Michelle Grasek, LICENSED ACUPUNCTURI

Hello. Yes, acupuncture is often very helpful for different kinds of neck pain. It helps to release trigger points, improve blood flow, modulate the way the brain interprets pain, and impacts the central nervous system, allowing for the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine which can help reduce sensitivity to pain. Acupuncture is cumulative which means the effects build over time. The typical treatment recommendation for neck pain is one treatment per week for eight weeks, then we try to space treatments out and see if you can go 2, 3, and 4 weeks between treatments while still feeling good. Depending on the cause and severity of the neck pain, some patients may choose to do regular maintenance treatments to keep the pain at bay. I hope this is helpful.

Hello. Yes, acupuncture is often very helpful for chronic headaches and migraines. There are many different causes of headaches but acupuncture is often helpful for most types. The typical treatment recommendation is once a week for 8 weeks and then we reduce treatment frequency to see if the patient can go 2 then 3 weeks between treatments. Some patients need regular maintenance treatments (for example, monthly) to keep symptoms at bay. I hope this is helpful!

Hello. Acupuncture helps reduce anxiety in a few ways. It helps move the body out of a pattern of chronic "fight or flight" mode (sympathetic nervous system response) into "rest and digest" (parasympathetic nervous system). It also helps reduce cortisol, considered the stress hormone. It can help reduce symptoms of anxiety including racing or pounding heart, sensation of pressure in the chest, racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, panic attacks, etc. Over time the goal is to help the patient feel like they have a more balanced physical and mental response to stressors/triggers. The typical treatment recommendation is one treatment per week for 8 weeks, and then we see if we can reduce the treatments to

Yes, acupuncture is typically very helpful for chronic sinusitis. It can help reduce facial pain, congested sinuses, post-nasal drip, watery/itchy eyes, and headaches caused by congested sinuses. I hope this is helpful!

Acupuncture is often very helpful for chronic pain. Typically the treatment protocol is one treatment per week for 8 weeks, and then we try to space treatments out to see if you can go two, three, and four weeks while still maintaining your results. However, this depends on a number of factors, and patients may need longer weekly treatment, for example, if they have had pain for many years. In that case, 12 weekly treatments may be recommended before spacing treatments out. It can also depend on the nature of the pain, and the original cause of the pain. Some patients require monthly maintenance treatments to continue feeling good, while others do not. It's very individual. But I recommend trying acupuncture as a gentle, non-drug option for chronic pain with very few (if any) side effects.

Hello. Acupuncture is often helpful for reducing migraine severity and intensity. Typically the recommendation is one treatment per week for 6-8 weeks, and then we would try to space the treatments out and see if you still feel good. For example, can you go 2 weeks, then 3 weeks, etc. without treatment. Some people require monthly maintenance for migraines. It depends on how long they've been going on for, the trigger(s), etc. But I would recommend giving acupuncture a try if you can. I've treated many patients successfully for migraines over the years. Hope this help

Hello. Yes, acupuncture is typically very helpful for chronic low back pain due to a variety of causes.

Hi, yes. Acupuncture is usually very helpful for tennis elbow. The usual treatment protocol is one treatment per week for 6-8 weeks, or if the pain is more acute, 2x/week for the first two weeks and then once a week for a week or two after that. It depends on the severity of the tennis elbow, how long it's been going on for, and a few other factors.

Hello. Yes, acupuncture is generally very good for hip pain due to most causes - arthritis, injury, athletic overuse or repetitive motion, etc.

Yes, acupuncture is often very helpful for ankle pain. Typically multiple treatments are needed for lasting effects, and this depends on the cause of the ankle pain as well as how long you've had the pain for. But most patients find acupuncture useful for recovery for ankle pain.

Yes, acupuncture is often helpful for abdominal bloating and discomfort. Abdominal bloating can be caused by many different factors but I find that acupuncture often helps patients find relief.