Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to your most common questions—gentle guidance for wherever you are on your healing journey.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It uses ultra-fine needles placed at specific points on the body to help restore balance, improve energy flow, and support the body’s natural healing response.

Most people find acupuncture to be surprisingly gentle. You may feel a light prick or a dull ache when the needle goes in, but it shouldn’t be painful. Many of our patients feel deeply relaxed and even fall asleep during treatment.

Acupuncture works by stimulating points along the body’s meridians—channels where energy, or Qi, flows. This stimulation promotes circulation, reduces inflammation, and helps regulate the nervous system, bringing the body back into a state of harmony.

Acupuncture supports a wide range of health concerns by gently guiding the body back into balance. Common conditions we treat include:

Musculoskeletal pain – neck, low back, sciatica, hip, knee, shoulder, TMJ, arthritis, carpal tunnel, and more

Mental and emotional well-being – stress, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and PTSD

Sleep support – insomnia and disrupted sleep cycles

Hormonal and reproductive health – PMS, painful periods, endometriosis, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum recovery

Headaches and migraines

Immune and respiratory issues – allergies, asthma, and low immunity

Digestive imbalances – IBS, Crohn’s, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and more

Chronic fatigue and burnout

Every treatment is tailored to your unique constitution. Whether you’re coming in for pain relief or preventative care, we’re here to support your body’s natural rhythm.

Acupuncture needles are stainless steel and single use. Their thickness is about the size of a single strand of hair. At Mount Sunny we prioritize SEIRIN® needles, known to be the highest quality brand of needles and offer the most painless insertion.

Yes—when performed by a trained practitioner, acupuncture is very safe during pregnancy and postpartum. We use specific points that support each trimester and can help ease symptoms like nausea, fatigue, or anxiety.

Yes—many people who are nervous about needles find the experience calming. We’ll walk you through the process gently and adjust your treatment to your comfort level.

Some people feel a shift after the first session. Others notice results after 2–3 visits. Healing is a process, and we’ll create a plan based on your goals and how your body responds.

New Patients

Just bring yourself and a relaxed mind. If it’s your first visit, complete your intake form online ahead of time. You’re also welcome to bring a list of any medications, supplements, or health notes you’d like to share with your practitioner.

Yes—we recommend eating a light meal 1–2 hours before your appointment. It’s best not to arrive on a completely empty or overly full stomach.

You can wear whatever you’d like - we provide patient gowns for you to change into to make things easy & comfortable. We have hooks in the treatments rooms if you need to hang anything you’ve brought.

We are not currently in network with any insurance providers. We do highly encourage you to use your FSA, HSA and out of network benefits.

Our package rates are competitive to what most copays are for an acupuncture visit and we find that we are able to provide a much higher quality of care without the hassle of dealing with the infinite hoops that come with being in network for most insurance companies.

The hardest part of a new appointment is finding our parking lot! It is located directly BEHIND our building. We ask that you enter through the back door that reads “Patient Entrance” as the front door may be locked during treatments.

1. Locate the radio station (a nondescript tan building) on the South East side of Central & Roosevelt. Pull into their parking lot, follow it around and you’ll find our parking lot on your left hand side.

2. If you’ve found The Stewart (tall apartment complex on the corner of McKinley and Central you will turn down their alley way, follow it down and you’ll see our lot on your right hand side.

We have two reserved spots directly outside our door - but feel free to use any spot in the lot.

[MAP]

Appointments last anywhere from 60-120 minutes, refer to the services page for a more exact estimate. 

Cupping

Cupping is a technique that uses small glass cups as suction devices that are placed on the skin to disperse and break up stagnation and congestion by drawing congested blood, energy and toxins to the surface.

Cupping therapy can be used for many different ailments, but is most commonly sought out for the treatment of pain and tension. Cupping is effective in shortening colds, coughs, and fevers and works as an overall detoxification for the body. Most often cupping is performed along the back, but is also effective for the shoulders, knees, calf and hamstrings and abdominal area-especially effective for menstrual cramping. 

At Mount Sunny, we practice fire cupping, a traditional method that uses heat to create suction inside glass cups. Once placed on the skin, the cups gently draw stagnant blood, lymph, and Qi to the surface—stimulating fresh circulation underneath. This helps the body release tension, reduce inflammation, and clear out built-up toxins. The suction also lifts the fascia and connective tissue, encouraging movement and opening pathways of healing.

No, cupping (when done correctly and by a trained practitioner) should not hurt. Our patient’s describe their cupping experience as “relaxing” “blissful” and “better than a massage”.

The marks left on the skin after cupping are not bruises, or hickeys or burns-they are called “petechia”. They are painless and can be a range of colors from pale to dark purple, depending on the degree of stagnation in the body. The marks will typically go away in 3-10 days. We offer both circle and heart cups, depending on which shape of mark you would like!

Yes, cupping is both safe and recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While pregnant, we perform cupping in a seated position while mom-to-be rests her head on the table and relaxes for a while. Cupping provides great relief before, during and after pregnancy.

Yes, but we recommend waiting a few hours and avoiding very hot or cold water. Keep the area warm and covered if you can.

Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine uses plant-based formulas to support the body’s internal balance. It’s personalized, powerful, and deeply rooted in TCM.

Yes. We only carry herbs that are tested for purity and quality. Many are organic and all are carefully sourced.

Often, yes. But it depends on the medication. We offer personalized consultations to ensure safe, effective herbal support alongside any prescriptions.

Herbs support digestion, sleep, energy, stress, hormones, postpartum recovery, immunity, and more.

Not at this time.

Aftercare

Drink water, rest if possible, and avoid anything too stimulating. Let the treatment continue to work in the background.

Yes—acupuncture can release stored tension physically and emotionally. Some feel calm, others tender. It’s part of the process.

We suggest waiting 12–24 hours before intense workouts. Gentle movement or walking is fine.

Yes, though with cupping, avoid hot or cold extremes for a few hours.

Warm, nourishing foods are best—nothing too heavy or cold. Drink lots of water.

It varies by person and condition. Some feel long-lasting relief, others benefit from weekly or bi-weekly sessions for sustained healing.

Pricing

We get it, although acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine have been effective in successfully treating ailments and diseases for over 3,000 years, there may still be some skepticism when deciding if this treatment is right for you and your body. With that skepticism may come questions around pricing. Let us break it down for you:

The national average initial cost of an acupuncture visit can be anywhere between $100 – $300 with follow-up visits averaging between $75 – $100 per session, depending on where you live and the expertise of your practitioner. Prior to opening, we analyzed the cost of initial visits within a 5-mile radius of our clinic, concluding that the average cost was $150, with follow ups being $90 on average. Providing care at an affordable and attainable cost is one of our core values, and we are proud to uphold pricing that is below average for our area.*

If you are in financial need, we offer acupuncture packages that are $325 for 5 sessions, bringing the cost down to $65 a session. We also offer a limited number of sliding scale appointments for acupuncture treatments – email acupuncture@mount-sunny.com to inquire about the application as well as availability.

We are always in the mindset of giving back and a portion of our proceeds have gone to these following organizations:

– Minnesota Freedom Fund
– Medical Aid for Palestinians
– Medical Aid for Navajo Nation (First People’s COVID Resource) 
– Black Women’s Health 
– Stop AAPI Hate

Have an organization in mind that you’d like to see us donate to? Send us an email at info@mount-sunny.com

*Pricing averages based on private, 1-on-1 appointments; not community acupuncture.