Kasson, Minnesota, near Rochester
Acupuncture alongside your oncology care
A one-person clinic for people in cancer treatment and the families who sit beside them. Kristina Schulz, L.Ac., has training in supportive care and works with your oncology team's guidance, never in place of it.
What a visit is like
A warm room, a blanket and no hurry
Visits are short on purpose. You can come in a recliner or on a table, with a blanket and a rest whenever you need one. Before any needle, I ask what your oncology team has told you about your blood counts, your medicines, your port and your surgery, and I choose what to do from there.
What to expect
A lift chair, a scent-free room and a step-free door
Gentle touch and ear seeds on days needles don't suit
A summary for your oncology team, with your permission
Alongside your care
Four stretches of treatment, and what a visit can look like in each
Timing is planned around your infusion, radiation and surgery dates. It never replaces any of them.
Around treatment days
Short visits on the days you feel up to it, often the day before or after an infusion. We plan around your calendar.
Between cycles
Time to rest, and a chance to ask what helps with the tiredness, sleep and tingling people often mention.
After treatment ends
A slower pace while your body and your routines settle. Visits spread out as you decide.
For family and caregivers
You carry a lot too. A visit for the person who drives, waits and worries is welcome.
For clinicians
A note for your oncology team
Your oncology team is in charge of your cancer care. This is what I ask from them and what I send back.
I am a licensed acupuncturist with training in supportive care for people in cancer treatment. I do not treat cancer or change a treatment plan. I use acupuncture, acupressure and ear seeds alongside your oncology care, to support comfort and routine during treatment.
What I ask you to share
- Your diagnosis and stage, in the words your team uses
- Your treatment plan and dates: infusion, radiation, surgery
- Recent blood counts, and any limits on needles
- Blood thinners and other medicines
- Lymph node removal, ports, lines and pumps
What I send you
- A one-page visit summary on request: what I did and where
- A call if something I notice should reach your team first
- Nothing without your written permission
Who you will see
License and training
Who holds the license, the training behind the cancer-care work, and how long a visit takes.
Visit length
First visit about 75 minutes, return visits about 45
Accepting new patients
State license
Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.)
MN License no. 000000 · Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
Allows the holder to practice acupuncture in Minnesota
Certification and training
Diplomate of Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.), NCBAHM, formerly NCCAOM
National certification in acupuncture
Training in supportive care for people in cancer treatment
Taken after licensure, with continuing study since
The room
Set up for people who tire easily
A few things to know before you arrive, so the day is one less thing to plan.
Step-free entrance
A level door from the parking lot and no stairs inside
Lift chair
A powered recliner that helps you up to standing
Scent-free room
No scented products in the room or on me. Please skip perfume and lotion
Room for a wheelchair or walker
Wide doorways and space beside the chair
Rest when you need to
A blanket, water and permission to pause
Parking at the door
A few spaces beside the entrance
Questions people ask first
Is acupuncture safe during cancer treatment?
Acupuncture has risks, and some of them matter more during cancer treatment: soreness, light bruising and, rarely, bleeding or infection. That is why I ask about your blood counts, your medicines and your surgery before any needle, and why some days I use touch and ear seeds instead. I work alongside your oncology care, never in place of it, and I explain the risks before we begin.
Should my oncology team know I am coming?
Yes. Tell them, and with your written permission I send them a short summary after your first visit. If a plan changes, such as a new medicine, a new port or a surgery date, tell me before your next visit and I will change what I do.
Does it hurt?
Most people feel a small pinch, a dull ache or a heavy, warm feeling, and some feel nothing at all. The needles are much thinner than the ones used for shots, and I use fewer of them than usual. Tell me if anything feels like too much and I will adjust or stop.
What if my blood counts are low?
Tell me the date and the numbers of your latest blood work. When your white blood cells, platelets or red blood cells are low, I may skip needles and use gentle touch and ear seeds, or ask you to wait. If you have a fever, chills or bleeding, call your oncology team's number first.
I had lymph nodes removed. Is that a problem?
It changes where I place needles. I keep needles and cups out of the arm or leg on the side where nodes were removed or treated with radiation, unless your surgeon or oncologist says otherwise. Tell me which side and when.
Will I have to stop my medicine?
No. Keep taking everything your oncology team and your prescribers gave you, and tell me everything you take, including vitamins and supplements. Acupuncture works alongside your oncology care, never in place of it.
Ask for a visit
Tell me where you are in treatment
Write or call, and I will answer within a working day. If you would like to talk it over with your oncology team first, that is a good idea.