Meet Our Acupuncturist

Brianna Kraus

Brianna earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Drake University and her Master of Science in Acupuncture from Southwest Acupuncture College. She discovered her passion for acupuncture at a young age, when acupuncture treatments helped relieve a strong flu-like illness that Western medicine couldn’t solve. Through acupuncture, Brianna not only felt revitalized and happier, but she also felt wholly supported by her acupuncturist.

Brianna aims to bring the same sense of validation and compassion to each of her clients. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, women’s health, and musculoskeletal pain. To learn more about Brianna, feel free to check out our About page here. To schedule a session with Brianna, please visit her website at http://www.fullcircleacu.com/.

Our Services

Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the virtually painless insertion of thin needles along the body’s energetic channels. This modality has been practiced for more than 5,000 years to treat a wide variety of conditions, including stress, anxiety, depression, among many others. Acupuncture works to restore your body to a balanced state by removing blocks and restoring directional flow in your energetic channels. There are acupuncture points all over the body, but your acupuncturist will typically focus on the site of your pain, your ears, from your elbows to your hands, and from your knees to your feet.

Cupping

Cupping is becoming more and more popular as an effective way of treating musculoskeletal pain. Most healing modalities, such as traditional acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, and even surgery involve pressing in on the body, muscles, and fascia. Cupping, on the other hand, creates a vacuum within the cup, which pulls your skin outward. This suction creates space for healthy blood and energy to flow into the affected area, so that tight, adhered muscles can loosen and relax. You may look like you were hugged by an octopus for the next few days, but these marks are painless and will quickly fade.

Moxibustion

Moxa is a moss-like substance derived from the Artemisia Vulgaris (or mugwort) plant. According to traditional Chinese medicine, moxibustion is one of the few ways energy can be put into the body. The moxa can placed on top of the acupuncture needles or can be burned directly on the skin. Moxibustion has been shown to improve digestion, cycle regulation, Bell’s Palsy, and conditions caused or worsened by cold/damp weather.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

There are energetic channels that run through our bodies – you can think of them as similar to rivers. Each channel has a beginning and end point, a directional flow, and connects to other channels. Every channel also has a specific function to carry out in the body, which affects other channels. When these channels are open, balanced, and have enough qi (vital energy), blood, and fluids, you are in your optimal state of health. Your body knows what this state feels like and tries to maintain it as much as possible. However, external and internal stressors can upset this equilibrium, leading to depleted resources, blockages, and/or energy imbalances, which then result in physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.

This is where acupuncture comes into play! There are acupuncture points along each channel that, when stimulated, work to remove blockages, restore directional flow, and regulate energy in these channels. Acupuncture is not magic. Rather, the body knows what health, balance, and wellness feel like, and acupuncture just restores our bodies to this optimal state.

How do I know if I need acupuncture treatments?

Acupuncture is becoming an increasingly sought-after form of treatment, especially for individuals who are getting nowhere with traditional Western approaches. What makes acupuncture so attractive is its holistic nature. By strengthening the mind-body connection, acupuncture works as a head-to-toe treatment that heals patients physically, mentally, and emotionally. In our opinion, the short answer to this question is this: acupuncture can work wonders for just about anyone!

For some more specific reasons you may want to try acupuncture treatments, check out this article. And remember, this is not a comprehensive list! If you are experiencing mental, physical, or emotional imbalance, acupuncture is definitely a route you should explore. Feel free to set up a consultation with one of our experienced acupuncturists to discuss if acupuncture is right for you.

Do the needles hurt?

No, the needles are so thin and flexible that they won’t hurt you. Although you may feel them go in, you shouldn’t feel any sharp pain as a result. Dull, heavy, and achy sensations are all normal. You may even feel no sensation at all! While there are definitely some areas on our bodies with more nerve endings or thinner skin that can be more sensitive to needle insertion, nothing should be painful.

Where will my acupuncturist insert the needles?

There are acupuncture points all over your body, but our acupuncturists typically focus on those located at the site of your pain, on your ears, and/or from your elbows to your hands and your knees to your feet.

What should I look for/feel during treatment?

During treatment, you may experience a heavy sensation, a dull ache, a numb sensation, or no sensation at all at the site of the needles. You may also experience these sensations in other areas of the body. These are all great and normal sensations to have. If you experience any feelings of sharpness that do not calm down within 30-60 seconds of needle insertion, please let your acupuncturist know, and she will adjust or remove that needle as necessary. If you have any emotions come up during or after treatment, this is also healthy and normal.

What should I expect after treatment?

Everyone responds to acupuncture in their own way. Some people get off the table and feel fantastic. Others may notice a change in symptoms within 24 hours of their treatment. A small number of people may actually experience a flare up of their symptoms during the first 24 hours after the treatment and then notice a positive change in symptoms. All of these experiences are healthy and normal. Please take note of any small changes in your symptoms, since acupuncture is a cumulative process and treatments compound on each other, especially if done regularly. You may even notice other aspects of your health change and improve as well (one of the exciting and sometimes unexpected side effects of acupuncture treatment!).

How often will I need treatment?

Our acupuncturists work hard to tailor treatment regimens to each individual patient. However, the general rule of thumb is that the more acute the condition, the fewer treatments are needed to notice a significant change (usually within 3-5 treatments). Alternatively, the more chronic/internal the condition, the more treatments you may need before you see significant changes (usually within 6-10 treatments). We highly recommend coming in 1-2 times per week initially to start peeling back the layers of your condition. After that, you can begin to lengthen the amount of time between sessions as you start to see your condition improve. We can then adjust your treatment plan as your condition changes and/or others present themselves.