The Milwaukee area is rich in alternative and complementary medicine offerings. You can easily find chiropractic, homeopathy, reiki, craniosacral, sound healing, Ayurveda, even colonics and more. But especially, there are a lot of options when it comes to acupuncture (and its broader parent systems such as Chinese Medicine, East Asian Medicines and the like).

You may wonder why I am posting about Milwaukee acupuncture options, considering I am a Milwaukee acupuncturist, myself. It’s because there are many more people needing acupuncture in our community than there are acupuncturists. I believe we are all better off when we can save some of the energy it takes to find a provider by knowing what shape acupuncture in Milwaukee can take.

What is an acupuncture office like? It depends! Unlike with standard MD offices (we all know what they look like), in the acupuncture community there is more variety. While some offices might be very similar to your primary care doctor, others may feel more calm with soothing lighting and furnishings. Some may provide treatment in a large treatment room, seeing many people in the same room (community acupuncture). Some may look like a medi-spa. At Hundred Grasses currently there are 2 styles, medi-spa vibe or soft light and furnishings vibe.

Is acupuncture different from Chinese Medicine, TCM, East Asian Medicine, Korean Medicine? Acupuncture is a pillar of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). When we refer to TCM, Chinese Medicine etc., we are referring to regional traditional medicines which may utilize acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, meditation and other treatment modalities. Not all acupuncturists do every other modality. In some states, “detox acupuncture” can be performed by technicians as a part of various recovery programs, often in inpatient and day hospital settings. At Hundred Grasses Acupuncture, all of these modalities are offered and performed by a fully trained and licensed acupuncturist.

What about Dry Needling? Dry Needling is a term used especially by PTs and chiropractors for what we acupuncturists call “trigger point acupuncture.” It is a style of performing the insertion of needles usually local to the injury/muscle group, and is typically used for musculoskeletal problems and not for internal medicine issues like asthma, IBS, gynecology, etc. Your PT might offer dry needling, for example. But they do not have acupuncture training or an acupuncture license (unless they do!). Commonly they have 40 hours of dry needling technique training, where acupuncturists train for 2 to 5 years with thousands of clinical hours practicing while still in school. You can receive dry needling from an acupuncturist, but you cannot receive “acupuncture” from a physical therapist. Dry needling is in their scope of practice, but acupuncture is not.

Do all acupuncturists treat in the same way and treat the same things? All acupuncturists receive about the same level of education within the scope of their degree (usually Masters or Doctoral levels). In most states, they must pass the national board exams (offered by the NCCAOM) and in California they have their own exam, for example. They are generally comparable. Once in practice, acupuncturists may use various styles of acupuncture, following different lineages. So the styles may vary significantly from clinic to clinic. Any acupuncturist may use one or several styles of treatment. Acupuncturists may be generalists or specialize. Hundred Grasses is general or primary care office, with a large portion of patients initially coming for pain, womens health, stress / digestion and autoimmune diseases. After treating the initial complaint, patients typically return for other health issues, once realizing how much more quickly they heal.

What is the cost? Depends! Acupuncturists may opt to take insurance in Wisconsin, as some plans do offer it. I think the 1 needle treatment I received in my specialist’s office (performed by a nurse) was about $350 when I looked at the bill. But in the Milwaukee area, cash rates I have seen seem to be between $80-$150 per session for your average acupuncturist working in their own offices. Acupuncturists who take insurance find that it gets complicated and is raises costs significantly, often prohibitively so. Hundred Grasses does not take insurance. And finally, Community Acupuncture is a style performed in a group setting, with rates around $20-$50 per session. This style is also different in that patients are seen together in the same room and are typically seated in chairs.