ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture at Mountain View Pain Center
Acupuncture has moved from the fringe to the clinic. Major guidelines — including those used by Medicare, which now covers acupuncture for chronic low back pain — recognize it as a legitimate, evidence-supported option for several pain conditions. At Mountain View Pain Center, acupuncture isn't offered instead of medical care; it's offered inside it.
Our licensed acupuncturists work in the same clinics as our pain management physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors, treating patients whose diagnosis has already been properly established.
What acupuncture is (and how we think it works)
Acupuncture involves inserting very thin, sterile, single-use needles at specific points on the body, typically leaving them in place for 15–30 minutes. Modern research points to several mechanisms: needle stimulation triggers release of the body's own pain-modulating chemicals (endorphins and related neurotransmitters), influences how the nervous system processes pain signals, increases local blood flow, and relaxes tight muscle tissue — including direct release of trigger points, the knotted bands of muscle behind much chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain.
You don't need to accept any particular theoretical framework for it to work. You need a correct diagnosis, a skilled practitioner, and a condition acupuncture is good at — which is exactly the screening our integrated model provides.
Conditions where acupuncture earns its place
We deliver expert acupuncture care—blending precision needle work and complementary modalities—to treat conditions such as:
Chronic low back pain.
The best-studied application. Clinical guidelines (including the American College of Physicians) list acupuncture among first-line non-drug treatments, and Medicare covers it for this diagnosis.
Osteoarthritis pain.
Particularly knee osteoarthritis, where acupuncture can reduce pain and improve function alongside strengthening.
Headaches and migraines.
Evidence supports acupuncture for reducing the frequency of both tension-type headaches and migraines — a meaningful option for patients who can't tolerate or don't want preventive medication.
Neuropathic pain.
Some patients with nerve pain — including chemotherapy-related neuropathy — get relief when other options have fallen short.
Neck pain and tension.
Chronic neck pain and the muscle tension that maintains it respond well, especially combined with exercise-based rehab.
Myofascial pain and trigger points.
Stubborn muscle knots that keep returning despite stretching and massage often release with needling.
Stress, sleep, and the pain cycle.
Chronic pain disrupts sleep and elevates stress, and both amplify pain. Many patients find acupuncture calms this loop — a real clinical benefit even when it's not the primary treatment.
What a session feels like
Most people are surprised. Acupuncture needles are hair-thin — nothing like injection needles — and insertion typically feels like a brief tap or nothing at all. Once placed, you may notice warmth, heaviness, or a dull ache at the point (practitioners consider this a good sign), and then most patients simply relax; falling asleep on the table is common.
Your first visit includes a review of your history and treatment goals, then your first treatment — typically 45–60 minutes total. A course is usually 6–12 sessions over several weeks; some improvement often shows within the first three or four, and we re-evaluate rather than continue indefinitely. Some patients with chronic conditions then choose occasional maintenance sessions.
Acupuncture inside an integrated plan
Acupuncture works best with a job to do. Typical roles in our treatment plans:
Making rehab possible. Reducing pain and muscle guarding enough that physical therapy can progress.
Reducing medication reliance. A drug-free pain-control lever for patients who want fewer pills — or whose physicians do.
Breaking the tension-headache cycle alongside chiropractic care for the neck dysfunction driving it.
Managing flare-ups in chronic conditions without escalating to stronger interventions.
Because everything is documented in one chart, your acupuncturist knows what your MRI showed, what your physical therapist is loading, and what your physician is planning — and vice versa.
Frequently asked questions
Does acupuncture hurt?
Rarely, and briefly if so. The needles are hair-thin, and most patients describe sessions as relaxing.
How many sessions until I know it's working?
Most responders notice a change within 3–4 sessions. If nothing has moved by then, we reassess the plan rather than push forward on hope.
Is there real evidence for this?
For the conditions listed above — chronic low back pain, neck pain, headaches, knee osteoarthritis — yes, including guideline recommendations and Medicare coverage. For conditions outside that list, we'll tell you honestly when the evidence is thin.
Can I combine acupuncture with PT, chiropractic, or injections?
Yes — that's the point of our model. Combination plans are coordinated in one chart by one team.
Are the needles safe?
Sterile, single-use, and disposed of after every session, placed by licensed acupuncturists.
What Patients Say
“Dr. Ferguson has been my acupuncturist for several years and has helped me with multiple orthopedic issues and given me excellent advice on my dietary needs. Highly recommend his expertise!”
- A patient at our Central Park office
Try a different lever on your pain
Find your nearest clinic on our locations page, or call 720-749-5599 (CO) & 602-325-2024 (AZ).
Safety
Performed by licensed practitioners with sterile single-use needles, acupuncture is very safe. The most common side effects are minor: brief soreness, a small bruise, or feeling relaxed and slightly drowsy after treatment.
Tell your acupuncturist if you take blood thinners, have a pacemaker (relevant if electroacupuncture is considered), are pregnant, or have a bleeding disorder — these change point or technique selection.
Because our acupuncturists share a chart with your physicians, that screening is built in rather than left to memory.
Insurance and cost
Insurance coverage for acupuncture has expanded meaningfully — many major plans now cover it for pain diagnoses, and Medicare covers it for chronic low back pain.
Call 720-749-5599 (CO) or 602-325-2024 (AZ) and we'll verify your acupuncture benefits before your first visit.
“Nathan has done a great job with acupuncture & adjusting while being respectful and caring. My recovery hasn't been easy, but I’m taking it one day at a time.”
- A patient at our Downtown Office
What Insurance Plans Do We Accept?
Everyone deserves access to expert care, and we make that easier by accepting a variety of insurance plans. Browse the list below or contact us to learn more about your coverage options.
