want to accomplish and your goals.

Chinese Medicine is the oldest, continually practiced, professional medicine. The number of Chinese medicines has developed into more than 10,000 kinds with approximately 500 being the most commonly used. It is practiced on an individualized pattern diagnosis, as well as, a disease diagnosis. Patients receive a custom herbal prescription designed to treat the symptom and /or disease and their individual pattern. The medicines are completely natural and range widely in different appearances. The key attributes to desired effectiveness is the purity of herbs and are contaminant free.

Your visit will include an examination and discussion about your health. Our focus is to determine the root causes of your symptoms and treatment that follows a plan.

Generally, a new patient appointment is 1 1/2 hours and a follow-up appointment is 45 minutes.