Frequently Asked Questions

Acupuncture is a complementary medical practice that involves stimulating specific points on the body, generally using needles inserted under the skin, to alleviate pain and bring healing and wholeness to the body. Though frequent training, injury, and repetitive stress, energy (qi, pronounced “chee”) is blocked from flowing properly through the body by physical or emotional traces of the injury. This manifests in knotted muscles, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, stiff joints, and/or chronic pain, among other things. Practiced in China for nearly 3,000 years, acupuncture’s traditional focus is on correcting these imbalances of energy and modifying its flow through meridians in the body. Modern empirical studies also support acupuncture’s place in preventing, diagnosing, and treating many types of illness and injury.

Acupuncture is effective at treating an incredibly wide variety of illnesses, injuries, and symptoms, as well as for preventing many injuries and promoting overall well-being. At Maynard Acupuncture, we specialize in treating sports injuries (list common sports injuries here) and chronic pain or injuries that hold athletes back from performing their best, including back pain, knee pain, and neck pain. Acupuncture also has an excellent track record of:

1. Reducing fatigue and improving sleep
2. Treating headaches and migraines
3. Improving digestion
4. Relieving symptoms of chronic degenerative disease
5. Treating gynecological illness and improving fertility

Based on your unique symptoms and medical history, an experienced acupuncture practitioner will determine if acupuncture treatment is right for your condition, and will tailor an individualized treatment plan.

Acupuncture seeks to reopen the “lines of communication” in the body, and improve the flow of energy, or qi, to promote the body’s natural ability to self-heal. Blockages are treated and energy flow is restored by stimulating specific acupuncture points that run along defined meridians in the body. While the most common method of stimulation involves inserting very small, sterile needles into the skin, additional treatments include acupressure, moxibustion (burning herbs on or near the surface of the skin), or cupping.

The short — and honest — answer is “sometimes”! A patient’s experience of acupuncture will be related both to the treatment required and to their individual perception of pain. Releasing a trigger point can feel great, but it can also hurt. Patients may leave feeling relaxed, or feeling like they’ve just finished a tough workout — the type of pain that “hurts so good,” a feeling most athletes know well as they begin the process of healing. A patient’s experience of pain will also be related to where needles are placed during treatment. Needles placed in sensitive areas with thin muscle tissue may feel a dull ache at first, which generally subsides during the treatment session. Darren talks his patients through the sensations they may feel prior to performing a particular treatment, so that they know what to expect.

Minor side effects, such as bruising or soreness around the insertion sites, nausea, or headaches, are generally mild and resolve quickly.

Dry needling (also known as trigger point acupuncture) involves needling a muscle’s trigger points (“knots”) to create a twitch response that releases tension, as a treatment for muscular and myofascial pain. While historical treatments involved injecting “wet” solutions (such as saline or lidocaine) into muscles to provide relief, dry needling uses thin acupuncture needles inserted into muscle knots to provide almost instantaneous relief as the knot releases.

While dry needling induces rapid relief of acute pain points, it should be followed up with a comprehensive treatment plan to address underlying dysfunction and restore energy balance so that the muscle does not go right back into a position that recreates the knot. More comprehensive information on dry needling, and the importance of finding a skilled and well-trained practitioner, can be found on our Dry Needling page.

When practiced by a licensed and trained practitioner, acupuncture is extremely safe. In accordance with FDA regulations, a licensed acupuncturist uses sterilized needles which are properly disposed of immediately following treatment. Acupuncture also generally has fewer side effects than most medications you might be prescribed to treat your condition or sports injuries.

The first treatment will take about an hour, and will include a thorough history for diagnosis and treatment planning. Follow up treatments are generally between 30-45 minutes.

During initial examination, your practitioner will evaluate your condition and assess the approximate number of treatments needed. This may vary widely depending on your presenting issue, goals, and response to treatments. We generally recommend twice weekly appointments for the first 4-6 weeks, because treatment builds momentum. While many of our patients see improvements after just one or two sessions, we recommend sticking with treatment for a minimum of 4-8 sessions so you may experience see how deeply acupuncture can affect your condition. Acute conditions generally respond more quickly than chronic conditions. Once we’ve achieved the desired level of healing, we recommend occasional maintenance sessions to prevent re-injury, or returning immediately upon reinjury in order to prevent chronic conditions from setting in. Many athletes also find it beneficial to increase treatment frequency as training intensifies.

Have a light meal or snack shortly before session, to prevent being treated on an empty stomach. Wear or bring loose, comfortable clothing to allow access to acupuncture points. For men, wear loose fitting gym shorts; women should wear loose fitting running or gym shorts, and a tank top or sports bra.

 Insurance

We will bill your insurance provider for treatment, and we are happy to check your insurance plan prior to your first session to determine if all or part of the treatment is covered.

Please input your insurance information when you book your appointment online if you would like us to check coverage for you. If your insurance does not cover acupuncture, you may elect to cancel your appointment at that time with no penalty.

We are an in-network provider for Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and MVP, however not all insurance plans cover acupuncture. We can check your individual coverage when you make an appointment online. If acupuncture is not covered, you may opt to cancel your appointment. For all other plans, we are considered an out-of-network provider. While we generally accept a determination of Reasonable and Customary Fees as set by providers, the patient remains responsible for any co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance.

Many Vermont employers cover acupuncture, including employees of the State of Vermont, the city of Burlington, federal employees in Vermont, Burton, City Market, University of Vermont medical employees, Green Mountain Power, Saint Michael’s College and Champlain College.

At this time, Medicare and Medicaid do not cover acupuncture. If you would like to have acupuncture covered as a medical benefit of these programs please contact your Senator and Congressperson and let them know this is important to you.

Cash payments

Patients paying cash (not billing through insurance)  may be able to use Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) funds to pay for treatment.  Please contact the office for our current rates for patients paying at the time of service.

Financial hardship

Our main goal is to help patients attain pain relief and better health, no matter their circumstances. For patients experiencing financial hardship, we may be able to work out a payment plan for treatment. Please call the office. 802.324.3898