Skip to main content
Alternative Treatments

3 Things to Expect at Your First Acupuncture Session

Lauren Smith, MAMera Goodman, MD, FAAP
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP
Updated on November 6, 2025
Reviewed by Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP | November 6, 2025

People turn to acupuncture for a number of reasons, but studies show it can be effective against chronic pain (such as back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis pain) and can help reduce the pain and frequency of migraines and headaches. In this video, learn what to expect if you're trying acupuncture for the first time.

References

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2022). Acupuncture: What you need to know.

Nemours Foundation. (2022). Acupuncture.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

why trust our exports reliability shield

Why trust our experts?

Lauren Smith, MA
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MA
Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

Was this page helpful?

Latest articles