Licensed acupuncturist, Brandon SD, 10 minutes from Sioux Falls
Find out what's actually causing your pain.
You've tried the pills, the PT plan, the adjustments. We start with a Chinese medicine diagnosis, which looks at your whole body.
- 40+ five‑star reviews
- 3,000+ training hours
- Patients drive in from three states
Acupuncture in Brandon and Sioux Falls, SD
Which one is you? Pick the closest fit.
Medication and surgery manage what is already happening.
Neither explains the pattern underneath it.
That is the part we look for first, and we tell you what we find.
Relief that lasts a day usually means the treated spot was not the source.
We assess the whole system, then treat what is driving it, which is often somewhere else.
You are not imagining it.
Your first visit here is a real Chinese Medicine diagnostic appointment, and Lidia talks you through exactly what she finds, along with Chinese diet guidance when it helps.
For many patients that is a first.
You'll leave knowing what's wrong.
We diagnose, then treat, on day one.
Chiropractic / dry needling
- One protocol, applied broadly
- Treats the area
- Chases the symptom
- Technique‑first
- 45 minutes, same money
Therapy Unlimited
- A Chinese medicine diagnosis first
- Whole‑system assessment
- Treats the cause
- Treatments last 60 minutes or more
- 3,000+ hours of Traditional Chinese medicine training
Why the difference matters
The technique‑first approach
Chiropractors and physical therapists do valuable work, and dry needling is a legitimate tool — usually a certification added to another practice, used to release a trigger point on a tight muscle.
A technique‑first session typically runs forty‑five minutes. Ours runs sixty, and the first visit runs ninety.
The diagnosis‑first approach
A licensed acupuncturist trains for thousands of hours in Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis before treating.
Sleep, digestion, stress and old injuries all inform where the needles go, which is why the treated area often is not the painful one.
For many patients, their first visit here is the first time anyone actually diagnosed them.
Your first ninety minutes.
Four steps. Nothing rushed.
-
1
Questionnaire by email
Lidia studies it before you arrive.
-
2
Thirty minute conversation
History, symptoms, everything already tried.
-
3
Hands‑on assessment, first treatment
About an hour. Treatment begins today.
-
4
A clear treatment plan
Talked through before you leave, with the number of sessions.
What most people feel afterwards
Most people leave the first visit feeling real relief that same day, and most notice real change within about 4 sessions. A full plan usually runs 3 to 5 sessions for an acute issue and 5 to 10 for a chronic one.
We treat your body like a puzzle. The first visit is where the pieces start fitting together.
An acute issue
Typically 3 to 5 sessions, as an estimate.
A chronic issue
Typically 5 to 10 sessions, as an estimate.
Both are estimates. The exact number comes from your plan after your first visit.
Bundle, discounted
Covers the length of your plan and is valid for a year. Quoted after your first visit.
Session by session
No package. Stop whenever you like.
If you don't need more sessions, Lidia will say so.
What to wear, how to prepare
Nothing complicated. These few things make the assessment easier.
- Loose, comfortable clothing.
- Sleeves and pant legs that can move above the elbow and knee.
- Nothing tight through the waist or knees.
- Eat something beforehand rather than arriving hungry.
- Go easy on caffeine that day.
- Skip strong lotion or perfume on the areas being treated.
- Bring a list of current medications and supplements.
Only what your diagnosis calls for.
Acupuncture leads. The rest is chosen, never default. The initial evaluation comes first.
Acupuncture
Hair‑thin needles at points chosen by your diagnosis.
- Back & neck pain
- Migraines
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety & depression
- Neuropathy
- Digestion
- Infertility
- Allergies
- Pregnancy & labor
Read more
Acupuncture works on points along the body’s meridians to improve the flow of blocked or stagnant qi. The needles unblock these meridians and restore the movement of qi, improving health — which is why the treated area is often not the painful one.
Start here
Required first step
Initial Evaluation and Acupuncture
The full diagnostic visit: conversation, hands‑on assessment, first treatment and a clear plan for your care. Every acupuncture session begins here, so this is the visit to book first.
Book Your First VisitLower commitment
Saturday virtual assessment
Consultation and visual examination from home, so Lidia can tell you whether she can help.
Start the questionnaireOnce you have a plan
Times and prices are live in the booking system. Bundles are quoted after your first visit, once the number of sessions is known.
Acupuncture 60 min $90 Requires initial consultation Check times
Your regular treatment once a plan is in place. Needles go to the points your diagnosis calls for, and your session includes the other tools of Traditional Chinese Medicine as needed — gua sha along tight fascia, cupping, tui na bodywork through a restricted joint, or warming moxibustion where tissue is slow to heal.
Requires the initial consultation first.
Initial Auricular Acupuncture 45 min $90 Requires initial consultation Check times
A first ear-only session. The outer ear maps to the rest of the body, so Lidia charts the points that apply to you and begins treatment the same visit.
Requires the initial consultation first.
Auricular Acupuncture Lowest cost 30 min $35 Requires initial consultation Check times
A short follow-up on the ear points already mapped for you. Often used for anxiety, cravings, sleep and long-standing pain, and easy to fit into a workday.
Requires the initial consultation first.
Cupping 30 min $45 Requires initial consultation Check times
Suction cups lift the tissue instead of pressing into it, drawing blood flow into stiff, congested areas. Good for tight backs and shoulders, and for recovery after hard training.
Requires the initial consultation first.
Ear Allergy Protocol 45 min $45 Requires initial consultation Check times
A set sequence of special needles placed in the ear that prompts your immune system to calm its allergy response — from seasonal allergies to food sensitivities — leaving you less congested, itchy and tired.
Requires the initial consultation first.
Also here: Myofascial Release · 7 Systems Weight Loss
Meet your acupuncturist
Lidia Esper, L.Ac.
Over ten years of clinical experience. She diagnoses before she treats.
- Licensed Acupuncturist, practicing since 2015, with over ten years of clinical experience
- Degree in Acupuncture from Brazil, and a U.S. acupuncture degree completed in 2021
- Degree in Physical Therapy from Brazil, and a Licensed Physical Therapist in Brazil
- Advanced training in Dry Needling, Chinese Diet Therapy, and the Balance Method
Clinical interests
Read more about Lidia
Before she ever reaches for a needle, Lidia wants to understand what’s happening beyond the place that hurts. How are you sleeping? How are you digesting? What does your work ask of your body every day? And what happened the last time you started to feel better? Often, that’s where the answer is.
Her approach comes from a foundation in both physical therapy and graduate‑level acupuncture education. Acupuncture isn’t something she added on to another practice — it’s a core part of how she understands the body and its patterns.
She is also trained in dry needling, but doesn’t treat it as a default solution. She knows when it can help, when another approach makes more sense, and when the best treatment may be to slow down and look more closely.
Patients often tell her that no one had ever asked them these questions before. For Lidia, they’re not just questions — they’re how she begins to understand you, and how she finds a treatment that makes sense for the person, not just the symptom.
“A dozen rounds of dry needling in my shoulder. Lidia treated my hip instead, and the shoulder finally let go.”
People drive past three clinics to get here.
Brandon is ten minutes from Sioux Falls.
-
10 min
from Sioux Falls
-
3 states
patients drive in from MN, IA, NE
-
Free
Saturday assessment if you are far
Acupuncture hours
- Tuesday
- 11 am – 5 pm
- Thursday
- 11 am – 5 pm
- Friday
- 11 am – 3 pm
- Saturday
- 11 am – 1 pm
Parking & directions
Free parking in front, ground‑level entry, no stairs. I‑90 east to exit 406, then Splitrock Boulevard south to Cedar Street.
Free · Saturdays · Telehealth
Find out from home whether we can help.
This is the start of the questionnaire Lidia reads before your visit, so nothing gets asked twice. About forty seconds.
Step one of two
That is everything we need, and thank you.
Lidia will call 605‑582‑1178 to confirm your Saturday time, and your answers go straight into the questionnaire she reads before you meet.
Questions people actually ask.
Does acupuncture hurt?
For most people, no. The needles are about the width of a human hair, far thinner than the one used to draw blood.
You may feel a brief pinch or a warm heaviness that fades in seconds.
How is acupuncture different from the dry needling my chiropractor or PT does?
Dry needling is a technique aimed at a tight muscle where it hurts — inserting needles to release a trigger point, the “knot” in the muscle — usually added to another practice through a short course. A licensed acupuncturist trains for thousands of hours in Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis first.
The selection of points is based on that diagnosis and on how your symptoms present at the moment of your session — not just on where the pain is.
What conditions can acupuncture treat?
Most often low back and neck pain, chronic pain, osteoarthritis — especially knee pain — migraines, TMJ (jaw) pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress, depression, neuropathy, digestion, infertility, women’s health, allergies, and pregnancy and labor support.
If we do not think we can help, we will say so.
How many sessions will I need?
Most patients notice real change within about 4 sessions. A full plan usually runs 3 to 5 sessions for an acute issue and 5 to 10 for a chronic one, and Lidia gives you your specific number after the first visit.
Lidia will tell you when you no longer need to come in.
How often should I come in?
Usually once or twice a week at the start, then spacing out as symptoms improve. Your plan sets the schedule and we adjust it as your body responds.
Who should not get acupuncture?
Acupuncture is safe for most people. Tell us about bleeding disorders, blood thinners, a pacemaker, pregnancy or a compromised immune system — these rarely rule out treatment, but they change how we treat.
Your intake and consultation cover all of it first.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
No, you can book directly with us in South Dakota. If you are already working with a physician or physical therapist, we are glad to work alongside that care.
Does insurance cover acupuncture in South Dakota?
Some plans do and some do not, since coverage varies by employer. We can provide documentation for reimbursement or HSA and FSA use, and we give you clear pricing up front.
Call 605‑582‑1178 and we will help you check.
Still wondering? Contact us · Blog