I am thinking of trying acupuncture, but wanted to ask a few questions before hand. I have leg and foot pains (very tight leg muscles), weekly headaches, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. I also have bad allergies and often get hives in the evening on my legs arms

1. Do you think Acupuncture will help with the above?

2. During the first visit would I tell the acupuncturist all of these things or keep it to one topic. Should I try to prioritize things?

3. Should I wear clothing similar to a massage? Will I be naked or keep boxers on?

4. How much should I expect to pay?

5. Does insurance ever pay for this type of service (I can check my specific one)?

6. Anything I should do to prepare? (Be well hydrated, not use smelly soaps, etcetera)?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

So I’ve never done acupuncture but I tried very mild acupressure on myself last night. I was applying pressure around my jaw and back of neck. Has anyone had acupressure cause seeing colors? I barely even put pressure or really

I I attached what it looked like for me. The C shape was even rotating and getting bigger in my left eye. I had a full panic attack! I thought I was going crazy. At first the only thing I really saw was the red eye shape and it was scary! Then the C happened and the blue light to the side.

I've had plenty of acupuncture and cupping over the years. But today my practitioner cupped my jaw to address tmj. The mark left is terrrrrible!!! I've been icing it and took some arnica. Now, 12 hours later, it's burning and some of the skin is obviously tearing. Any advice? I'm afraid to go back to her.

ETA: Thank you all for your kind words of advice. I did see a derm today to get another set of eyes on it. I do not have any tears - what I was seeing are variations of color. She doesn't think it's going to blister. Told me to put on topical arnica and sunscreen and just give it time. Think I'll just stay out of the sun anyway because it makes it feel too burning/inflamed. She did mention sometimes the skin can stain from blood pooling at the surface too long. On the rest of my body cupping marks tend to take a long time to fade. Anything I can do or apply to get this blood moving?

Hi, I just had my first acupuncture session. I noticed a needle left in my leg after my session was over. I was walking to my car and felt a pain and saw it still in my thigh. I pulled it out straight away and it came out easily. I didn’t keep it but I don’t know how concerned I should be. Should I be worried about part of the needle having broken off or anything like that? There is a tiny bruise where it was and I’m a little sore. I just don’t know what is normal post session.

I’ve done electro-acupuncture through my sports physio and it has done wonders for my body and muscle tightness. Knowing that I decided to try an appointment with a sought after Chinese accu and massage clinic thinking it would be the same treatment. For context I’m an extremely anxious person, it used to be a lot worse and over time I’ve taken control of it. So after the treatment I felt fine, just really tired and a bit emotional. A day later (20-24 hrs) I had the worst panic attack I’ve had in a long time. I couldn’t control my anxiety for 2-3 hours. I felt like I was going insane and I was along for the ride. I started feeling better late afternoon and went out for my birthday. I had some alcohol that night and felt fine the next day (just a bit hungover). On day 3 I had all of my same body pain back from before the treatment and at night had panic attacks, heightened anxiety, insomnia and felt warm / hot headed. I have a really sensitive nervous system, am on edge, jumpy person in general and I’m worried this acupuncture treatment set something off and made my anxiety so much worse that I can’t control it.

Hi all,

An older patient asked if I could take his insurance. It's Aetna medicare PPO. I have an NPI, but am currently out of network for all providers.

Is there a way for me to submit a claim to aetna for him or do I need to provide him with a super bill he files himself?

I'm not sure he knows how to submit a superbill.

Also, do I need to provide insurance coding on the superbill? Where do I find the correct codes?

Thanks! I only just started trying to figure out insurance and google has not been very helpful.

New acupuncture research from the last 7 days (17 publications in this roundup):

1. Second- and third-line treatment options for refractory monosymptomatic enuresis in children: a scoping review European journal of pediatrics — 2026 Jul 20 Authors: Selvi I, Marco BB, Dönmez Mİ, et al. DOI: 10.1007/s00431-026-07248-z

2. Acupuncture vs Massage for Insomnia and Pain in Advanced Cancer: Exploratory RCT Journal of pain and symptom management — 2026 Jul 18 Authors: Kwag E, Fok RW, SLi Q, et al. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.07.008

3. A single-blind randomized controlled trial of ultrasound-guided Canggui Tanxue needling technique for contractural facial synkinesis Medicine — 2026 Jul 17 Authors: Zhou Y, Wang Y, Wu X, et al. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000049719

4. Comparing TCIM use and patient satisfaction in germany: impact of health self-management across migration backgrounds Journal of health, population, and nutrition — 2026 Jul 17 Authors: Grüll S, Huebner J, Ciarlo G DOI: 10.1186/s41043-026-01395-7

5. Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Acupuncture on Bone and Lipid Metabolism in a Rat Model of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Physiological research — 2026 Jul 17 Authors: Zhang SN, Zhang CC, Jiang LH, et al.

6. Modeling symptom-acupoint interactions via a heterogeneous graph learning framework for intelligent acupoint recommendation Chinese medicine — 2026 Jul 16 Authors: Lin W, Chen J, Chen Z, et al. DOI: 10.1186/s13020-026-01458-1

7. Non-Pharmacological Constipation Management in People With Neurodegenerative Disease: A Scoping Review Western journal of nursing research — 2026 Jul 16 Authors: Park S, Kim K, Lee D, et al. DOI: 10.1177/01939459261451721

8. Surface and elemental analysis of stainless-steel needles after invasive physiotherapy: an exploratory scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study Scientific reports — 2026 Jul 15 Authors: Poveda-Pagán EJ, Lozano-Quijada C, Toledo-Marhuenda JV, et al. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-57733-6

9. Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture Combined with Estazolam for Insomnia in Hemodialysis Patients: A Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial Chinese journal of integrative medicine — 2026 Jul 15 Authors: Wang P, Wang Z, Li ZX, et al. DOI: 10.1007/s11655-026-4164-2

10. A Reliability and Usability Assessment of CARE-Acupuncture Reporting Guideline Journal of evidence-based medicine — 2026 Jul 15 Authors: Shi L, Zhou J, Ming K, et al. DOI: 10.1111/jebm.70168

11. Reply to the Comment on 'Effects of Acupuncture as a Therapeutic Intervention Targeting Both Skin and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial' Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology — 2026 Jul 14 Authors: Kim K, Kim J, Kwon SK, et al. DOI: 10.1111/cea.70394

12. Effectiveness of dry needling combined with exercise therapy versus exercise alone for pain and functional outcomes in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease — 2026 Authors: Tayyab M, Khan AA, Syed R, et al. DOI: 10.1177/1759720X261463350

13. [Application and insights of multimodal imaging in acupuncture treatment for female stress urinary incontinence] Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion — 2026 Jul 12 Authors: Li J, Wang X, Yin P, et al. DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250528-k0001

14. [Discussion on diseases of six fu organs and acupoint indications in Huangdi Neijing] Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion — 2026 Jul 12 Authors: Li Z, Yu L, Chen G, et al. DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250415-k0003

15. [Discussion on "better to lose the acupoint than to lose the meridian"] Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion — 2026 Jul 12 Authors: Hua R, Liu B DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20260108-k0003

16. [Analysis of the distribution of xi-cleft points in Qiao and Wei meridians] Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion — 2026 Jul 12 Authors: Tao W, Zhan B, Ji L, et al. DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250802-0001

17. [Approach to brain effect research: exploring the connection among "acupoint sensitization, mental-physical response and deqi" from the perspective of "feeling comfortable when acupoint is pressed"] Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion — 2026 Jul 12 Authors: Xu Z, Wu S, Xu F, et al. DOI: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250712-k0002

Browse all acupuncture papers indexed on PubMed this week)

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Im a cupping practicioner and I am doing a case study here on this thread about the publics perception of wet cupping and the effectiveness of wet cupping for chronic pain. If you have had wet cupping done please write your experience. If you happen to live in montreal or toronto experiencing back or body pains or other chronic sickness then you can also chime in here.

I didn‘t really even know what to expect beforehand.

First session was anamnesis (pain, sleep, digestion, etc.), tongue inspection and mostly acupuncture.

The practitioner (Chinese, practicing in my country, speaking the local language) was warm, attentive, and genuinely seemed to want to understand me. She listened without judging me or my habits.

She looked at my tongue and said it was “healthily red with a bit of white coating“, that I had “a little more heat in my body“, placed one of the needles in my forehead “against bad thoughts“ and another one near my sternum “against emotional bracing“ (40 minutes of acupuncture in total) and scheduled a follow-up appointment in two weeks.

That was basically it.

I couldn’t really classify the experience. It felt like we had good rapport as people but we didn’t share the same framework for understanding – well, anything.

Has anyone had similar experiences?

Hello,

I had my second ever acupuncture treatment just over 48 hours ago for a recent knee injury. During the treatment, the practitioner (TCM) put a needle in my leg, from looking online I believe it to be in ST36. I cried out in pain because it hurt so much. It is difficult to describe the pain, but the best I can do is like a very very deep twinge.

Since the appointment, I have had constant tingling all the way from my hip to my toe. I am worried about nerve damage, since online resources generally say this shouldn't persist as long as this. Am I being paranoid? I am scheduled for another treatment on Saturday and I am reluctant to go back because of this. I was already struggling mentally with this injury and its been really demoralising to wake up the last two mornings and see no improvement with this as well. Would really appreciate any advice. Thanks.

UPDATE: Things had not improved a few more days after posting this, I asked my acupuncturist and he just said it was fine and not to worry. I ended up cancelling the next appointment because the sensation was still there and I didn't feel I was given enough information or reassurance to put my mind at ease. Even when I cancelled, I wasn't asked why or if I was okay or what I was experiencing at that time, which I find disappointing. Currently, the tingling has subsided quite a bit, but not completely. It hasn't put me off trying acupuncture again in the future, but next time I will try a different practitioner as I'm someone who likes to understand what is going on and why.

I’ve had four acupuncture sessions for insomnia, anxiety, and depression. After taking last week off because I was sick, my insomnia did backslide. I’m both glad that it seems to be working and a bit disappointed, because I dread the actual sessions.

I’m already somewhat afraid of needles and he only does points on the parts of my body that freak me out most (wrists, neck, face, ankles, feet, and, as I thought I wouldn’t mind but turns out to be the most painful and bruise-inducing, thigh). I’m completely tense when he’s putting them in. It gets better around 5 minutes after, but I still hate just having to sit still for half an hour and not being able to scratch itches or even slightly move my toes or fingers without sending shocks up my limbs. I’ve started to listen to a podcast but I can barely even focus on it because all I can think of is how much I want the session to be over.

I’ve gotten slightly more relaxed but I still was almost ready to abandon the progress I’ve made because it feels crazy to pay for something I hate doing so much. Did any of you start off hating acupuncture sessions and grow to not mind it? How long did it take and did any particular strategies help you tolerate them?

Hi Everyone,

I'm posting this because I've followed the situation with Midwest College of Oriental Medicine and believe it's important for former students (especially those with loans) to know what's happening and explore their options.

The school has been connected to ongoing federal investigations and fraud-related developments in the education and healthcare sectors.

The amount of compiled evidence is substantial and paints a concerning picture.

The college has been linked to serious issues, and there are now federal fraud charges in play in the broader context of education and health care fraud enforcement. Many students have reported feeling misled about program quality, accreditation, job outcomes, and loan repayment prospects.

If you attended or know someone who attended and feel you were harmed (e.g., aggressive recruitment, inadequate training, or issues impacting your ability to repay federal loans), you may want to look into Borrower Defense to Repayment (borrower's remorse claims) or other relief options through the Department of Education. Deadlines and processes can be time-sensitive, especially with ongoing investigations.

What I'm sharing

Click or Insert the Google drive link to see all the evidence that's been compiled against them so far

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bf00kNPsH9Q0tYXr3aYHinPtpBBIRxCp

This isn't legal advice, I'm just a former alum/concerned party compiling publicly available info and my own documentation. Always verify with official sources and consider speaking with a student loan advocate, attorney, or the FSA Ombudsman.

Resources that helped me:

Federal Student Aid Borrower Defense:

1. https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/

2. https://tips.fbi.gov

3. https://www.Justice.Gov/fraud/report-fraud

4. https://www.acahm.org/resources/complaint-form

5. https://oig.ed.gov/hotline

6. https://studentaid.gov/feedback

If this resonates with your experience, you're not alone. Document everything and file claims where appropriate. Strength in numbers can help push for accountability.

Feel free to DM with questions (I may not reply instantly), but let's keep this thread focused and respectful. Mods, please let me know if this needs adjustment.

Thanks for reading, hoping this helps someone navigate the mess

My arm and hand started to feel numb and tingling, I feel like it may have something to do with me starting the bc called Slynd but my doctor says it's unlikely, so I researched more it possibly could be do to the back of my neck pains, so I'm asking would doing acupuncture help this pain of my neck, arm, and hand?

Please recommend best fertility focused acupuncture near Menifee, Temacula, Murrieta CA. I am going to irvine CA for my acupuncture weekly, but it’s alot of stress with drive and traffic. I wanted to relax after my acupuncture but the transfer and going that far weekly is not healthy.
Though I had best results of my embryo atleast better than my last 2 ER cycles for which I never had acupuncture. I stared this before my 3rd ER and results were way better.
I am just trying to change the location, any suggestions please?

Started the program and recently had a baby. About a year into the program. We want another kid as we are older, but the program with herbs will take much longer then just acupuncture. I wouldn’t mind doing herbs with a doctoral down the line.

1. Do you needs in herbs to practice acupuncture once your graduate, or can you work without it in some states?
   
2. Is it just an extra exam?
   
3. Do schools offer herbs remotely or is it part of in personal clinical?

Open to any advice to finish asap, but also be able to practice in most states.

Thanks so much for any input

Does anyone else in our profession struggle with this?

I'm an acupuncturist, and I've realised I can only comfortably see about 3 patients a day. Any more than that and I'm completely drained. I come home with nothing left, and I end up being short with my husband and kids, which I hate.

Part of me feels guilty or even spoiled. My husband is wonderful and pulls his weight at home, and I know lots of practitioners seem to see 8 to 10 patients a day without a problem. The extra income would make a real difference for our family, so I want to be able to do more.

The strange thing is, I don't think it's the acupuncture itself that's exhausting me.

I think it's:

• Feeling responsible for "fixing" people.
• Overthinking whether I'm giving a good treatment.
• Absorbing patients' emotions.
• Making constant small talk.
• Slipping into massage mode because I used to be a massage therapist, even though I'm actively trying to stop over treating.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm overgiving rather than overworking.

Has anyone managed to develop better emotional boundaries without becoming cold or uncaring? How do you stop carrying your patients home with you? I'd especially love to hear from other acupuncturists, therapists, counsellors, nurses, or anyone in a helping profession.

Hey gang,

I’m interested in acupuncture school in LA/OC area. Any thoughts on Alhambra Medical University? I can’t find any information about them outside of their website. They have consistently high board exam passing rates based on the Do you like how the school teaches? How are you relationships with other students? Are admin staff responsive and helpful?

A new federal rule, finalized July 1, 2026 and taking effect July 1, 2027, ties your program’s access to federal loans to whether its graduates actually earn enough to justify the debt. If your program fails that test, you deserve to know the plan before it happens, not after.
The rule is called the Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and Earnings Accountability framework, and it replaces the older “gainful employment” rule that previously applied mainly to for-profit and certificate programs. It measures whether an acupuncture graduate with a master’s degree or doctoral degree makes more at the fourth year out of school than somebody in the area with a general bachelor’s degree at four years. The Department expects to release the first earnings calculations in early 2027. Programs that fail the test in two of three consecutive years lose eligibility for federal Direct Loans; institutions where these low-earning programs dominate enrollment can eventually lose Pell Grant eligibility too. Because of the two-out-of-three-years structure, the earliest any program could actually lose Direct Loan eligibility is July 1, 2028. But institutions must warn current and prospective students the moment a program fails even a single year’s measurement, well before that.
There are two options after a school fails the first year:
Option 1: Orderly Program Closure with In-House Teach Out
A school can choose an orderly program closure: with the Department of Education’s approval that it’s in students’ best interest, the school amends its agreement with the Department to stop enrolling new students in that program while continuing to teach out everyone already enrolled, in-house, with no other institution required. This extension lasts for the lesser of three years or the program’s normal length.
Separate from anything specific to STATS, every accredited school is required to have a general teach-out plan on file with its accreditor, sometimes handled internally, sometimes through a formal agreement with another accredited institution if the school is closing outright rather than just losing new-student eligibility.
Option 2: Wait and See, Risking a Less Certain Path for Currently Enrolled Students
A school that takes no action after a first-year failure forfeits the chance to lock in an orderly closure in advance. If a second failure then hits and the program loses Direct Loan eligibility, new enrollment must stop immediately. Students already enrolled aren’t necessarily cut off the same day, the Department may still determine that letting the program continue for up to three years, or its normal length, is in currently enrolled students’ best interest, but that’s a discretionary, after-the-fact call by ED, not something the school arranged ahead of time. In practice, this means students at a “wait and see” school are relying on federal discretion after the fact, rather than a plan their own institution secured for them in advance.
There are some projections for the earnings metric here. What plan, if any, has the school put in place, an internal teach-out, a formal agreement with another school, or nothing at all?
Pay attention to how specific the answer is. A school with a real plan can name it. Vague reassurance or silence tells you something too.
This is the third in a short series on concrete things you can do before you graduate, not complicated things, just things nobody tells you are options. If you are a prospective student, please see my Questions to Ask Every Admissions Office when you are deciding what program to choose (or whether you should wait).
Next up: The New RAP Plan Will Change Income Based Repayment

Realized I didn't get enough TCM test days for Foundations to get access to the test trends for foundations. I'm taking this exam first. But I did get enough for the Acu exam, so I'm willing to trade!! I would love to take a look at the Foundations test trends to help me in my final cramming for the exam. Thank you, thank you if you are willing!

Yesterday I went to the acapuncturist for the very first time. (Background info: I have a lot of anxiety since I’ve been very young. That’s mainly what I was going for. The appointment was at 3pm.)

After getting the needles removed I almost fainted (probably bcs of low blood pressure and forgetting to eat something). I heard that that isn’t abnormal, I’m not worried about that.

But after I got home, my skin felt very sensitive. This got worse towards the evening. It was not painful or itchy, just sensitive (i didn’t want clothes touching me fe). Around 10pm, my teeth then also became sensitive. I had muscle aches as well. I also developed a headache. I then also started getting chills with a fever. Basically like the flu.

I don’t have a runny nose, pain in my throat or bad cough (just a tingle when I breath in very deep). So that, to me, feels like it isn’t typical.

Has anybody else had this experience after the first time? It could just be a coincidence.

(I already called my acapuncturist but he can’t say with certainty if it is a viral infection or from the acapuncture.)