Your first acupuncture appointment at Wise Wellness in Portage will take 90 minutes, we take a detailed history and decide a treatment plan as well as the acupuncture itself.

All subsequent acupuncture sessions last approximately 45-60 minutes.

In your first visit we typically ask about your condition and symptoms, give you an examination including feeling your pulse on both wrists and evaluating the color, texture, and other aspects of the tongue. 

Your pulse and tongue are like an X-ray into the body giving insight into what is causing the imbalance in your body and allowing for a more accurate diagnosis.

After the evaluation we will ask you to lie on a comfortable treatment bed and move clothing to give access to certain parts of your body – most points are below the knees and elbows. Once the needles are placed you can close your eyes and relax.

NOTE: For your first visit, if you have X-Rays, MRIs, or any other type of imaging, please bring them and any medical reports. The more information we can get about your condition, the more precise your treatment will be, and the more realistic we can be about your prognosis.

Most acupuncture points are below your knees or elbows; therefore, we will need easy access to these areas. We recommend you wear loose and comfortable clothing like short sleeve shirts, loose tops, and bottoms, so we can pull your clothing over these areas. For extra privacy, we also have drapes, so don’t worry, you won’t be left naked on the table!

Electro acupuncture is a machine that produces a mild electrical current attached to the acupuncture needles with clips.

Electro acupuncture helps facilitate pain relief and we offer it in our acupuncture sessions, please inquire when you make a booking.

If you are new to acupuncture, the term “needles” may put you off. But fear not! While technically they are needles, they are so incredibly thin that you will barely notice them. Most patients do not feel them at all, and so far, no one has ever run away! I use them on my 3-year-old twins without complaint. If they can handle it, so can you!

While each person experiences acupuncture differently, most people feel a minimal sensation as the needles are inserted. Some report a tingling, warming, heavy or achy sensation. After the needles are inserted, most patients feel very relaxed and often fall asleep. At Wise Wellness Center, we use very thin, sterile, single-use disposable needles approved by the FDA.

Yes, we do accept acupuncture insurance. Please have your insurance verified prior to booking your appointment.

Is your acupuncture covered by insurance?

The frequency of acupuncture treatments is based on the condition, length, and severity of your symptoms, and how consistent you are with your treatment plan.

Treatments are usually more frequent initially while you build up momentum in the body for the healing process to start. Once your condition improves you will come less often. 

Generally, for chronic conditions you will need 10-12 treatments and for an acute condition around 6 treatments. You may start to notice changes in your health, sleep, digestion, and/or stress within 1-2 treatments. Some patients have experienced significant improvement with just one treatment; every individual is unique and responds differently.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is 5000 years old. Western Medicine is only 200 years old. The Chinese had a very long time to figure out how different points on the body when stimulated, can work together and treat affected areas.

Chinese medicine is written in ancient Chinese languages, and translated in different ways, but you can think of terms like channels, collaterals and meridians, as related to the Western anatomical terms of lymphatic, circulatory, endocrine or nervous system. The Chinese just used different language to interpret these phenomena.

The media has been known to paint Traditional Chinese Medicine as esoteric, metaphysical, pseudo-science. But nothing is more far from the truth.

Through research, we have found acupuncture does these main things to the body:

1. It relieves pain
2. It reduces inflammation
3. It promotes blood flow and restores homeostasis