I have been waiting out putting up my review for this place.
While I like that they are affordable, $25 a visit for students, I didn't like the one time fee. Although I looked up a bunch of places before I decided to go here and they all have a one time fee, and its generally a lot more $ than here. You get what you pay for with this place, like one reviewer said, its an open space, so you hear what other people are doing, and there really isn't "privacy".
Anyway, I have been here twice. I went for Acupuncture only. I injured my achilles tendon and even though I had been following my doctors orders and talking to my PT friend, I wanted to see what else I could do, so I could get back on track and working out, what I found was Acupuncture. I wasn't sure if it would work, I am open to other methods than just western medicine, things like herb treatments and acupuncture is what I like to call "Hippie medicine". I am somewhat hippie myself, so I do not find this offensive.
When I went the first time, I have to fill out a bunch of papers you find standard when you go to doctors office, thats fine. Then I was taken behind the curtain to a massage table and I consulted with my female acupuncturist, she was nice, soft spoken and talked me throughout the process. I was checking things off in my head about this just being quackery, or beneficial. When she asked me to see my tongue, I put a big red mental check in the "Quackery" column (I have since googled why they ask, but I still think its weird). She then put the needles in the injured leg and I was told to relax. She also put a few needles in my other leg, and in my arm, I did not like that, but once it go uncomfortable she removed the ones in my arm.
Afterwards my leg felt a lot better, I could barely feel any strain on my tendon. she recommended coming in once a week for a couple weeks then I could space it out to every other week, and then if needed, a total of maybe 8 visits she said. Although the pain in my leg came back really soon (within 20 minutes), it was less than normal, and I was somewhat pleased with the results.
The next time I booked an appointment, it was just with whoever was available. I was helped right away by a male acupuncturist and I was asked to sit down on one of the lazy boy recliners. Odd, I thought, but whatever. After the tongue thing again, he started with the needles, all in the FRONT of my UNINJURED leg. I understand acupuncture is about the tendons being connected, blah blah blah, I get it. Then 2 needles in my wrist and one in my foot, between my big toe and the other toe. No needle in my injured leg until I gave a weird look and then he had my pinpoint the pain and then he stuck a needle there. Not only did the positioning of the needles annoy me, but the guy seemed to just shove them right in, I flinched every time, and once pulled back, and he said:
"oh generally my tattooed patients don't even flinch"
Well, just because I'm tattooed doesn't mean I'm immune to pain, it hurt a lot more than the first time I went, which made that second time the LAST time I go here. The guy also said that I should extensively get treatments, about 2 a week for at least 8 weeks. No thanks. I haven't been for about a month, and I have been fine with just stretching, yoga, ice and tiger balm, and I am already running again.
For some people, this can work, it just didn't for me.
*****
I'm updating this review solely because the owner contacted me to let me know that the guy from my second visit no longer works with this business. If my review was purely from the first experience, I would have given it 4 stars at the time because of the lack of privacy overall.
I haven't been to the new location, so I have no other way to know how the structure of the "rooms" has changed. read more