If you aren't feeling well, acupuncture is a good choice to try. Digestion issues, sleep problems, pain, post surgical recovery, mental health, headaches, menstrual concerns, etc. Acupuncture is a full system of medicine that helps the body attempt to return to balance. Only when the body is in balance can the body can heal.

Definitely try it again! There are many, many different kinds of acupuncture and acupuncturists. Sometimes you just have to find the right style and the right provider for your current set of symptoms.

Absolutely! We have many non-needle options including gua sha, Rapid Release, Vibroswings, Acu-Lasers, acupressure, qigong movements, breathing techniques, moxibustion, and more. Acupuncture falls under the umbrella of "Traditional Chinese Medicine" which has many modalities available to use instead of needles. And, if you really don't want any of that, we also are trained in Reiki, Craniosacral, Emotion Code and Body Code.

Usually it doesn't hurt. The needles are flexible and small. We use the most gentle needle on the market which makes it even less likely to hurt. Acupuncture needles are nothing like the needles used in doctors' offices or blood draws.

Generally speaking, no. There are certain medications and conditions that dictate the style of needling we can do. Also, there are certain points that cannot be used during pregnancy. Please let us know of any concerns that you have. We love answering questions!

Charlotte has a Masters of Science of Acupuncture. Renee has a Masters and Doctorate of Science of Acupuncture. After graduating, we both had to take 3 board exams and pass an additional test of the Clean Needle Technique. The Virginia Board of Medicine oversees our licenses. We are required to take 60 continuing education credits every four years and reapply for our license every two years.

Absolutely!!! In fact, it's required as part of our license.

Feeling Better Together does not take insurance. We do give you all the codes required for you to submit a universal bill to your insurance if you have coverage. Additionally, acupuncture is covered by FSA and HSA accounts.

The answer if acupuncture really works is person-dependent and condition dependent. There is so much research confirming acupuncture works that it's part of the Veterans Affairs medical system and covered my Medicare for low back pain. However, each body is different so we cannot predict what your outcome will be. And, we wouldn't be doing it professionally if it wasn't working for our patients.

From a Western Medicine perspective, scientists aren't really sure. There is a current theory that the channels run through the interstitium and the needles influence the electrical flow in that organ. But, that's only a theory. From an Eastern Medicine perspective, the body is organized through many channels at all different depths in the body and when they aren't flowing evenly and effortlessly then the body experiences symptoms. The needles (or other similar modality options we have) work to keep those channels flowing evenly so that your body is balanced.

Sometimes patients will experience bruising or small amounts of bleeding. When done incorrectly, organs can be punctured, but that will not be the case at Feeling Better Together because we are hyper-aware of this risk and avoid it. Some people might experience dizziness after the treatment. Some people may have an emotional release during the treatment which can be surprising to them.

No!! They are wildly different!!! Dry needling is using an acupuncture needle to tear the muscle so that the muscle rebuilds. Acupuncture is a system of medicine that uses precise locations on the body to open the pathways in the body to find balance. Renee does trigger point needling which is also very different from dry needling.

Trigger point needling finds very specific locations in the muscle and releases that knot. The muscle will twitch/move on its own when the trigger point is found. And, yes! We do it in our office when it's needed.

This answer is person-dependent and condition dependent. We recommend giving it at least 3-4 appointments to decide if it's helping you feel better or not.

Please wear loose fitting clothes so that we can easily access your legs and arms.

Nope. Please wear loose fitting clothing so that we can access points more easily on you arms and legs. There are certain treatments where we prefer to needle the area that hurts which may require moving clothing around. However, if you don't feel comfortable with this, then simply tell us! We will find an alternative treatment to help you feel better.

People often report feeling calm, less pain, and rested. But, it's very person-specific. Sometimes people feel super energized! There's no right or wrong way to feel afterwards.

You relax! We know it sounds weird, but leaving the needles in the body for 20ish minutes brings about a huge sense of calm to many people. It can be hard to settle in at first, but many people eventually fall asleep for a brief nap.

You'll talk to Char or Renee for a few minutes to give them information about what you hope to get out of that appointment. They will ask you some questions related to your symptoms and then go over their plan for the session. Once you're both in agreement of what you're comfortable with, you'll hop on the treatment table. You are always in control so before each needle you're usually cued to breathe so that we know you're ready. We'll be checking in with you throughout the appointment about how you're doing and what you're noticing. We try to leave the needles in for about 20 minutes and let you rest. You have a button that you can press if you need us. When you're done, the needles come out and you slowly get up off the table.

Definitely not! If you don't want to talk about anything other than what you hope to get from the appointment that day, then just tell us that. We will respect those boundaries.

Yes! There are certain points we can't use during pregnancy, but otherwise it's totally safe. Many pregnant women report feeling much more comfortable after an acupuncture appointment.

Drink some water. Wear loose clothes. Be prepared to rest :)

We adore treating kids!!!! We may not use needles, though, if the kid doesn't want the needles. In that case, we will use acupressure, vibration, acupuncture lasers, vibrowswings, and body movements to get the qi flowing more evenly.

That depends on your primary complaints and what you're experiencing in your body. And, if you really don't want us to feel your pulse or look at your tongue, then simply tell us. We're happy to respect your boundaries.

Acupuncture is under the umbrella of the medical system called "Traditional Chinese Medicine" (aka: TCM). TCM includes cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, tunina, and more. American acupuncturists are trained in most of these additional modalities and eagerly incorporate them into appointments based on the presentation of the patient.

Medical acupuncture is acupuncture done by a medical doctor. It's the same thing as other acupuncture. The only difference is who is performing it, and the training of the providers. Medical doctors have more training about the western medicine perspective of the body, but they generally have less training about eastern medicine than a classically trained acupuncturist.

It depends on the person and the goals of treatment. It can be very, very fast at getting amazing results. And, sometimes, it takes a while. For example, if you've had pain for 10 years, it may take a few appointments to start to notice a significant change in pain.

We have all sorts of different needles to use based on where we are needling and what we are trying to achieve. The depth of needling is dependent on where we are needling. You can ask us any time during the appointment the details of the needles and/or the depth if you want to know what we doing and using for the treatment.

No, thank goodness!!! Our needles are very flexible and thin.

Hopefully, the effects last a long time! However, depending on what we're treating, it might be helpful to make some lifestyle changes to help extend the effect of the treatment. If you're open to suggestions, we will happily give them :)

Massage and chiropractic care are also trying to restore balance in the body. However, they are trying to make change by pushing on the outside of the body. Acupuncture is trying to make change from the inside of the body.