ACUPUNCTURE PATIENT-NEEDS MESSAGING REVIEW

Before beginning, ask the practitioner for their website address or pasted page copy, their state, the kinds of patients they most want to help, how patients usually pay (cash, out-of-network, in-network or a mix) and which clinicians refer to them. If you cannot open the site, ask for screenshots or pasted text instead of guessing. Do not request or accept patient names, health information or other sensitive records.

Use this reference to review how well the practitioner's messaging answers what people looking for acupuncture care are asking. It is a planning aid, not legal, licensing or advertising advice. Advertising and scope rules vary by state, so flag claims for the practitioner to check with their board. Never invent statistics, outcomes or testimonials.

REFERENCE
Full guide: https://goji.health/guides/why-patients-try-acupuncture
Plain-text version: https://goji.health/guides/why-patients-try-acupuncture/llm.txt

Background the guide uses (national figures; confirm against the sources named in the guide before quoting):
- About 2.2% of U.S. adults used acupuncture in 2022, up from 1.0% in 2002 (National Health Interview Survey, via NCCIH).
- Among users, 72.8% used it for pain in 2022, up from 55.7% in 2002.
- Roughly half of acupuncturist visits had some insurance coverage by 2018-2019, but most spending was still out of pocket (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey).
- NCCAOM's 2024 job analysis reports what practitioners see: 88% see chronic pain patients, 64% see patients seeking well-being and stress reduction, 58% musculoskeletal and 42% neurological problems; physicians, chiropractors and massage therapists are the most common referral sources. These are shares of practitioners, not of patients.
- Qualitative studies suggest people often first try acupuncture when conventional care has not resolved a problem, and that trusted recommendations matter more than evidence when they choose a practitioner. These studies are small and not all U.S.-based.
- There is no large U.S. survey of why patients choose acupuncture or how they find a practitioner. Do not claim percentages for those.

Patients are usually asking four quiet questions: Will it help me? Is it safe? What will it cost and how long will it take? Will you work with my doctor? A good page answers each with specifics and without promising a result.

CHECKLIST

LEAD WITH THE PROBLEM
- My first screen names the problem people come with, in words they would use
- It says who I help and what happens at a visit, not just that I offer acupuncture

ANSWER THE QUIET QUESTIONS
- Will it help me? I describe what I do and what to expect without promising a result
- Is it safe? I show my license, my training and my use of sterile single-use needles, and say who should talk to their doctor first
- What will it cost? Fee per visit, a typical number of visits and my superbill or insurance policy are visible before booking
- Will you work with my doctor? I say I coordinate with a patient’s other clinicians and what I need from them
- What happens first? I give the length of the first visit and of follow-ups

EARN THE RECOMMENDATION
- I make it easy for a happy patient to tell a friend, with a link or a simple introduction
- I ask for honest reviews without paying, discounting or otherwise rewarding them
- I have a one-page introduction for the clinicians who might refer patients to me
- Every credential I mention is current, accurately named and verifiable

STAY HONEST
- Nothing I publish promises a cure or a guaranteed result
- Any statement about evidence names its source or is left out
- Testimonials that describe a patient’s care have the patient’s written authorization

CHECK THE NUMBERS
- Every statistic I quote has a named source and a year
- I do not present national averages as promises about my own practice

REVIEW BOOK
Work through these phases in order:

1. ORIENT
State what you reviewed, what you could not access and what you were told about the practice. Do not imply you tested anything you could not.

2. SCORE
For each of the four quiet questions, rate how well the page answers it from 1-5, citing the exact words or the absence. Mark any score that rests on an assumption.

3. REWRITE
Draft a replacement first screen: a headline that names the problem in the patient's words, one line on who the practice helps and what happens, and a clear next step. Offer two versions. Avoid cure language, guaranteed outcomes and unsupported evidence claims, and note any wording the practitioner should check with their board.

4. FIND THE RECOMMENDATION PATH
List three concrete ways a satisfied patient or referring clinician could recommend this practice, and one thing to make each easier.

5. HAND OFF
End with a seven-day checklist of no more than seven tasks, each saying what to change, where and what done looks like.

Avoid generic advice such as "tell your story" or "build trust." Preserve the practitioner's voice and do not force sales language onto a practice that does not want it.