Acupuncture in Aurora, CO
Acupuncture at Mountain View Pain Center is not a standalone service. It sits inside the same treatment plan as your physical therapy, chiropractic care and medical pain management, documented on the same chart — so your acupuncturist knows what your imaging showed and what your physical therapist is working on. It is available at both Aurora clinics: East Aurora at Southlands and Southeast Aurora on Briarwood Circle.
No referral is needed, and most major plans, Medicare and Colorado Medicaid are accepted. Call (720) 749-5599.
What Aurora patients use acupuncture for
- Chronic pain that has not fully settled with chiropractic care, physical therapy or medication alone
- Nerve pain and neuropathy — numbness, tingling and burning pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Neck and back pain, including pain that follows a collision
- Muscle tension that has built up around a long-standing injury
Why integrated acupuncture works better
Acupuncture delivered in isolation asks a lot of one treatment. Delivered as part of a plan, it does a specific job: settling the pain and muscle guarding that stops other treatment from progressing.
At our Aurora clinics your acupuncturist reads the same chart as your chiropractor, your physical therapist and your pain physician. If acupuncture is helping but progress stalls, the next step is a conversation in the same building rather than a new referral and a repeated history.
Headaches and migraines
Headaches that begin at the base of the skull, build through the afternoon, or arrive with neck stiffness often respond well to acupuncture, particularly when muscular tension through the neck and shoulders is part of the pattern. Treatment is usually combined with work on the neck itself rather than delivered alone.
Nerve pain and neuropathy
Burning, tingling and numbness in the hands or feet are among the harder problems to treat well, and among the most common reasons Aurora patients try acupuncture after other treatment has taken them only part of the way. Acupuncture is used here alongside medical management rather than instead of it, and your acupuncturist works from the same diagnosis your pain physician made.
After a car accident
Muscle guarding and soft-tissue pain after a collision often persist once the acute injury has settled. Acupuncture can help release that pattern, and because both Aurora clinics treat auto injuries daily, your care is documented to the standard your claim will require. See car accident chiropractic care and whiplash treatment.
Acupuncture or dry needling?
They look similar and they are not the same thing. Dry needling targets a specific trigger point in a muscle and is usually delivered by a physical therapist as part of a manual treatment plan. Acupuncture is a complete system with its own diagnostic framework, delivered by a licensed acupuncturist.
Both are available here, and which one suits you depends on what is driving your pain. See acupuncture versus dry needling.
Your Aurora acupuncturist
- Melissa Guardiano, L.Ac — pain relief through acupuncture, stress reduction, and improved circulation for overall well-being
Acupuncture is available at both the East Aurora and Southeast Aurora clinics.
Which Aurora clinic should you book?
Both clinics offer acupuncture, chiropractic care, physical therapy and pain management, and both keep the same hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday.
East Aurora — Southlands — 6155 S Main St #220, Aurora, CO 80016. Inside Southlands Mall on the second floor. Convenient for east Aurora, Southlands, Tallyn's Reach, Saddle Rock, Parker, Centennial and Foxfield. Local line (303) 627-5735.
Southeast Aurora — Cornerstar — 15901 E Briarwood Cir Suite 150, Aurora, CO 80016. In the Cornerstar Healthcare Plaza building. Convenient for southeast Aurora, Centennial, Parker, Smoky Hill and Piney Creek. Local line (303) 645-4363.
Insurance
Both Aurora clinics accept Aetna, ASH (American Specialty Health), Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Pathway), Cigna, UnitedHealthcare (UHC), OptumCare, Optum Physical Health, Humana, Medicare, Colorado Medicaid, Devoted Health, First Health, Columbine, Tricare, ATA Holista, Workers' Compensation, and Auto/Lien. We verify your benefits before your first visit. See full insurance details.
Common questions
Do I need a referral for acupuncture? No. You can book directly at either Aurora clinic.
Does insurance cover acupuncture? Often, yes — including Medicare and Colorado Medicaid for some conditions. We verify your specific benefits before your first visit rather than after.
Does it hurt? Acupuncture needles are far finer than the needles used for injections or blood draws. Most patients describe a dull ache or a heavy sensation rather than pain.
How many sessions will I need? You will get an estimate after your first assessment. Acupuncture usually works cumulatively rather than in a single session.
Can I combine acupuncture with other treatment? Yes, and most patients do. See physical therapy in Aurora, chiropractic care in Aurora and pain management in Aurora.
Reviewed by the clinical team at Mountain View Pain Center. Last reviewed August 2026.