Common Questions · Healthouse Family Clinic

What does acupuncture cost?

Acupuncture treatment includes consultation, diagnosis and therapy.

Pricing Information

• Acupuncture treatment: $60.00
• Payment options: Cash or check

Health Savings Account (HSA) Plans

If you are enrolled in a Health Savings Account plan, you can use this account to pay for your acupuncture treatment.

Income Tax Deduction

Acupuncture is a qualified medical expense by the IRS and may be eligible for deduction when preparing your tax return. For more information, speak with your tax advisor.

Health Insurance

To help keep the cost of your treatment as low as possible, we do not bill insurance companies directly. If your health insurance plan includes acupuncture benefits, you can submit a copy of our invoice to your insurance company for reimbursement. Please speak with your benefits coordinator for the details of your policy's coverage. Some policies require a physician referral for you to qualify for reimbursement.

The best health insurance is — HEALTH

The accumulative high-cost of poor health is too much to pay. Maintaining your own good health is a bargin compared to physical suffering and financial misery associated with conventional symptom suppression therapies (i. e., invasive tests, toxic drugs, dangerous surgeries, etc.). Health insurance actually masks the true costs of conventional "healthcare." In fact, it is very expensive. The healthcare tab for 2009 was $2.5 trillion, representing 17.3 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (profits that depend on people's failing health). Medical bills are the cause of more than 60 percent of all bankruptcy filings. What's even more concerning, conventional medicine is the leading cause of death in the U.S.

From a Wall Street Journal article:

Alternative Medicine is Mainstream

"Our ‘health-care system’ is primarily a disease-care system. Last year, $2.1 trillion was spent in the U.S. on medical care, or 16.5% of the gross national product. Of these trillions, 95 cents of every dollar was spent to treat disease after it had already occurred. At least 75% of these costs were spent on treating chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, that are preventable or even reversible.

"The disease that accounts for more premature deaths and costs Americans more than any other illness is almost completely preventable simply by changing diet and lifestyle. And the same lifestyle changes that can prevent or even reverse heart disease also help prevent or reverse many other chronic diseases as well. Chronic pain is one of the major sources of worker's compensation claims costs, yet studies show that it is often susceptible to acupuncture and Qi Gong. Herbs usually have far fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals.

Joy, pleasure and freedom are sustainable, deprivation and austerity are not. When you eat a healthier diet, quit smoking, exercise, meditate and have more love in your life, then your brain receives more blood and oxygen, so you think more clearly, have more energy, need less sleep. Your brain may grow so many new neurons that it could get measurably bigger in only a few months. Your face gets more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. Your heart gets more blood flow, so you have more stamina and can even begin to reverse heart disease. Your sexual organs receive more blood flow, so you may become more potent — similar to the way that circulation-increasing drugs like Viagra work. For many people, these are choices worth making — not just to live longer, but also to live better."

What is Oriental Medicine?

Oriental Medicine is used to facilitate the smooth flow of Qi (Chi) in order to balance organ systems, relieve pain, cure disease, and strenghten the body's immune functions. In acupuncture, extremely-fine needles are inserted into one or more acu-points (there are more than 500). The physiological response is the balancing of the body's merdian system.

There are three primary branches of Oriental Medicine:

1. Acupuncture
2. Medicinal herbs
3. Qigong (energy cultivation)

Other Oriental Medicine therapies include:

• Moxibustion (heat therapy)
• Cupping (vacuum therapy)
• Tuina (medical massage)

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Is Oriental Medicine right for me?

In an overly-complex society, the many choices and options we are faced with can be confusing and frustrating. Healthcare is no different. Whether you tend toward "modern" medicine, or "alternative" therapies, there is simply too much information to sort out.

Because Oriental Medicine is thousands of years old, it can offer some comfort in the fact that it has been proven over time. It is rooted in the study and research of fundamental biological processes, and based on the premise that the human species has evolved to be healthy, strong, resilient beings. Simply stated: Oriental Medicine facilitates your body's ability to self-heal (without the use of expensive drugs or dangerous surgeries).

"Acupuncture is one of the most time-tested treatments known to mankind. If the value of a treatment were based solely on how long it has been around, and how long people have thought that it was helpful, then acupuncture would probably be the most effective treatment known to humankind."

Dr. Scott Fishman
Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
University of California

Symptoms of pain and illness are your body’s "RED ALERT" system, warning you that a condition has reached the point where it needs immediate attention. Modern pharmaceuticals are often used to mask the symptoms of pain and discomfort. Surgery typically focuses on a narrow aspect of a condition, and attempts to solve a problem by removing or replacing.

In contrast, Oriental Medicine addresses the origin of the problem and how it relates to the entire being. Treatment is directed toward correcting the underlying imbalance which brought about the problem in the first place (symptomatic relief is a "side-effect" of this process). For thousands of years, Oriental Medicine has proven itself effective for many conditions. It is recommended by the World Health Organization and the Mayo Clinic (among others). Acupuncture heals without drugs or surgery. It is a safe and natural means of returning your body to its normal healthy balance.

Both Oriental Medicine and modern medicine offer solutions. Depending on your individual needs and the specific condition, one system may provide a superior solution over the other. In some instances they may be used together for an even better outcome. A sensible approach is to take the time to understand your options, then choose the system, or combination, that offers you the best outcome.

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How long does a treatment take?

Your first treatment usually takes about 1-1/2 hours. It includes a new patient intake consultation and a full treatment. Follow-up treatments usually last 1 hour.

How long does a treatment take to work?

Most patients feel beneficial results within 1 - 10 treatments. Chronic conditions may take longer. Response to treatment depends on the individual patient, the type of condition and how serious it is. The number and frequency of treatments needed will vary widely from once a day, to once every three months. For pain relief, typically 2 - 4 treatments per week is effective (usually 2 - 10 visits total).

In general, acute, short-term conditions require less treatment than chronic, long-term conditions. Each acupuncture session builds on the previous one, gradually restoring fundamental health balance. To achieve optimal healing effects, it is important to return for treatment before symptoms return to their original intensity.

Patients who also practice daily Qigong will speed healing, require fewer treatments, and prevent many future heath problems.

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How does acupuncture work?

According to traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture promotes the body's ability to heal itself by balancing the flow of Qi (Chi) along the body's meridian channels by activating energetic acupuncture points.

Over 500 acu-points have been identified and documented over centuries of meticulous clinical observation. Sterile, medical-grade, hair-thin needles are carefully inserted into the body along these meridian channels at specific locations. Acu-point stimulation is used to release Qi stagnation, move Qi or tonify body systems by promoting the smooth flow of Qi energy.

How can acupuncture help me?

• Relief Care:
  Relieve pain and other symptoms of disease and injury (acute & chronic).
• Corrective Care:
  Improve organ function and strengthen the immune system to help the body heal.
• Maintenance Care:
  Long-term preventative care to help maintain optimum health and wellness.

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What problems are effectively treated with acupuncture?

Acupuncture is proven effective for:

• Addiction
• Allergies
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Back Pain
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue
• Cold & Flu
• Constipation & Diarrhea
• Depression
• Eczema
• Fibroids
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache & Migraine
• Herpes Zoster
• Immune System Disorders
• Impotence
• Ingestion
• Insomnia
• Irregular Menstruation
• Knee Pain
• Menopausal Syndromes
• Menstrual Problems
• Morning Sickness
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Neck & Shoulder Pain
• Osteoarthritis
• PMS
• Sciatica
• Sprains
• Stress & Anxiety
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Tendonitis and Tennis Elbow
• and more...

World Health Organization Recommendations

The World Health Organization recommendeds acupuncture for numerous diseases, symptoms, and conditions where the effects of treatment have been well-researched. World Health Organization Recommendations →

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How do I know if the practitioner is any good?

Your experience with Oriental Medicine will depend largely on the provider that you choose. For the best results, choose an acupuncturist with proper education, credentials, and clinical experience. It is important to find an acupuncturist that you trust.

Professional Credentials

In most states and provinces, formal training and certification is required to practice acupuncture. The U.S. has rigorous educational standards acupuncturists must meet. Most states require a 3 - 5 year degree from an accredited Oriental Medicine school before an acupuncturist can become licensed. These programs range from 1800 - 3500 credit hours of training.

For best results, consider choosing an acupuncturist certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), California Acupuncture Board or Florida Acupuncture Board, and in Canada either CTCMA or CMAAC. For the most up-to-date certification status of a practitioner, please check the certifying board's website. NCCAOM practitioner members will have one of the following titles:

• Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) or Dipl. O.M.(NCCAOM)
• Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM) or Dipl. Ac.(NCCAOM)
• Diplomate in Chinese Herbology (NCCAOM) or Dipl. C.H.(NCCAOM)
• Diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCCAOM) or Dipl. A.B.T.(NCCAOM)

Find a QUALIFIED acupuncture practitioner

OMclinic.org in the most comprehensive directory of qualified practitioners in North America. Find a QUALIFIED acupuncture practitioner near you: http://omclinic.org/

What is a "medical acupuncturist?"

Another type of licensed acupuncturist is a "medical acupuncturist." These are conventional M.D.'s or D.O.'s with limited acupuncture training. Medical acupuncturist training requirements are much more lenient, requiring only minimal, introductory seminar-style training. If you are considering a "medical" acupuncturist, it is important to look for one who is a member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture because they require 300 credit hours of training (although this amount of training is still far less training than NCCAOM certified practitioner's 1800 - 3500 credit hours of training).

Questions to ask when evaluating any healthcare practitioner

1. Where was the practitioner educated (school, country)?
2. What is the practitioner's specific medical degree?
3. How long was the degree program?
4. How long has the practitioner been practicing?

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Specific question?

If you have a specific question please contact us.