Acupuncture Pricing and FAQs
Pricing Information*
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Meet and Greet Consultation (20 minutes): Free
Initial Office Visit and Acupuncture Treatment: $150
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Follow Up Office Visit and Acupuncture Treatment: $100
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Initial Office Visit without Acupuncture: $120
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Follow Up Office Visit without Acupuncture: $60
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Standard Acupuncture Visits without Office Visit:
- Addiction treatment
Initial Visit (with intake): $120
Follow Up: $60
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- Stress relief treatment: $60
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- Chakra-balancing acupuncture treatment
Initial Visit (with intake): $120
Follow Up: $60
(Office visits may be scheduled over-the-phone for long-distance or home-bound patients within Washington state.)
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* These are our out-of-pocket rates and do not represent insurance copays / coinsurance / deductibles nor our reduced rate schedule. Please contact us for more information on these specifics.
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We are in-network with most major insurance companies, including but not limited to: Aetna, AmBetter, Cigna, First Choice Health Network (and subsidiaries), Premera, and Regence as well as PIP.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is Allowed to Practice Eastern Medicine?
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Masters of Eastern Medicine attend graduate school for four years after attaining their undergraduate degrees. They are trained to treat a wide-variety of disorders, from low back pain to anxiety, from Parkinson's to stroke rehabilitation, from infertility to IBS, and on and on... One third of their training is in acupuncture, one third in herbal pharmacology, and one third in Western medical diagnostic techniques (including physical assessment, lab work, scans, etc.) and basic pharmacology. In addition, they attend clinical rotations in which they treat over 1,000 patients prior to graduation. (Masters of Eastern Medicine bear the acronym MAOM after their names.)
It is important to note that not all practitioners of acupuncture licensed in Washington state (labeled L.Ac.) are educated to the Master's level; Washington's requirements for practice do not require herbal training, extensive Western medical training, nor as great of a treatment history.
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What is Acupuncture?
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Acupuncture is the insertion of small, filiform needles at specific locations on the body. Depth of insertion varies based upon the underlying tissue, but usually does not exceed half an inch. Point prescriptions are uniquely designed for each individual based upon their constitution and symptomology. The process is not painful, but patients can expect other sensations, such as heat or cold, pressure or distension. These sensations are the awareness of your body to recalibration toward healthy balance. Similarly, most patients experience a deep sense of relaxation directly after treatment. Ill side effects are rare, but occasionally bruising or soreness may occur at the needle insertion site. Acupuncture tends to have a cumulative effect, wherein relief is seen directly after treatment but dwindles over time. Most conditions require several repeat visits before the patient can return on an "as needed" basis. Prognosis differs from case to case and will be discussed specifically for each individual patient.
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What Conditions Can Acupuncture Treat?
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Because this medical system takes a holistic approach to treatment and diagnosis, all diseases, conditions, and symptoms can be treated. That is to say, when the approach of diagnosis is to consider all symptoms and constitutional qualities together as one whole, each of these factors is important for treatment, and therefore, all medical issues can be resolved.
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How Does Acupuncture Work?
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Although, up to this point, there is no common consensus as to how to translate East Asian medical philosophies, diagnostic methods, and treatment modalities into Western terminology, much research has been had within the alternative health field as well as from allopathic academia as to the clinical efficacy of the medicine. From a Western science perspective, possible mechanisms of action include increased binding potentials of endorphins, regulation of neurotransmitters and hormones, increased parasympathetic activity as vasodilation and decreased heart rate and blood pressure, increased metabolism, and many others. From an Eastern medical perspective, symptoms occur when imbalances arise intricate and complex energetic systems inside the body. When balance is restored, through the use of specific acupuncture point and herbal prescriptions, symptoms diminish and disappear.
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What Can I Expect After the Treatment?
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Most patients experience a deep sense of relaxation directly after treatment. Ill side effects are rare, but occasionally mild bruising or soreness may occur at the needle insertion site. Acupuncture tends to have a cumulative effect, wherein relief is seen directly after treatment and increases with consecutive appointments. Therefore, most specific conditions require several repeat visits before complete relief is seen, at which point, the patient can return on an “as needed” basis (as per his or her own discretion). Many patients find that after the original illness for which they sought treatment resolves, they seek additional therapy to aid other symptoms which have also, inevitably, seen improvement. Prognosis does differ from case to case and will be discussed specifically for each individual patient.