You will feel a small poke when the needle goes in, but it should not hurt. At some acupuncture points, you may feel a mild ache. 

Acupuncture needles are very thin, about the size of a human hair. It is  thinner, smaller, and not hollow as compared to needles used for blood draws and immunizations. Different sizes of needles are used depending on what acupuncture points are chosen. 

Some side effects (albeit uncommon) that you may have are redness, bruising, minor bleeding, or swelling. 

Currently, we accept most commercial PPO insurances (Anthem, Cigna, Aetna, Blue Shield, Healthnet, United Health) and Medicare. We are always adding new insurances. We will try our best to bill insurance for your care. However, you may still be subjected to your insurance co-pay, co-insurance, and deductibles. 

If you would like to utilize your insurance for your care, please contact us at least 1 day prior to your appointment. We will verify your insurance coverage and let you know if we are in network with your plan. 

While Dr. Isabella Lai has significant training with complementary and alternative treatments, she does not provide herbal medicine consultations. She can discuss risks/benefits of certain treatments. Dr. Lai may recommend simple, evidence-based vitamin supplements; however, this is a rare occurrence. Dr. Lai would like to help patients limit the number of products that they put in their body.

We do not sell herbal products in our clinic.

In the TPI or TSI procedure, Dr. Lai inserts a small needle a patient’s trigger point. The injection may contain a local anesthetic (like lidocaine) or saline (salt water). In some instances, it may be beneficial to receive corticosteroids, botox, or regenerative substances, but this is not commonly done in our clinic. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Often, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief. Injections are given by a license medical doctor and usually take just a few minutes. Several sites may be injected in one visit. If a patient has an allergy to a certain drug, a dry-needle technique (involving no medications) can be used.

Yes, acupuncture can help you! Acupuncture provides a sensation of overall wellness  and relaxation. There has been a lot of clinical evidence showing how acupuncture can be extremely effective in helping patients with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and other symptoms related to cancer and treatment of cancer. 

Acupuncture is not a cure for cancer.