All appointments at So Acupuncture are booked and prepaid online for your convenience and to ensure availability. Payments are processed securely through Stripe at the time of booking. If you call the office to book, our staff will guide you to complete your booking online. Online booking allows you to choose your preferred date, time, and session type, making it simple to plan your care. In-person booking and payment is only available after your first appointment, when you are already in the clinic and scheduling follow-ups, where you'll also have the option to pay in cash, check, debit/credit cards.

After booking your first appointment, you will receive a Welcome Email with a secure link to complete your pre-visit intake forms. If you don’t receive it, please contact us at contact@soacupuncture.com or call/text (951) 268-0208, and we’ll resend the forms promptly.

Note: Intake forms are only provided to confirmed patients to ensure privacy and accurate care.

Acupuncture stimulates specific points on the body to help balance energy (regulating your organ systems and functions), support natural healing, and improve overall well-being. It can reduce pain, support digestion, improve sleep, and enhance stress resilience. 

Research has shown that acupuncture:

Reduces inflammation [Reference 1, 2]

Increases naturally-produced painkillers such as opioids (for example, endorphins) [Reference 1, 2, 3].

Reduces cortisol (the body’s “stress hormone”) [Reference].

Regulates the autonomic nervous system to interfere with the way the brain processes pain [Reference].

Increases circulation (blood flow) to the muscles, connective tissue, and organs [Reference].

This is a great article from Bustle explaining the many ways acupuncture impacts our brains and bodies >> 7 Ways Acupuncture Changes Your Brain, According to Science

Yes. When performed by a licensed acupuncturist, acupuncture is safe with minimal side effects. We use sterile, single-use needles and follow strict hygiene protocols. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years. It is recognized as effective by the World Health Organization with established guidelines for practice. In the United States, acupuncturists are licensed by their state’s department of health. Checking for licenses is a good place to start looking for reliable and properly trained practitioners. 

Most patients feel only a slight pinch or mild pressure. Many find sessions relaxing and even experience a calming or energizing effect. Acupuncture needles are very thin, about the width of a human hair. They are much, much thinner and more gentle than hypodermic needles. Some points may feel a slight pinch, and others feel like nothing at all. Once the needles are in, most patients fall asleep on the treatment table. 

• 1. Please complete your paperwork online in advance to save time at your treatment. After making your first appointment, you should have received an email with a link to complete the paperwork online. If not, let us know and we can resend it!

• 2. Eat a snack one hour before your first treatment. Try not to come on an empty stomach.

• 3. Wear loose, comfy clothing so that the points around your elbows and knees are easily accessible, if necessary.

• 4. Get ready to nap!

There is a very large parking lot for our office visitors. This parking lot is shared with many other businesses in the shopping plaza, such as Walmart Supercenter, Vons, restaurants, salons, etc.  Our office shares a lobby entrance with Phenix Studio Suites. Once inside the lobby, we’re located at the 3rd doors down on your right (Suite 127).

We recommend parking near the front entrance of Phenix Suites. A clinic staff member will meet you at the front entrance at your appointment time. The main door is locked and requires a key code to enter. Please call our office 951-268-0208, when you're at the front entrance of Phenix Suites. 

The results of acupuncture are cumulative, which means that each treatment builds on the progress of the ones before it. It depends on your condition, goals, and response to treatment. For general pain management, many patients see improvement within 3–6 sessions, but chronic or complex conditions may require more. Your practitioner will create a personalized plan. 

Many people feel improvement right after the first treatment, but it’s like working out – you may feel results right away, but for lasting change (to your pain levels or other symptoms) it’s important to commit to series of treatments.

The general recommendation is one treatment a week for 6-8 weeks. After 6 weeks, we re-assess and try to space out your treatments while still maintaining good results.

For conditions that have existed a long time, more treatments may be necessary.

For example, back pain that you’ve had for 10 years may take more time to heal. For acute conditions (sudden onset pain), you may need to come twice a week in the first week, and then once a week after that.

My goal is to follow whichever treatment protocol makes you feel better the fastest!

Acupuncture is safe for most people, but certain conditions (like uncontrolled bleeding disorders or pregnancy without provider approval) may require modifications. We’ll review your health history before starting treatment. 

We do not currently accept insurance. However, if you do have acupuncture coverage as part of your health insurance policy, we’re happy to print a superbill for you to send to your insurance company for reimbursement. We can also accept funds from Flex Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA). 

Yes, we’re happy to print you a superbill. A superbill is a detailed receipt created specifically for your insurance company. We don’t accept health insurance, but if you have acupuncture coverage as part of your insurance, you can submit a superbill to be reimbursed for the difference between your copay and the cost of your treatment. For example, we charge $150 for Traditional Acupuncture treatments (pain, digestion, etc.). If your acupuncture co-pay is $60, then when you submit a superbill, you insurance company should reimburse you the $90 difference. 

Yes! We can accept payment from both Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). 

Dr. So's treatment protocol— Spinal Rejuvenation Acupuncture, was inspired and has been in development since Dr. So's acupuncturist father has been in practice. This protocol has been researched and tested for over a decade in her acupuncture practice and clinical trials. 

For Dr. So's clinical research dissertation, she designed and conducted a randomized controlled trial on the "Comparative Effectiveness of Experimental Back Acupuncture and the Active-Control Traditional Acupuncture for Improving the Heart Rate Variability (HRVs) in Adult Patients with Toxic Stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Associated Health Conditions." 

The outcomes of the experimental back acupuncture treatment were significantly effective in improving HRVs (a biomarker of our nervous system) and versatile in managing chronic stress and various health aliments (including anxiety, fibromyalgia, migraines, digestive issues, back injuries), which inspired her to further develop the protocol to offer the benefits to more people at So Acupuncture's Signature Session - Spinal Rejuvenation Acupuncture. 

In additional to the back acupuncture points, this protocols includes electrical acupuncture, with optional add-on modalities (such as cupping, acupressure after the acupuncture needles are removed). Please see Spinal Rejuvenation Acupuncture for more details.

Cosmetic acupuncture works along the same lines as general acupuncture (above) but with a few added benefits to the skin:

• Increases blood flow to the skin, delivering a boost of necessary nutrients and oxygen to give the skin a healthy glow.

• Stimulates collagen production in the skin. Cosmetic acupuncture creates tiny “micro-traumas” in the skin just under the surface. The body’s response is to send protein (collagen) to the area to “restructure” the skin and fill in the area of micro-trauma. The result is more plump looking skin. 

Cosmetic acupuncture uses fine needles, facial massage, and herbal medicine to improve skin tone, texture, and elasticity, while also supporting overall health and wellness. 

• Before booking a Cosmetic Acupuncture Session, you first need to book a New Patient Session, here Dr. So will evaluate you and determine the best treatment plan for you.

• For lasting results, the treatment plan for cosmetic acupuncture is two treatments per week for five to six weeks, for a total of 10-12 treatments. After this, maintenance treatments are recommended once every 4-6 weeks.

• The truth is that beautiful skin with lasting results takes time, but it’s worth it. The skin takes time to heal, but as world-renowned acupuncturist and dermatology expert Mazin Al-Khafaji says, once the skin is in balance, it tends to stay in balance.

Those with headaches, unmanaged or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or those who are pregnant or trying to pregnant. 

Cosmetic acupuncture gently tightens, plumps and smooths the skin, refines skin texture, reduces acne, and more. Healing and changing the skin is a process, and the results are gentle and develop over time.