Burning, tingling, numbness. Pain that keeps coming back. When symptoms are complicated, I look at the nerve problem, the muscles around it and the rest of your health to build a treatment plan that fits you.
Dr Deb Ma, PhD, LAc, OMD · 1640 Valencia St, San Francisco
Most American adults who used acupuncture in the 2022 National Health Interview Survey used it for pain. In our comparison of US acupuncture searches over the past year, pain led every other condition by a wide margin.
Pain relief can also be one of the first changes you notice, sometimes during a session. A movement that hurt may feel easier, or a tight area may begin to relax. The response varies, and an early change in pain does not tell us how an underlying nerve problem is recovering.
Google Trends · share of selected search interest (%) · US
73% of US adult acupuncture users used it for pain.
National Health Interview Survey, 2022
Chinese medicine is also part of everyday primary care in China. In a study of community primary-care records, respiratory conditions were the largest group, followed by muscle and joint, gynaecological, cardiovascular and digestive problems.
Shenzhen community health centres, January–June 2021.
Insurance coverage also shapes access in the US. Medicare pays for acupuncture for one condition only, chronic low back pain, and where US hospitals offer it, it is mostly for pain and the side effects of cancer treatment. A complicated case is rarely only pain.
People take a child with a cough to one of those, or a rash, or a stomach that has never been right.
That broader clinical setting shaped how I work. At Beijing United Family Hospital, I worked alongside colleagues in other specialties. A patient with nerve pain might also need help with poor sleep, digestion, fatigue or the muscle tension that makes movement harder. I want to understand how those symptoms fit together before choosing treatment.
The two charts describe different things: selected US search interest and visits to Chinese community health centres. They are context for how the medicine is used, not a comparison of treatment outcomes. A broader scope does not mean every condition responds to acupuncture.
Nerve pain may arrive alongside poor sleep, anxiety, digestive changes or persistent muscle tension. Pain can interrupt sleep; a difficult night can make the next day harder. These concerns often overlap, even when they do not share a single cause.
At Puzzle, 83% of patients arrive with four or more concerns, and 52% have concerns across five or more body systems. The chart shows the range of symptoms people bring to the clinic.
I ask about the whole picture, then decide what needs attention together and what needs a separate assessment. Your treatment plan should reflect how you are feeling and functioning, as well as where it hurts.
83%arrive with four or more concerns
52%across five or more body systems
The acupuncture most people picture, fine needles left in the back or legs, is one method among many. Other approaches use different needle depths, locations or movement during treatment.
For example, scalp acupuncture uses mapped areas on the head, while FSN works in the shallow tissue above a muscle. Cheek acupuncture lets me work away from a painful area. Understanding those differences helps us choose an approach that fits your symptoms and comfort.
In San Francisco I use cheek acupuncture and Fu's needling on top of classical acupuncture, and I hold certificates in both.
For complex pain, the choice of technique matters. A painful area may be too sensitive to needle directly. Muscle tension may be adding to a nerve problem. The same approach will not suit every person, and the examples above show the range of the field rather than a list of treatments everyone needs.
Watch the longer conversation about modern acupuncture, then see FSN and cheek acupuncture in practice below.
At Puzzle, I use FSN and cheek acupuncture alongside classical acupuncture. Which approach we choose depends on your examination, your comfort and what we are trying to change.
FSN stands for Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling. The needle lies almost flat in the tissue beneath the skin, above the muscle. During treatment I guide you through a movement, sometimes against gentle resistance, then check how that movement feels.
I may use FSN when tight, painful muscles are part of the picture: a shoulder that will not move comfortably, a back that guards with every bend, or muscle tension accompanying a nerve problem. We check what changes on the table and what lasts when you return to daily life.
When a nerve injury is involved, easier movement is one useful goal. It does not by itself tell us whether the nerve has recovered.
People hear “needles on the face” and often think of cosmetic acupuncture. Cheek acupuncture is a different method: a small number of shallow needles on the cheek are selected using a treatment map for other parts of the body.
I may use it when the painful area is difficult to touch or when I want to assess a change in pain or movement without needling that area directly. I hold the Level 3 cheek acupuncture certificate and continue to train in the method.
We repeat a movement or check a symptom during the visit, then follow what happens between appointments. An immediate response helps guide the session; lasting improvement is what matters to the treatment plan.
Read more about cheek acupuncture
Tell me what the symptoms stop you doing: sleeping through the night, walking to the bus, fastening a button or returning to your exercises. Bring your diagnosis, medication list and any relevant scans or nerve-test reports.
Most people think the needles are the main part of acupuncture. For me, treatment starts with understanding what is happening in your body. Sometimes I spend 30 minutes on the examination before we begin needling.
I check how you move, where you feel tenderness and how sensation has changed. If you come in with neck pain, for example, I may also examine your shoulders and back. An area you had not noticed can be tender too, and that helps guide what we assess next.
During and after treatment, we check again. Is the same movement easier? Is the area less sensitive? We use those changes to guide the session, then follow what lasts between visits.
We talk through your history and assess movement, the painful area and changes in sensation. I also ask about sleep, digestion and energy, with tongue and pulse assessment as part of Chinese medicine.
We discuss which acupuncture method to use, whether herbs have a role and how treatment fits alongside your medical care and rehabilitation.
We choose a goal and a review date. We track pain, sensation and function separately, and change the plan if it is not producing useful progress.
Local test booking. No email is sent.
“She's the first doctor that made me feel human and not like just another nameless number.”
GC, on Zocdoc
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Times in Pacific time (San Francisco).
Persistent pain can affect much more than movement. Sleep becomes lighter. Appetite or digestion changes. You feel tired, tense or less able to recover between difficult days. These symptoms are part of your health, even if they did not seem connected when the pain began.
In Chinese medicine, I look for a pattern across those symptoms. That is what I mean by treating the root: understanding the broader pattern behind what you are experiencing, then choosing care for the person carrying it. It is a traditional clinical framework, not a claim that pain proves a hidden organ disease.
I may recommend an individualised herbal formula when sleep, digestion, fatigue or other ongoing symptoms need attention alongside pain treatment. The decision comes from your full history and examination. Some patients have acupuncture alone; others may benefit from discussing a broader Chinese medicine plan.
The aim is to help your body settle into a more sustainable balance, with goals we can follow: better sleep, steadier energy, more comfortable digestion and more manageable symptoms. The formula is reviewed as your condition changes.
These photographs show ingredients used in Chinese medicine formulas. A prescription combines selected ingredients for an individual patient; the images are not a list of remedies to take for nerve pain.
Before recommending herbs, I review prescriptions and supplements, medical conditions and any cancer treatment. Some ingredients interact with medicines, so your prescriber or pharmacist may need to review the full formula. Read NCCIH’s guidance on herb–medicine interactions.
For longstanding problems, we may plan care over three to four months if you are improving, with an initial review within a few weeks. Pain relief, sensation and strength need separate checks. Your diagnosis and progress determine whether continuing treatment makes sense.
For disc-related sciatica, a Chinese trial used ten treatments over four weeks. Shingles pain and facial neuralgia need different plans. We track pain intensity, attack frequency and whether touch or movement becomes easier.
Numb hands can reflect nerve compression; numbness in both feet may relate to diabetes. The cause needs treatment. We map sensation separately from pain; spreading numbness or new weakness needs medical review.
After injury or surgery, nerve recovery may take months or longer. We may work on pain and surrounding muscle tension while your specialist follows strength and sensation. Pain relief alone does not prove nerve repair.
After stroke, goals might be opening a hand or walking safely; after facial palsy, closing the eye or drinking without leakage. Acupuncture is an addition to prescribed rehabilitation, with progress measured through those tasks.
For back, neck, shoulder or joint pain, we retest a movement such as turning your head or climbing stairs. We track relief between visits and pair treatment with gradual activity and strengthening.
Keep a short record of night waking, daytime energy and bowel changes. We choose separate goals for these symptoms, review medicines and consider Chinese medicine options, then check what improves alongside the pain.
Less than people expect. You may feel a brief prick, ache or heaviness; tell me if anything feels sharp or uncomfortable. A numb area still needs careful treatment, and I avoid needling directly into infected or damaged skin. Temporary soreness or a small bruise can occur.
We agree on a goal and a review date at the first visit. The timing depends on your diagnosis and how you respond; there is no fixed course for every nerve problem. We track what changes between visits, including pain, sleep and activity. New weakness or worsening numbness needs medical reassessment rather than waiting for the course to finish.
Long-standing symptoms can still be worth discussing, but I cannot promise to reverse nerve damage. The diagnosis, remaining function and treatments already tried matter more than the number of years alone. If we try acupuncture, we set a specific goal and stop or reconsider if it is not helping.
Sometimes, with your oncology team's agreement. Tell them about new nerve symptoms first. Whether and when to needle depends on your treatment, current blood counts, skin condition and infection or bleeding risks. Bring your latest results and medication list. Do not add herbs without the oncology team's review.
The number depends on the condition, the technique and your comfort. Most patients are surprised how little is used. We discuss the plan before starting and can adjust or stop if you are uncomfortable.
The first consult is free. A new patient visit is $255 for 75 minutes and follow-ups are $205 for 60 minutes. Current rates are on the pricing page.
If you are living with complex pain, a nerve injury or symptoms that have not settled, we can talk through whether my approach fits your situation. The 15-minute Strategy Session is free.
