FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section we provide answers to the most commonly asked questions. We hope you enjoy the information and share it with others. If you do not find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Water is available at the studio but it is a good idea to bring a water bottle with you due to the necessity to hydrate after a massage.

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General Questions

Do you bill insurance?

We can bill some insurance companies for acupuncture services. If you are interested in seeing if we can bill your specific insurance plan, inquire with a receptionist via phone or email. We do not bill any insurance companies for massage services, however, you are always welcome to use an FSA or HSA card. We can also provide you with a PDF receipt for massage services or a superbill for acupuncture services for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

How do I find the right practitioner for me?

Appointments can be scheduled with the different therapists based on your individual needs. Every appointment is catered specifically to you. If you have questions about specific needs, or for a recommendation of a therapist that has experience with particular ailments, please call our office at (916) 492-0725 for clarification. VIEW OUR PROVIDERS HERE.

What is your cancellation policy?

Our cancelation policy is: We require a valid credit card to hold any appointment with us. This card on file will be charged a fee equal to 50% of the services booked in the event that a client cancels with less than 24 hours of notice or does not show up for their appointment. This fee goes directly toward paying the therapist for that appointment slot.

Acupuncture Questions

Is acupuncture painful?

No, acupuncture should not be painful. These needles are extremely thin, and they are solid. Nothing is being injected into the body or taken from the body like with a shot or blood draw. What you should feel is something like poking the back of your hand with your fingernail. Once you lift your fingernail the sensation on the hand starts to dissipate and then you feel nothing anymore even though the needle is still in. That is what acupuncture should feel like. Many people are nervous about needles their first session, but a lot of people will say they didn’t even feel them go in after we’ve started placing the needles in the acupuncture points.

What is a typical acupuncture treatment like?

At our clinic, we believe you should have sufficient time to tell us what is going on, what makes things better or worse and to gather plenty of health history so that we can make the best recommendation for treatment for you. Because acupuncture is highly customized to each person, the more we know, the better we can treat. Patients are at our office for an initial consultation and treatment for up to 75 minutes but usually around 60 minutes.

We do the intake, then we explain the acupuncture process and then we have you lie down on the acupuncture table. We wash our hands before placing the needles in the acupuncture points and then we make sure you are comfortable with the needles and comfortable on temperature. We often put a heat lamp on the feet and have a table warmer on as long as the client is comfortable with it and of course we are more cautious with heat during pregnancy.

We also give patients a clicker button so that while they are on the table relaxing, if they get too warm or cold or need something adjusted, they can buzz us and we’ll pop right back in to check on them. We dim the lights and leave the room to let the patient rest on the table for 25-30 minutes. After that we come back, remove the needles, give patients any necessary after treatment instructions and follow-up treatment recommendations and then you float out into reception to schedule your next appointment.

Click here for more information on what to expect about your initial acupuncture appointment.

How often do you need acupuncture?

That depends on what you are being seen for. For most concerns, a general recommendation is to come weekly for the first 3 weeks and then we assess how you are doing and start to space out treatments from there depending on how your body is responding and what you are being treated for. For pain, we recommend 1-2x/week. For fertility, we recommend you come weekly until you conceive and then through the first trimester. During pregnancy, we suggest weekly during the first trimester and then monthly or as needed after that. Most patients increase their frequency again toward the end of pregnancy and come weekly for the last month or two. We also recommend as needed treatments for postpartum support.

Is acupuncture just a placebo effect?

Anecdotally we have had so many patients come in saying they know that acupuncture isn’t going to help them, but they just need to feel like they tried everything and even those people get results. So anecdotally it’s not a placebo. In acupuncture studies, typically sham acupuncture is used versus real acupuncture to test whether acupuncture is a placebo or not. For sham acupuncture, they are just placing the needle in a different acupuncture point or a non-acupuncture point. It’s very hard not to hit an acupuncture point though, because there are over 2000 acupuncture points on the body. So, these studies can’t really be done because any acupuncture, even if it’s not the most beneficial acupuncture point is still going to elicit a response by the body. For example, when someone punches you in the arm, or the back or the leg, it’s going to hurt. There will be a sensation, the body’s pain response will activate, the inflammatory response will activate, blood will move to that site, wound healing will start to happen, the immune system responds and more regardless of where you received the punch. It’s similar with acupuncture.

If you place needles into the body, the body responds regardless of where the needles are placed. You will get better results if you place the needles in the right points but even if you just place the needles in random points, you are still activating the body’s immune system, nervous system, and you’re moving blood and energy within the body and those are all mechanisms through which acupuncture works. So, many studies that test real acupuncture versus sham acupuncture will either show that both real acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups got better with no difference between the groups or that they both got better but the real acupuncture group had even more improvement. Basically, what this shows is that any acupuncture will elicit a response from the body, but if you choose the best acupuncture points, you will get better results.

What kind of training is required to be an Acupuncturist?

Acupuncturists are required to complete a master’s degree in Chinese Medicine. This is typically a 3 ½ – 4 year program. Once they graduate, they take state licensing exam called the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam (CALE). This test is extremely rigorous. Both of our acupuncturists also hold Doctorate Degrees. With years of training, even more years of experience and multiple degrees, our Acupuncture Doctors provide high quality treatments in our beautiful, inviting facility that are customized to your individual needs.

**If you have any questions please feel free to call our office. For faster response, or lengthy explanations please email at nurturingtouchcmt@gmail.com . You can book online through our “Book” buttons below or on the top right side of every page. We look forward to working with you!

I was looking for a massage place with a peaceful ambiance and this business is perfect. It’s so beautifully decorated, plays calming music, the staff is pleasant and most importantly the Swedish massage I had was just what I needed. The MT was phenomenal and really applied the medium pressure I was looking for. I felt so relaxed and loosened up after. I will be back.

Misty D.