Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to restore balance, relieve pain, and promote the body’s natural healing capacity. At WHOA Wellness, we offer acupuncture as part of our integrated approach to mental and physical health—providing a time-honored, non-invasive treatment option for those seeking relief from stress, pain, and a variety of wellness concerns.
Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture works by stimulating specific points on the body to encourage healing, reduce symptoms, and support overall wellbeing. Whether you’re managing chronic pain, seeking stress relief, or looking to complement your mental health treatment, acupuncture offers a gentle yet powerful pathway to better health.
Acupuncture involves the strategic placement of fine, sterile needles at specific points on the body. These points, when stimulated, help promote circulation, reduce inflammation, calm the nervous system, and activate the body’s innate healing responses.
While the mechanisms are still being studied and understood through both Eastern and Western medical lenses, what’s clear is that acupuncture creates real, measurable changes in the body. Many people experience profound relief from symptoms that haven’t responded well to other treatments.
Supporting the Nervous System
Acupuncture can help shift your body out of chronic stress mode. When you’re dealing with anxiety, your nervous system stays activated in fight-or-flight, creating physical tension and mental restlessness. Acupuncture helps restore balance to your nervous system, promoting a state of calm that allows for genuine rest and recovery.
Pain Management
One of acupuncture’s most well-established uses is for pain relief. By targeting specific points related to pain pathways, acupuncture can reduce discomfort, improve mobility, and help break the cycle of chronic pain. Many people find relief from headaches, back pain, joint pain, and other persistent conditions through regular acupuncture treatment.
Emotional Balance
There’s a deep connection between physical and emotional health in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture doesn’t just address physical symptoms—it can also help with emotional regulation, mood stability, and the physical manifestations of stress and anxiety. Many patients report feeling more emotionally grounded and centered after treatment.
Sleep Improvement
Poor sleep often accompanies both physical pain and mental health challenges. Acupuncture can help regulate sleep patterns by calming an overactive mind, reducing physical discomfort that interferes with rest, and supporting the body’s natural sleep-wake rhythms.
Acupuncture at WHOA Wellness can support a wide range of wellness concerns, including:
Stress and Anxiety
Physical symptoms of stress, racing thoughts, difficulty relaxing, tension that won’t release, and the constant sense of being overwhelmed.
Chronic Pain
Persistent headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder tension, lower back pain, joint discomfort, pain from old injuries, and general body aches.
Sleep Disturbances
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving restorative rest. Insomnia related to stress, pain, or anxiety.
Digestive Issues
Stress-related digestive problems, nausea, changes in appetite, and discomfort that seems connected to your emotional state.
Mental Health Support
Physical symptoms accompanying depression or anxiety, support during mental health treatment, and help managing the mind-body aspects of emotional wellness.
General Wellness
Preventive care, immune support, seasonal health maintenance, and overall balance and vitality.
Acupuncture treatment begins with a thorough conversation about your health concerns, symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. Your acupuncturist will ask questions that might seem unrelated to your primary complaint—this holistic approach helps create a complete picture of your health and informs your personalized treatment plan.
You’ll discuss what you hope to achieve, any concerns you have about the treatment, and what the session will involve. If you’ve never had acupuncture before, your practitioner will explain the process and answer all your questions before beginning.
You’ll rest comfortably in a private, calm treatment room. The atmosphere is designed to promote relaxation—soft lighting, quiet music, and a peaceful environment that allows you to fully unwind.
Your acupuncturist will gently insert very fine needles at specific points on your body. Most people are surprised by how little they feel—the needles are much thinner than those used for injections or blood draws. You might feel a brief, mild sensation as each needle is placed, but it’s typically not painful. Some people feel nothing at all; others describe a slight tingling or warmth.
Once the needles are in place, you’ll rest quietly for a period of time—usually 20 to 40 minutes. Many people find this deeply relaxing and even drift into a light, meditative state. Your acupuncturist will check on you and will remove the needles gently when the session is complete.
Responses to acupuncture vary from person to person. Some feel immediately energized and refreshed. Others feel deeply relaxed or even sleepy—this is your body’s way of telling you it’s ready to rest and heal. Both responses are normal and beneficial.
You might notice symptom relief right away, or improvements may develop gradually over several sessions. Acupuncture’s effects are often cumulative, with benefits building as treatment continues.
Acupuncture can support almost anyone, but it’s particularly beneficial for:
People Seeking Non-Medication Options
If you’re looking to avoid or reduce reliance on pain medications, sleep aids, or anti-anxiety drugs, acupuncture offers a natural alternative with no risk of dependency or systemic side effects.
Those Managing Chronic Conditions
Long-term pain, persistent stress, recurring headaches, or ongoing health challenges that haven’t fully responded to conventional treatment often improve with acupuncture.
Individuals in Mental Health Treatment
Acupuncture complements therapy and treatments like TMS by addressing the physical manifestations of mental health conditions. It can help with medication side effects, support emotional regulation, and enhance overall treatment outcomes.
Anyone Prioritizing Preventive Care
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from acupuncture. Regular sessions can help maintain balance, prevent stress from accumulating in your body, and support your immune system and overall vitality.
People Open to Holistic Approaches
If you’re interested in treatments that address the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—rather than just isolated symptoms, acupuncture’s integrative philosophy may resonate with you.
At WHOA Wellness, acupuncture isn’t offered in isolation—it’s part of our holistic approach to mental and physical health.
Complementing TMS Therapy
If you’re receiving TMS treatment for depression or anxiety, acupuncture can address physical symptoms like tension, sleep disturbances, and pain that often accompany these conditions. The combination supports both neurological healing and physical restoration.
Enhancing Massage Therapy
Many people combine acupuncture and massage therapy for comprehensive pain management and stress relief. While massage works with muscles and soft tissue, acupuncture addresses deeper patterns and can enhance the benefits of bodywork.
Standalone Wellness
You can absolutely receive acupuncture at WHOA Wellness without engaging in other services. Many people use regular acupuncture sessions as a cornerstone of their self-care and wellness practice.
Your first acupuncture visit is a comprehensive intake that typically takes longer than subsequent sessions. During this appointment, your acupuncturist will take a detailed health history, discuss your concerns in depth, perform an assessment, and provide your first treatment. This thorough foundation ensures your ongoing care is personalized and effective.
Initial Intake: $100
Once your initial assessment is complete, ongoing treatment sessions focus on continuing your care plan and adjusting as needed based on your response. These sessions build on each other, with benefits often accumulating over time.
Treatment Sessions: $80
Ear seeds are a specialized auricular acupuncture technique that extends the benefits of your treatment between sessions. Small seeds or pellets are placed on specific points on your ear using adhesive tape. These seeds provide gentle, continuous stimulation to acupuncture points and can be worn for several days, allowing you to experience ongoing therapeutic effects.
Ear seeds are particularly helpful for stress management, pain relief, cravings, and sleep support. You can gently press on them throughout the day to activate the points whenever you need additional support.
Ear Seeds: $40
Transparent Pricing
All rates are listed above—no hidden fees, no surprises. You’ll know exactly what your acupuncture care costs before you book.
Flexible Scheduling
Acupuncture sessions are available by appointment, ensuring you receive focused attention in a calm environment without interruptions or rushing.
Easy Booking
You can schedule your acupuncture session directly online or by contacting our office. If you’re new to acupuncture or have questions about whether it’s right for you, we’re happy to discuss your needs during a brief consultation.
Personalized Treatment Plans
Acupuncture isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your treatment plan will be tailored to your specific symptoms, goals, and response to care. Some people benefit from weekly sessions; others find that monthly maintenance visits keep them feeling balanced.
Robb Jones is a nationally certified acupuncturist through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and is licensed to practice in Virginia by the Virginia Board of Medicine. A native Virginian, Robb’s journey into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was inspired by a lifelong interest in herbal medicine, holistic healing, and the Chinese martial arts he studied during his teenage years.
His passion for natural healing deepened when he experienced the benefits of TCM firsthand as a patient. This personal transformation led him to pursue a professional path dedicated to the health and wellbeing of others.
Robb holds a B.A. in Psychology from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Master’s degree in Chinese Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota. He also completed advanced study at Henan University of Chinese Medicine in Zhengzhou, China, further enriching his clinical training and understanding of classical Chinese medical theory.
He currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his spirited rescue dog, Indie Anna. Outside of the clinic, Robb enjoys spending time in nature—whether camping, hiking, gardening, or simply reading a good book.
Alpha-Gal Syndrome is an allergic condition triggered by a sugar molecule — galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose — found in most mammals. It’s typically acquired through a tick bite, most commonly from the lone star tick. Once sensitized, the immune system begins reacting to red meat, dairy, and other mammal-derived products, sometimes with responses as severe as anaphylaxis. What makes Alpha-Gal particularly challenging is the delay: reactions often appear hours after exposure, making the connection difficult to recognize.
Conventional management focuses on strict avoidance — of red meat, dairy, certain medications, and more — and symptom control when reactions occur. For many people, this means a dramatically restricted life with no clear path forward.
At WHOA Wellness, we offer Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT) as a specialized acupuncture option for people living with Alpha-Gal Syndrome. SAAT was developed and patented by Dr. Nader Soliman, and our acupuncturist received direct training from Dr. Soliman himself.
SAAT works through auricular (ear) acupuncture: a single needle is placed at a precisely identified point on the ear and retained there with medical-grade adhesive tape. The needle remains in place for three to four weeks, during which the treatment does its work.
Two peer-reviewed studies support SAAT’s effectiveness for Alpha-Gal Syndrome. A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Biomedical and Life Sciences found a 94.8% success rate among participants, with the vast majority reporting a restored ability to consume mammalian products without allergic incident. A follow-up case series published in Medical Acupuncture (2021) tracked 137 patients across two U.S. clinics, with 96% reporting full remission of symptoms and successful reintroduction of mammalian meat into their diets.
You can read the Medical Acupuncture study here: Successful Treatment for Alpha Gal Mammal Product Allergy Using Auricular Acupuncture
Your SAAT appointment is a single session. During the visit, your acupuncturist will identify the precise treatment point on your ear using electrical detection, then place a fine needle at that location secured with medical tape. The needle is small and designed to be worn comfortably — most people adjust to it quickly and go about their normal routine.
The needle stays in for three to four weeks. A follow-up appointment is then scheduled to remove the needle and confirm that the treatment has cleared your response to alpha-gal.
SAAT for Alpha-Gal Syndrome is $275, which includes your initial treatment session and your follow-up needle-removal and recheck appointment — everything you need, start to finish, in one straightforward price.
If Alpha-Gal has been limiting your diet, your activities, or your peace of mind, we’d welcome the conversation. Contact us to learn whether SAAT may be right for you.
Chinese herbal medicine works by identifying patterns of imbalance in the body — not just isolated symptoms — and addressing them with precisely formulated combinations of herbs. Each formula is tailored to the individual, taking into account your constitution, your current condition, and how your body is responding over time. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Your formula is yours.
Herbal medicine can be an effective support for a wide range of concerns, including digestive health, sleep and stress, pain and inflammation, immune function, women’s health, and more. Whether you’re managing a chronic condition, recovering from illness, or simply seeking to restore balance, herbal medicine offers a thoughtful, time-tested path forward.
Both appointment formats offer the same quality of care. In-person consultations take place at our Richmond, VA office. Zoom consultations are available to patients throughout Virginia — once your formula is prescribed, your herbs are shipped directly to your door.
Your initial consultation is a thorough intake: we’ll discuss your health history, current concerns, and wellness goals, and your acupuncturist will assess your pulse and tongue to inform a TCM diagnosis. From there, a custom herbal formula is prescribed and prepared for you.
Follow-up appointments allow us to assess how you’re responding and refine your formula as needed. Most patients benefit from one to three follow-ups per month depending on their condition and goals.
Services
6010 W Broad St #103, Richmond, VA 23230