Medical Acupuncture
DCIM now offers Medical Acupuncture with Dr. Kavita Patel, MD, a board-certified physician with specialized training in Medical Acupuncture and over a decade of clinical experience in Western biomedicine. Medical Acupuncture is available to all current DCIM patients, regardless of which physician provides your primary care.
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What is Medical Acupuncture, and how is it different from traditional acupuncture?
Traditional acupuncture is a foundational practice within Traditional Chinese Medicine, a healing system thousands of years old. It is based on the understanding that the body contains channels of energy called meridians, which flow through the organs, muscles, and connective tissue. When a meridian becomes blocked, the body loses its natural balance, and disease or pain can follow. Traditional acupuncture uses fine, sterile needles placed at specific points along these channels to restore the flow of qi, the body’s vital energy, and reestablish equilibrium.1
Medical Acupuncture is a modern, evidence-based adaptation of this practice, performed exclusively by a board-certified physician at DCIM. Where traditional acupuncture draws exclusively on the language of meridians and qi, Medical Acupuncture also draws on contemporary anatomy, physiology, and neuroscience. Dr. Patel uses her deep knowledge of musculoskeletal structure, nerve pathways, and pain mechanisms to precisely target areas that influence healing, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and regulate pain signals.22
One meaningful distinction: Medical Acupuncture makes greater use of low-voltage electrical stimulation applied through the needles. This is painless and significantly amplifies the therapeutic effect. Many patients report more substantial improvement in a shorter period of time, often requiring fewer follow-up sessions than they would with traditional acupuncture alone.
What conditions does Medical Acupuncture treat?
Medical Acupuncture is a complete system of healing with a broad clinical reach. Conditions that have shown particularly strong responses include:
Women’s Health
- Infertility and difficulty conceiving
- Painful or irregular menstrual cycles
- Menopausal hot flashes and night sweats
Musculoskeletal and Pain
- Back pain, joint pain, and musculoskeletal injuries
- Headaches and migraines
- Carpal tunnel syndrome and pinched nerves
- Widespread muscle pain, including fibromyalgia
Immune and Inflammatory
- Immune system support, for both acute illness and recurrent infections
- Allergies and chronic sinusitis
- Eczema, psoriasis, and other allergic skin conditions
Cardiovascular
- Leg swelling from chronic venous insufficiency
- High blood pressure
- Palpitations
Digestive
- Constipation, bloating, and digestive discomfort
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Mental and Emotional Health
- Stress, anxiety, and depression
- Trauma release
General
- Fatigue
- Scar deactivation
Who performs Medical Acupuncture at DCIM?
Dr. Kavita Patel, MD provides Medical Acupuncture at DCIM. Dr. Patel is board-certified in Family Medicine and trained in Medical Acupuncture through the Helms Medical Institute, one of the most rigorous physician acupuncture training programs in the United States. She also holds training from the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine, and brings over a decade of clinical experience across conventional and integrative medicine. In her practice at DCIM, she combines Medical Acupuncture with her work as an Integrative and Functional Medicine physician, which means she can incorporate acupuncture into a broader, root-cause treatment plan when clinically appropriate.
All DCIM patients are eligible to receive Medical Acupuncture with Dr. Patel, regardless of who your primary DCIM provider is
What should I expect at a Medical Acupuncture appointment?
Medical Acupuncture uses single-use, sterile, hair-thin needles. If clinically appropriate, low-voltage electrical stimulation is applied through the needles to amplify the treatment effect. The procedure is minimally uncomfortable; most patients describe it as painless or nearly so.
A session lasts between 30 and 60 minutes and may include one to two treatments depending on your clinical needs and preferences. Some conditions respond well after just a few sessions. Others, particularly chronic or complex conditions, may benefit from a series of appointments before the full effect is evident. Dr. Patel will discuss what to expect for your specific situation at your first visit.
How much does it cost?
Each acupuncture treatment lasts about 30 minutes and is $150. An initial consultation is required before your first acupuncture appointment, also $150, though this fee is waived for existing DCIM patients.
While we don’t accept insurance, many plans reimburse medical acupuncture at higher rates than traditional acupuncture, and we’ll provide a detailed superbill that you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement.
How do I book a Medical Acupuncture appointment?
To schedule, please contact our administrative team at admin@dcimedicine.com. If you are not yet a DCIM patient and would like to join the practice, you can submit a request to join the practice.
- Langevin HM, Yandow JA. Relationship of acupuncture points and meridians to connective tissue planes. Anat Rec. 2002 Dec 15;269(6):257-65. doi: 10.1002/ar.10185 ↩︎
- Helms JM. An overview of medical acupuncture. Altern Ther Health Med. 1998 May;4(3):35-45. ↩︎
About DCIM
The team at District Center for Integrative Medicine specializes in helping patients get to the root cause of their conditions. If you’re looking for 1-on-1 help from Board Certified Medical Doctors who care, request a free consultation today!
