What people ask first

Most people feel a light tap, a small pinch or a dull warmth, and some feel nothing at the point. The needles are very fine and placed shallowly. If anything is too much, say so and I'll change what I'm doing or stop.

Yes. I use sterile needles from sealed packs, open each pack in front of you and use each needle once. Used needles go into a sharps container. I explain the risks before the first needle: soreness, light bruising, feeling light-headed and, rarely, bleeding or infection.

The needles are fine, the insertion is shallow and there is a lot of touch: I feel the pulse, the skin and the belly before I choose where to start. Visits often use fewer needles than people expect, and some use none.

Yes. Children have a pediatric session of about 30 minutes, with gentle tools over the skin and nothing inserted. A parent stays the whole time, and we stop whenever your child asks.

I suggest a plan at your first visit, for example visits close together at first and then fewer. It is a suggestion, not a promise, and results vary. You can change the plan or stop at any time.

Some plans reimburse acupuncture and many do not. I am out of network and give you an itemized receipt for your plan. Ask your plan whether it has an acupuncture benefit, how many visits it allows, whether you owe a copay or deductible and whether you need a referral. For an HSA or FSA, ask your plan administrator.

Wear loose clothing that rolls up above the knee and the elbow, and eat a light meal an hour or two before. Please don't come hungry or right after a big meal.

Tell me first if you are pregnant or might be. Some points are avoided, and I may ask you to check with your doctor or midwife before we begin.

No. Keep taking everything your prescriber gave you, and tell me all that you take. Acupuncture works alongside your doctor's care, never in place of it.

See a doctor first for sudden, severe pain, chest pain, trouble breathing, a fever with a stiff neck, new weakness or numbness, or loss of bladder or bowel control. In an emergency, call 911.