Will Insurance Cover Acupuncture?

One of the questions we get most frequently at Blue Jean Acupuncture, is “Does insurance cover acupuncture?”  Back in the dark ages, when acupuncture was considered some kind of exotic voo-doo, acupuncture was not covered.  However, in the past few decades people in the west have discovered its amazing benefits. 

Insurance companies have realized that acupuncture is able to treat injuries and diseases as effectively as western medicine. But acupuncture treatments can be had at a fraction of the cost of western medicine.  So it’s no wonder insurance companies are covering eastern medicine.

You can even use your FSA card to pay for acupuncture.  That’s a further savings for you because you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for your health care.  It’s like getting 20-30% off the cost of care.

In most cases, even car insurance will pay for acupuncture.  At Blue Jean Acupuncture, we often treat people who have been in car accidents.  They get better faster with acupuncture care, and they don’t have to pay out of pocket for their visits! 

In our experience, the majority of health and car insurance plans do offer acupuncture coverage.  So if you’re unsure if you get coverage for treatment just give us a call and we would be happy to help you find out what your plan will cover. 626 441-1888

Do Emotions Affect the Body?

In a word, YES.  Your emotions can and do have a hugely significant effect on your body.  It’s not difficult to grasp the concept of the mind/body connection if you can imagine yourself in some type of scenario where you might be very nervous. 

Take for instance, speaking in public.  Imagine that you have a phobia of public speaking and you are about to make a speech in front of thousands of people.  So there you are, ready to step out onto the stage.  What types of changes would you expect in your body?

You would expect to feel your heart racing, hands sweating, throat closing, shortness of breath, etc.  Now it’s important to note that none of these changes in your body are “in your head.”  If you happened to have a doctor next to you, they could objectively measure those differences in your heart beat, perspiration, etc.   Interesting isn’t it?  Your body will make real world changes to itself based solely on an emotion.

The ancient Chinese recognized that different emotions will specifically damage certain organ systems in the body.  Anger/stress will damage the liver system.  Sadness will damage the lung system.  Fear will damage the kidney system.  Worry will damage the stomach/spleen system.  And overexcitement will damage the heart system. 

Although some of the effects of these emotions may not be as obvious or pronounced as what would happen to your body if you were about to make a speech in front of thousands of people, they are still happening.  Unlike clouds that pass overhead and once gone are gone, emotions leave an imprint on your body, especially any sustained damaging emotion.  That is why it is extremely important to take care of your emotional body as well as your physical body.

Acupuncture was one of the first systems of medicine in the world to recognize the mind/body connection.  It’s extremely effective in balancing the emotions, treating and preventing the negative effects of emotional distress.  It is even used today for military vets to mitigate PTSD.  And acupuncturists volunteer with disaster relief organizations to help people deal with trauma. 

In turbulent times it’s more important than ever to practice self care.  In support of that, at Blue Jean Acupuncture we are offering a la carte treatments where we focus exclusively on emotional balance.  These are shorter, less expensive treatments than our regular treatments.  To find out more please give us a call at 626 441 1888.