Frequently Asked Questions

 What can acupuncture help with?

Acupuncture is a gentle, holistic therapy that helps your body activate its own natural healing mechanisms. By restoring balance to the nervous system and supporting smooth energy flow throughout the body, acupuncture promotes harmony between mind and body — the foundation of true wellness.

While acupuncture can support nearly every aspect of your health, some of the most common and noticeable benefits include:

◈ Stress and Anxiety Relief — Acupuncture calms the nervous system, helping you feel grounded, centered, resilient, and emotionally balanced.

◈ Pain Relief — Effective for headaches, migraines, menstrual cramps, back pain, and other chronic or acute conditions.

◈ Hormone Balance — Supports women through all stages of life, from PMS and fertility to perimenopause and beyond.

◈ Better Sleep — Encourages deeper, more restorative rest by quieting an overactive mind and relaxing the body.

◈ Improved Digestion — Regulates gut function and relieves issues like bloating, constipation, or irregularity.

Does acupuncture hurt?

Not usually. The needles are extremely thin — about the width of a human hair. Most people describe the sensation as a light tingling, warmth, or gentle pressure. Many patients even fall asleep during their sessions.

How many sessions will I need?

Everyone’s healing journey is different. While some people feel improvement after their first session, lasting change typically builds over a series of treatments. We’ll create a personalized plan based on your goals, stress levels, and overall health.

Is acupuncture safe?

Yes. When performed by a licensed practitioner, acupuncture is a very safe and natural therapy. At The Embodied Wellness Studio, we use sterile, single-use needles and follow the highest safety standards.

Can I do acupuncture alongside other treatments or medications?

Absolutely. Acupuncture integrates beautifully with other medical and holistic therapies. We’re happy to coordinate care with your physician, therapist, or any other healthcare provider to support your full well-being.

What should I expect during my first visit?

Your first session includes a detailed intake to understand your symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. You’ll then relax on a treatment table as fine needles are gently placed at specific points to support your body’s natural balance. Most people leave feeling deeply relaxed, centered, and lighter than when they came in.

What is Moxibustion?

Acupuncture and moxibustion originally went hand-in-hand, but because it’s more energy intensive moxibustion isn’t as widely used anymore.

Moxibustion is the practice of burning part of the mugwort plant either directly on the body or over it in order to warm acupuncture points and channels.

This creates a more warming, tonifying effect than needling, which tends to be more dispersive.

Moxibustion does not hurt.

In the direct treatment, ointment is administered on the skin to create a barrier for heat, and the herb is snuffed out and removed before it burns down to the skin.

What is Gentle Needling, and is it Effective? 

At the Embodied Wellness Studio, we customize our needling techniques to each patient in order to achieve optimal results.

While acupuncturists in China tend to insert needles quite deeply in the body, and stimulate them until the patient feels a “zing” or strong sensation called “De Qi”, Japanese-style acupuncture uses thinner needles that are inserted more superficially and still have a profound effect on the mind and body, despite the fact that they often aren’t felt at all. We are adept at using a variety of needling techniques in order to tailor our treatments to each patient’s needs.

Sometimes we even use non-insertive needles to tap and hold points or stroke down channels.

Despite the fact that these needles don’t penetrate the skin, these techniques are surprisingly effective, especially when treating sensitive and pediatric patients.

The body is made of energy, physics has confirmed this, and acupuncture is energy medicine.

Strategic needling is one of the most effective tools we have to support a harmonious flow of energy in the body, and because the body and mind are aspects of the same whole, acupuncture benefits mental and emotional health as well, no matter which techniques are used.