The Practice

SERVICES

ACUPUNCTURE

Practice

Our style is a fusion of classical acupuncture, western sports medicine and bodywork.

We Specialize in Treating the Following:

Pain- Pain can take over your life, mindset and your ability and desire to do the things you love.

Allergies - Get control over your itchy eyes, congestion and headaches can make it hard to function.

Chronic Stress - Stress impairs brain function, wreaks havoc on your digestive impairs your immune system.

Learn More

ADJUNCT SERVICES

The following services compliment the acupuncture treatment.

Massage

Massage is vital to maintaining wellness. It allows us to contemplate, meditate, recharge and appreciate the world around us. It also flushes out metabolic waste that is released from muscles after needling them. Not so long ago, the most common prescription we would be given by our doctors was: get plenty of rest. Rest allows us to gather our thoughts, return to ourselves and relieve stress. Pressure varies from mild to deep, depending on the techniques used.

Essential Oils

Essential Oils may be placed on acupuncture points in addition to or in lieu of needles to compliment the treatment. EO’s are a powerful tool to facilitate energetic changes in the body.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha is a fractioning/scraping technique used to bring congestion under the tissue that causes pain and stiffness ("Sha") to the surface of the skin. Gua Sha is applied with a rounded tool scraped over the affected area. When the Sha comes to the surface, there is a warm feeling and the skin will have a reddish discoloration and petechiae that usually disappears within a day.

Electro-acupuncture

Electro-acupuncture is the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles. The needles are inserted as would normally be done, the Qi reaction is attained by hand manipulation, and then electrodes are attached to the needle. The benefits of using electrical stimulation include assuring that the patient gets the amount of stimulation needed, reduction of total treatment time by providing continued stimulus, and production of stronger stimulation, if desired, without causing tissue damage associated with twirling, lifting, and thrusting the needle. Strong stimulation may be needed for cases of neuralgia or paralysis.

Cupping

Cupping is a therapy in which a glass or plastic cup is attached to the surface of the skin to create suction. Much like Gua Sha, this brings the stagnant and congested Qi and blood to the surface to stimulate the flow of blood and Qi, break up obstructions and create an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body. Cupping is recommended for treating respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, asthma and congestion.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Cosmetic Acupuncture

Each treatment is customized to fit your goals and may include any of the following:

Facial Cupping

Small suction cups are slid along the face to release tension, clear local inflammation and sinus congestion, increase blood flow and activate lymphatic drainage.

Facial Gua Sha

A small piece of jade is used to massage the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This technique is extremely gentle and promotes circulation in the face, giving your skin a healthy, youthful glow.

Derma Rolling

Wrinkles, stretch marks, scars and cellulite are generally due to irregular or sluggish collagen production. Derma rolling is an excellent way to stimulate collagen and elastin production while reducing fine lines. This treatment can be a bit painful and cause redness, which can last for up to 12-24 hrs.
*This treatment is + $65.00

Microcurrent

You have over 40 muscles in your face. Micro current lifts, tones and re-educates muscles and increases hydration and fullness of the face. Organic conductive gel is applied to your face allowing for the distribution of electrical impulses. The results are immediate.

Acupuncture

Needles are used to relax the body and balance the underlying organ disharmony that may be contributing to the wrinkles.

LED Light Therapy

Celluma is an FDA cleared 3-in-1 LED therapy that uses NASA researched therapeutic wave lengths. LED light therapy increases the production of healthy collagen, improves lymphatic flow and circulation while stimulating cell metabolism. LED light therapy is effective in addressing wrinkles, acne, sun spots and calms irritated skin.
*We use only organic products for this service

The Story Behind the Practice

My style is a fusion of classical acupuncture, bodywork and western sports medicine. I began my practice as a massage therapist. Which gave me a strong foundation of palpating muscle tissue to find tight tender spots, holding patterns and muscular imbalances.

Early on in my acupuncture training, I was drawn to a style called Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM). Being an instructor at the college for nearly a decade, I’ve been fortunate to develop a deep and practical understanding of this amazing style. It was developed by Dr. Mark Seem, the founder of the Tri-State College of Acupuncture and focuses on finding and releasing root causes of soft tissue constrictions through several ways.

One way is approaching from the outside in (Somato-Visero), such as in muscle pain/athletic injuries that over time may create issues with the underlying organs.

Another way is from the inside out (Viserco-Somatic). It’s a bit complicated, but in a nut shell, patients who have been depleting their bodies and running on empty over time, (bartenders, parents, teachers, people in finance, lawyers... or basically anyone living in NYC), start to develop a host of symptoms that hit them where they are most constitutionally weak. These symptoms can range from back pain, digestive disturbances like ulcers or inflammatory bowel disease, pelvic and urinary issues like bladder infections or incontinence, breathing issues, anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

This goes much deeper than simply releasing trigger points in muscles. If you fall into this category, you may appear to some practitioners to be good candidate for muscle release because you’ll likely have soft tissue constrictions and pain. But by only releasing muscles without regulating your nervous system, you can become even more depleted and drop like a house of cards. This is one major difference between acupuncture and dry needling.

Essential oils are often used in my treatments. They are an extremely powerful tool to help muscle relaxation and healing, but they also can work wonders with the spiritual body and mind.

Another aspect of my approach is Sports Medicine Acupuncture (SMA) which incorporates principles and techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Sports Medicine to assess and treat dance and movement injuries.

SMA uses functional anatomy, range of motion testing, palpation, manual muscle testing and orthopedic examination to identify the injured tissues. Muscle imbalances are assessed through static and functional movements. SMA emphasizes the importance of determining the underlying disharmony to ensure an individualized treatment plan for the patient and their injury.

As an SMA certified practitioner and having served as an assistant instructor in this program, I’ve found this to be an excellent bridge in communicating and working alongside orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors and physical therapists in the management of injuries.

The key is about understanding the individual and how they exist within their bodies - how they take on the world and all that it throws at them, and how all those flying objects (both literal and figurative) dent, twist, bruise, and generally gum up the works. But you have to start with the person, not the symptom.

No two people are exactly the same, therefore each treatment plan varies from person to person. Most folks have no idea how much physical and emotional discomfort they live in until they are taken out of the cycle of pain.

CREDENTIALS

ACUPUNCTURE PHYSICAL MEDICINE
10 years instructor- Graduate School
Trigger point acupuncture instructor to Continuing education
Certified in Sports Medicine Acupuncture

ACUPUNCTURE PHYSICAL MEDICINE (APM)
Developed by Dr. Mark Seem, founder of Tri-State College of Acupuncture, uses classical acupuncture and western physical medicine to focus on releasing the individuals holding pattern. Trigger point style needling is used on tender points to release myofascial constrictions. This style is especially effective for treating musculoskeletal, emotional and stress related conditions.

SPORTS MEDICINE ACUPUNCTURE (SMA) incorporates principles and techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Sports Medicine to treat the patients injury.

Learn about my certification:

https://www.sportsmedicineacupuncture.com

I was a teacher for 10 years at the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and continue to teach continuing education courses throughout the country.