Adding Acupuncture to Your Spa's Wellness Programming

Acupuncture is a popular form of traditional Chinese medicine that can be used to relax the mind and body, ease mental and physical pain and stimulate the healing process. Industry experts discuss best practices and ways to incorporate acupuncture into a spa's wellness programming.

What client concerns does acupuncture best address?

Callie Swiger, DAOM, L.Ac.: Most of our clients are familiar with acupuncture for physical pain, and will frequently come in seeking relief for their lower back, shoulders and neck, as well as headaches. Acupuncture can also help internal issues, including digestive complaints, hormone imbalances, fertility, autoimmune conditions, allergies and chronic inflammation. Many of our guests also seek support for their mental health, to help reduce anxiety, depression and stress.

Sandra Subotich, DAOM, L.Ac., MTCM, director of Eastern therapies at BIÂN Chicago: The most common conditions I treat are pain, autoimmune conditions, insomnia, stress and mental health, and woman’s health.

Shayla Thompson, acupuncturist at Red Mountain Resort, Ivins, Utah: Acupuncture as a personalized holistic modality has a wide range of potential. Most clientele attracted to the experience are those who are interested in addressing chronic pain and stress. Often, people seek out acupuncture after they have explored other conventional means without success. Once the session begins the conversation, diagnosis and education guide the treatment in an inclusive way that opens the door to addressing a pattern of symptoms related to their chief complaint. Other symptoms that are seemingly unrelated could include insomnia, anxiety, migraines, irregular menses and more.

What other treatments pair well with acupuncture?

Mona Dan, L.Ac., MTOM, founder of Vie Healing, Los Angeles: Acupuncture goes well with massage, cupping, gua sha, IV therapy, reiki and more!

Thompson: Acupuncture was often paired with other bodywork such as Tui Na or Chinese massage, cupping and medical qigong. In a modern sense, this can extend to other forms of massage, energy work, sound therapy, chiropractic, etc.

Swiger: We often recommend acupuncture with a side of fire cupping or gua sha to move any stasis in the blood and muscles. Fire cupping is a traditional method that uses special heated cups to create suction on the skin, while gua sha involves gentle scraping along the muscles. We use moxibustion to help warm the body, burning an herb called mugwort over different acupuncture points. We also frequently prescribe herbal formulas so we can keep internally treating the client’s constitution even from home.

How do you counsel first-time acupuncture clients?

Subotich: The first conversation we have is about Chinese medicine as a complete system of medicine. The reason I do this is because people often ask what Chinese medicine treats. So it’s important they understand that anything they would go to their Western doctor for, they can go to their Eastern doctor for as well. Then, we have conversations about lifestyle, particularly stress levels and mental health, diet, sleep hygiene and movement. I also discuss what a course of treatment looks like and the importance of consistency.

Dan: First we explain the process and treatment plans to patients, including how acupuncture works and what we look for in patients to give the most accurate differential diagnosis. Three people can walk in with asthma and leave with three different diagnoses and treatment plans. Learning patients’ signs and symptoms, inspecting the tongue and checking their pulse help us understand what they are truly working with (constitution wise) and dealing with (symptom wise).

Thompson: First-timers are my favorite to treat, as I enjoy being a liaison for the field and giving people a solid foundation of what to expect. For any bodywork session, I encourage everyone to arrive in comfortable clothing, hydrated and fed. I tell clients not to schedule anything strenuous following their initial treatment, and that having the day off is ideal. After receiving acupuncture, the body is integrating the experience and regaining homeostasis; this can show up as extra energy, but for most it is a detox with symptoms like feeling emotional, fatigued and occasionally nauseous. This is all normal and should be honored with rest.

How does acupuncture fit into an overall wellness program?

Swiger: Acupuncture is part of a balanced maintenance routine; you get out of it what you put into it. It’s a reset for your nervous system. Clients tend to see the best results when they come in regularly over a period of time to maintain their well-being, particularly if they are addressing more chronic conditions. As humans, there will always be imbalances in our bodies, but with a little acupuncture, we can remind the body how to get back to that balanced place.

Thompson: Acupuncture treatments are part of our Whole Body Wellness programming. Sessions are designed for traveling guests but are also open to locals in the community. Focus sessions are tailored to calm the mind, relieve aches and pain, stabilize joints and strengthen the body. Booking a general acupuncture treatment is also an option for those who have multiple concerns or are uncertain want they want to focus on. The acupuncturist is trained to personalize the session and meet the guest’s body where they are, in the moment.

Subotich: Chinese medicine, of which acupuncture is a part, fits into overall wellness programming in a vast number of ways. For some, it’s used as a primary course of treatment. For others, it’s adjunct care to their Western treatment plan. An example of this would be using Chinese medicine to manage side effects of chemotherapy. It all depends on what approach the patient is looking for and what best serves the situation at hand.

Dan: I always say that acupuncture is a workout for the nervous system and it should be done by everyone, weekly. Nothing stimulates (with micro-trauma) the body and nervous system the way acupuncture needles do. The nervous system needs a weekly reset to maintain its function, to make sure no organ is sleeping on the job, to maintain good circulation and healthy energy flow throughout the body.