Acupuncture in Chaska, MN | Verdae Wellness
Maybe you’ve heard acupuncture is great for back pain. Maybe your friend swears by it for stress. Or maybe you’ve been researching fertility support, painful periods, or ways to feel a little more like yourself again.
But what does acupuncture actually help with?
It’s one of the most common questions I receive in the wild, and it’s a good one.
The short answer? Acupuncture has the strongest research support for certain types of pain, including chronic back and neck pain, knee osteoarthritis, and some headache conditions. It’s also used as complementary care for concerns like stress, menstrual symptoms, and fertility treatment, although the evidence for those applications is more mixed.
At Verdae Wellness, my acupuncture practice in downtown Chaska, Minnesota, I work with patients seeking thoughtful, individualized care that complements the rest of their healthcare.
My clinical focus is women’s health and fertility, but acupuncture has applications well beyond reproductive health.
Let’s get into it.
First, How Does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It involves placing very thin, sterile, single-use needles into specific points on the body. That might sound scary, but before you picture the needles used for blood draws or vaccines, we’re talking about something very different.
Acupuncture needles are MUCH smaller than those needles you just pictured. All of my patients laugh after I place the first few needles because they hype it up so much in their heads. They’re always pleasantly surprised at their first treatment about how painless and relaxing it actually is.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is understood through concepts such as Qi (pronounced “chee”) and the interconnected relationships between different systems of the body. Modern research approaches acupuncture from another perspective, exploring how it may influence nervous system signaling, pain processing, and local tissue responses. We don’t have every mechanism figured out, and not every proposed effect has been scientifically established. What we do know is that acupuncture has been studied for a variety of health concerns, with stronger evidence for some conditions than others.
1. Acupuncture for Pain Management
Let’s start with one of the most researched applications of acupuncture: pain relief.
If you’ve been dealing with chronic back pain, neck tension, frequent headaches, or achy joints, acupuncture may be worth considering.
Research supports acupuncture as a treatment option for several pain-related conditions, including:
- Chronic low back pain
- Neck pain
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Tension-type headaches
- Migraine prevention (I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but for some reason I have a knack for helping with headaches and migraines, specifically.)
So how, exactly, does it help? Acupuncture may influence how the nervous system processes pain signals, which is one possible explanation for its effects. I usually describe it as a distraction for the part of your brain that processes pain.
The American College of Physicians includes acupuncture among its recommended non-drug treatment options for chronic low back pain. Does that mean acupuncture fixes every ache and pain? Of course not. But it can be a useful part of a broader treatment plan, particularly when combined with appropriate medical care, movement, physical therapy, or chiropractic treatment (all of which I have excellent referrals for in the Chaska area).
Here in Chaska: Verdae Wellness is located inside Sugar Creek Chiropractic, and I welcome patients seeking acupuncture for general pain management in addition to my women’s health specialty.
2. Acupuncture for Stress and Anxiety
You know that feeling when you’re exhausted, but your brain has approximately 47 tabs open? Or when you finally have a chance to sit down, but somehow your mind is already planning tomorrow? Stress doesn’t always look like feeling obviously stressed. In fact, I can’t even tell you how many patients have told me “I’m not really that stressed…” right before they fire off the 50 things they feel they absolutely need to get done that day after their appointment. But here’s the thing.. your body doesn’t know the difference between your to-do list and a tiger hunting you. Both of those “stressors” can cause a similar physiological reaction in your body.
Sometimes it just shows up as muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, irritability, or feeling like you can never quite switch off.
Acupuncture is commonly used as part of an integrative approach to stress management. Some studies suggest acupuncture may help reduce anxiety symptoms, but I am obligated to qualify that by saying “the research varies in quality, and more rigorous studies are needed.” From my own clinical experience, I can confirm that 99% of my patients have told me they feel less anxious overall and that they are able to handle their typical stressors more easily.
Honestly, I think there’s something valuable about the treatment experience itself. During your appointment, you have to stop doing all the things. No emails. No errands. No one asking what’s for dinner. It is just an opportunity to be still.
I also do want to note that acupuncture isn’t a replacement for mental healthcare when it’s needed, but it may be one supportive piece of a larger stress-management plan.
3. Acupuncture for Women’s Health and Hormonal Concerns
This is where my clinical interests really come into play.
Women’s health involves so much more than pregnancy and fertility. It includes menstrual health, reproductive concerns, postpartum recovery, perimenopause, menopause, and everything in between.
Acupuncture has been studied for concerns such as:
- Menstrual cramps and painful periods
- Menopause-related symptoms
- Certain pregnancy-related discomforts
- Fertility-related concerns (more recently to support IUI/IVF)
- Stress and sleep difficulties during hormonal transitions
I’ll admit, the published evidence isn’t equally strong for all of these conditions. For example, some studies suggest acupuncture may help with menstrual pain, while research on menopausal symptoms has produced mixed results. You’ll also sometimes hear claims that acupuncture alone can “balance hormones,” that’s a much broader promise than current research can reliably support. The concept of “balancing hormones” is a simplified explanation for a much more complicated mechanism.
At Verdae Wellness, I believe in combining the traditional principles of Chinese medicine with an evidence-informed understanding of modern healthcare. That means listening to your symptoms, considering your medical history, and being realistic about what acupuncture may or may not help with.
Being told that painful periods, exhaustion, or disruptive symptoms are “just part of being a woman” isn’t helpful, at all. You deserve a more thoughtful conversation than that, and honestly, I have higher expectations of our healthcare system than that.
4. Acupuncture for Fertility and IVF Support
Fertility is another major focus of my practice.
Whether you’re just beginning to try to conceive, navigating infertility, or preparing for IVF or IUI, the process can be physically and emotionally demanding. Acupuncture is increasingly being recommended as a complementary therapy for fertility treatments such as IUI and IVF.
If you do a quick search through Pubmed, you’ll find that some studies have reported promising outcomes, while others have found no meaningful benefit compared with “simulated” acupuncture.
So why might someone include acupuncture in their fertility care?
For some patients, it’s an opportunity to receive individualized supportive care while navigating a demanding medical process. Depending on their circumstances, we may also address concerns such as stress, sleep difficulties, or musculoskeletal discomfort.
My role isn’t to promise pregnancy or replace the care of a reproductive endocrinologist. It’s to provide thoughtful, appropriate acupuncture care that works alongside the rest of your healthcare team. Fertility treatment already comes with enough uncertainty. You deserve honesty about what each part of your care can offer.
5. Acupuncture for Headaches, Sleep, and Other Concerns
One of the things I appreciate about acupuncture is that patients don’t always arrive with one neatly defined concern. It can be frustrating when you make an appointment with your physician and you’re limited to one or two concerns that you’ve been dealing with. That’s why I love what I do. I am able to take the time to address many different concerns.
Maybe you’re dealing with headaches and neck tension. Maybe chronic pain is affecting your sleep. Or, maybe you’ve been feeling generally run-down and aren’t sure where to begin.
Acupuncture has been studied for a variety of concerns beyond pain management, including certain types of nausea and sleep difficulties. However, research findings vary, and not every application has convincing evidence behind it. Rather than assuming acupuncture is the answer to everything, I prefer to start by understanding what’s going on.
Sometimes acupuncture may be a reasonable option. Sometimes additional medical evaluation or another type of care is the better first step. Sometimes the best approach involves several healthcare professionals working together. Either way, I am happy to be a resource for you to find an appropriate approach to your care, and also to help connect you with the professionals who can address your specific needs.
What Should You Expect at Your First Acupuncture Appointment?
Will it hurt? What should you wear? Do you need to prepare anything?
At Verdae Wellness, your first appointment begins with a comprehensive conversation about your health history, current concerns, and treatment goals.
We may discuss things like your sleep, stress, digestion, menstrual history, medications, previous treatments, and other aspects of your health that are relevant to your care.
From there, you’ll have your first acupuncture treatment that same day. I’ll have you come back 3-7 days later, and we’ll discuss what you did or did not notice since that first treatment. After I have seen how your body responds to acupuncture, I’ll create an individualized treatment approach to address your specific concerns.
Depending on your needs, your acupuncture treatment may also incorporate other Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, such as cupping or gua sha.
You don’t need to know anything about acupuncture before walking through the door. You can ask questions. You can tell me if something feels uncomfortable. And you can absolutely tell me if you’re nervous about needles. That’s all part of the process.
Looking for Acupuncture in Chaska, MN?
Verdae Wellness is an acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine practice located inside Sugar Creek Chiropractic in downtown Chaska, Minnesota.
I’m a Minnesota-licensed acupuncturist with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a chemistry minor, a master’s degree in acupuncture, and a doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
My practice focuses on women’s health, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum wellness, and hormonal transitions, while also welcoming patients seeking care for pain management, stress, and other general health concerns.
I believe healthcare should feel collaborative, thoughtful, and genuinely personal.
Whether acupuncture is something you’ve been curious about for years or something you’re only beginning to explore, I’d love to help you determine whether it might be a good fit.
Healthcare should feel like care.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re looking for acupuncture in Chaska, Chanhassen, Carver, Shakopee, or the surrounding southwest Twin Cities area, I’d love to welcome you to Verdae Wellness.
Schedule your first acupuncture appointment at Verdae Wellness
Accessibility note: Our treatment rooms are located on the lower level of Sugar Creek Chiropractic and require using a flight of stairs. If accessibility is a concern, please contact us directly to discuss available options.
References & Further Reading
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Acupuncture: Effectiveness and Safety.
- Qaseem A, et al. (2017). Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 166(7), 514–530.
- Vickers AJ, et al. (2018). Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. Journal of Pain, 19(5), 455–474.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth.
- Smith CA, et al. (2018). Effect of Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture on Live Births Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 319(19), 1990–1998.
This article is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
