Life is too short to be in pain, and Colorado is too good to sit out. Acupuncture at Key Element in Westminster treats back pain, neck and shoulder pain, joint pain, headaches and migraines, sports injuries, and recovery after surgery. Autumn builds a treatment plan around your pain and how long you’ve had it, and adds cupping or gua sha when the muscle needs more than needles alone.
Does acupuncture work for pain?
Pain is the most researched use of acupuncture and the one with the strongest evidence behind it. Large reviews of clinical trials have found acupuncture helpful for chronic musculoskeletal pain, headache and osteoarthritis, with benefits that persist beyond the treatment course. It does not just mask the pain — it supports the body to heal.
Many people come to Key Element wanting to try something before, or alongside, medication and surgery. Autumn will tell you honestly whether she thinks acupuncture is likely to help your particular pain, and she is comfortable saying when it isn’t the right fit.
What kinds of pain does acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture treats both chronic pain that has been building for years and acute pain from a recent injury. These are the complaints seen most often at the Westminster clinic.
Back, neck and shoulder pain
Including the low-grade, persistent ache that comes from sitting at a desk all week, and the stiffness that settles into the upper back and shoulders under stress.
Headaches and migraines
Tension headaches and migraines, including the ones that travel up from a tight neck and jaw.
Joint pain and arthritis
Knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists, including the wear-and-tear pain that comes with osteoarthritis.
Injuries and surgery recovery
Sports injuries, strains and sprains, and recovery after an operation, where the goal is to manage pain and support the healing process.
Pain and stress feed each other, and treating one usually helps the other. If tension is a large part of your picture, acupuncture for stress and anxiety covers that side in more detail.
How does acupuncture relieve pain?
Hair-thin needles placed at specific points increase blood flow to the area, prompt the release of the body’s own pain-relieving hormones including endorphins, and calm the nervous system’s pain signalling. The effect is to reduce inflammation locally and turn down the volume on the pain overall. All of this supports the body to heal itself more efficiently.
The nervous system part matters for anyone whose pain has become chronic. When pain persists for months, the nervous system often becomes more sensitised to it, which is why calming the system down is part of treating the pain, not separate from it.
Cupping and gua sha for stubborn muscle pain
Needles are not always the whole treatment. When muscle is tight and the tissue is not moving, cupping or gua sha may be added.
Cupping
Glass cups create gentle suction on the skin, drawing blood flow into the area so the tissue can repair and the pain can ease. It is the technique behind the round marks you may have seen on athletes. The marks are not bruises and they fade within a few days.
Gua sha
A smooth tool is used to scrape gently along the muscle, breaking up stagnation from an injury and encouraging circulation into the area so it heals faster. It is particularly useful across the shoulders and upper back.
What a pain treatment is like
01
The intake
Your first visit starts with a full intake. Some questions won’t seem related to your pain. They are how Autumn finds the root of it rather than only the symptom. Come a few minutes early, and eat something a couple of hours beforehand.
02
The treatment
Needles go in, then you rest on the table with them for 25 to 30 minutes. Most people find this deeply relaxing and many fall asleep. Wear something that can be pulled up past the elbows and knees.
03
Anything else needed
Autumn removes the needles and adds cupping or gua sha if your treatment calls for it. She’ll explain anything before doing it, so nothing happens that you haven’t agreed to.
How much does acupuncture for pain cost in Westminster, CO?
A first visit is $145 and includes the full intake. Follow-up treatments are $95, or $110 when cupping is included.
New patient includes full intake
$145
Follow-up treatment
$95
Acupuncture plus cupping
$110
More insurance companies are covering acupuncture than used to. Key Element provides a super-bill with diagnostic codes that you can submit for reimbursement. Check with your insurer before your first treatment so you know where you stand.
How many treatments will I need for pain?
Autumn generally suggests committing to six to ten treatments to know whether acupuncture is working for you. Chronic pain that has been present for years usually takes more treatments than a recent injury. You’ll discuss the likely number at your first visit and re-evaluate as you go, rather than buying a fixed course up front.
Depending on your situation, Autumn will recommend treatments 1-2 times a week and space them out more as the pain improves. Often patients keep coming for maintenance treatments once their original complaint has resolved, because of the benefit they get from acupuncture.
What patients say about pain treatment at Key Element
I went in to see Autumn today for my first treatment with her. I was in major pain and had already seen a chiropractor and massage therapist and was still in a lot of pain. As soon as she put the first needle in I felt a great sense of relief and my pain was gone! It felt incredible and I can’t wait to go back for another treatment. I highly recommend Autumn, she’s fabulous!
Katie
I’m grateful for everything you did in helping me to complete my marathon in New Hampshire last month. I was able to run pain free. Thanks!
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Pain management FAQ
Does acupuncture hurt?
The needles are hair-thin and most of the time you won’t feel them go in. You may notice a brief poke that fades almost immediately, or a heavy, aching sensation while the needle is in. That heaviness is a good sign that your body is responding. Most people find the treatment deeply relaxing and many fall asleep.
How soon will I feel relief from my pain?
Some people feel a change during the first treatment. More often relief builds over the first few visits and holds for longer each time. If you’ve had the pain for years, expect it to take longer than a recent injury, and expect Autumn to tell you honestly if it isn’t shifting.
Does insurance cover acupuncture for pain in Colorado?
More insurers cover acupuncture than used to, and pain is the most commonly covered reason. Key Element provides a super-bill with diagnostic codes that you submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Check your coverage before your first treatment so there are no surprises.
Is acupuncture safe?
Yes. All needles are sterile, single-use and disposed of after your treatment. Side effects are minimal, occasionally a small bruise that heals like any other. The important thing is that your acupuncturist is properly trained and licensed, which Autumn is.
Where to find us in Westminster, Colorado
Key Element Acupuncture
9035 Wadsworth Pkwy, Suite 3450
Westminster, CO 80021
(720) 443-2248
autumn@keyelementacupuncture.com
Monday 11:00am to 5:00pm
Tuesday 9:00am to 1:00pm
Wednesday 1:00pm to 6:00pm
Thursday 11:00am to 4:00pm
Friday to Sunday Closed
We see patients from Westminster, Broomfield, Arvada, Thornton and the north Denver metro.
The experience behind your pain treatment
Get back to doing what you love
Book online in under a minute. If you’re not sure acupuncture is right for your pain, call and Autumn will tell you straight.