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Pain · Opioid alternative

Chronic Pain Treatment in Clearwater, FL

Three months of pain becomes a way of life — daily stiffness, disrupted sleep, the 'pill-or-procedure' loop. Acupuncture is now a first-line, non-pharmacologic recommendation from the FDA, CDC, and American College of Ph

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Three months of pain becomes a way of life — daily stiffness, disrupted sleep, the ‘pill-or-procedure’ loop. Acupuncture is now a first-line, non-pharmacologic recommendation from the FDA, CDC, and American College of Physicians for chronic low-back pain — an opioid-alternative that carries none of the dependence, GI, or overdose risk of long-term opioid therapy.

Symptoms we treat

  • Persistent low-back, neck, knee, or joint pain
  • Morning stiffness, reduced range of motion
  • Sleep disruption from pain
  • Tension headaches from compensation patterns
  • Frustration with NSAIDs, PT, or steroid injections that have stopped helping
  • Wanting off long-term opioids without losing pain control

Where conventional care falls short

NSAIDs and opioids manage the signal but carry real long-term costs — GI bleeds, kidney effects, dependence, and (for opioids) overdose risk. Steroid injections wear off. PT helps until it plateaus. The CDC’s 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids explicitly lists acupuncture as a recommended first-line non-pharmacologic option *before* escalation to surgery or chronic opioid therapy, and the FDA reinforces this in its prescriber education materials. The American College of Physicians (ACP) puts acupuncture at the top of the acute, subacute, and chronic low-back pain treatment ladder — recommended before pharmacologic options.

Our approach to chronic pain

  • Distal and local acupuncture targeting the pain generator and the compensation pattern around it
  • Cupping or gua sha for soft-tissue release where indicated
  • Movement homework you can actually do
  • A written, measurable plan with re-evaluation at 4 and 8 visits
  • Coordination with your prescriber if you’re working toward an opioid taper

What the evidence shows

FDA, CDC, and ACP guidelines list acupuncture as a first-line non-pharmacologic therapy for chronic low-back pain. The largest individual patient-data meta-analysis (n=20,827, Vickers 2018) demonstrates benefit persists at least 12 months after the final session. The CDC’s 2022 opioid prescribing guideline and FDA prescriber education both explicitly name acupuncture among the recommended non-pharmacologic options to try before long-term opioids.

Your first visit

  • A focused intake covering pain history, prior treatments, and current medications
  • Movement and palpation exam
  • Your first acupuncture and cupping treatment
  • Written plan with session count, cost, and the milestones you should feel — plus a taper-coordination note for your prescriber if applicable

Three years of low-back pain, two injections, twelve PT sessions. Dr. Kim’s plan got me back on the boat in five weeks.

David, 47 — Largo

Areas we serve

Chronic Pain care across Pinellas & Tampa Bay

Patients travel to our Clearwater clinic from across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Clearwater, FL

Our home clinic on Executive Drive, minutes from downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Largo, FL

A short drive south, and one of our most common patient ZIP codes.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in St. Petersburg, FL

Roughly 20 minutes south for patients across southern Pinellas County.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Dunedin, FL

A straight run north for Dunedin, Honeymoon Island and the Pinellas Trail.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Safety Harbor, FL

About 10 minutes east, just off the Bayside Bridge corridor.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Palm Harbor, FL

A direct route south on Alt US-19.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Tampa, FL

Around 25 minutes over the Courtney Campbell Causeway from South Tampa and Westshore.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Oldsmar, FL

Ten to fifteen minutes north on Tampa Rd for Oldsmar and East Lake patients.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Seminole, FL

Close by via Ulmerton Rd, serving Seminole and Bay Pines.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Pinellas Park, FL

A quick trip south on US-19.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Tarpon Springs, FL

North Pinellas patients reach the clinic in about 25 minutes down Alt US-19.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Belleair, FL

Serving Belleair, Belleair Bluffs and Indian Rocks Beach.

Serving Clearwater, Largo, St. Petersburg, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Oldsmar, Seminole, Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs and Belleair.
Call (727) 490-6060

Chronic Pain — questions patients ask

Answers for patients across Clearwater and the greater Tampa Bay area.

Yes. The CDC's 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids lists acupuncture among the first-line non-pharmacologic treatments to try before escalating to opioids for chronic pain. The FDA echoes this in its prescriber education materials, and the American College of Physicians' low-back pain guideline recommends acupuncture as first-line care before pharmacologic treatment. It's not an alternative-medicine framing — it's the current mainstream recommendation.
Often, yes — as part of a coordinated taper with your prescriber. We never ask you to stop or reduce medications on your own. What we can do is provide the non-pharmacologic pain control the CDC and FDA guidance points to, so your prescriber has a clinical basis to step your dose down safely. We coordinate directly with pain management, primary care, and orthopedics across Pinellas and Tampa Bay.
Acupuncture works through different mechanisms — modulating the central pain network, reducing local inflammation, and releasing fascial restriction. Many of our best results are with patients who had stalled after PT or who were told the only next step was surgery or long-term opioids.
Most patients describe a mild dull ache or warmth at the point — nothing like a hypodermic needle. Acupuncture needles are hair-thin (about 40x thinner than a vaccine needle), and most people relax deeply during the session.
Most patients feel measurable change within 3–6 sessions. Chronic or complex conditions typically follow a 6–12 session plan, after which we transition to maintenance care. Dr. Kim builds a clear, written plan during your free consultation.
We accept many major insurance plans for acupuncture, and our team will verify your benefits before your first visit. We also offer a structured membership plan and a Give $25 / Get $25 referral credit to keep care affordable.

What patients say

5.0 stars across 79 Google reviews

★★★★★

“Dr. Kim found the cause of my neuropathy when nobody else could. After eight sessions I can feel my feet again.”

Sandra M.
Neuropathy

★★★★★

“I came in for migraines and stayed for everything else. My headaches went from weekly to almost none.”

James T.
Migraines

★★★★★

“The alpha-gal treatment changed my life. I can eat normally for the first time in three years.”

Dana R.
Alpha-gal / SAAT
Read all Google reviews

Ready to start? Call 727-490-6060 or book a free consultation with Dr. Kim Windschauer, AP, at 3001 Executive Drive, Suite 150, Clearwater, FL 33762.

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Acupuncture of West Florida

3001 Executive Dr
Suite #150
Clearwater, FL 33762

T: 727-490-6060
F: 877-940-3119
E: [email protected]

Share the Benefits of Acupuncture

Share the benefits of acupuncture with friends & family!

Existing patients earn a $100 referral credit toward future treatments if their referral leads to a treatment plan,
available only for the month of November. 

First time consultations are free so give
the gift of wellness today!

(727) 609-7161