What Should I Expect?
Ari has a one-on-one approach to providing excellent care in a boutique acupuncture setting. Since she never sees more than one person at a time, each appointment is individually focused and dedicated. Ari is trained in several styles of acupuncture and is well-versed in integrating and customizing unique treatments to meet your health goals.
How Should I Prepare for My Treatment?
It is recommended to eat a light meal within a few hours before your appointment, as acupuncture is not advisable on an empty stomach. It is best to wear or bring loose, comfortable clothing. Towels are provided for draping and extra comfort.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
Acupuncture needles are thin, flexible, sterile needles and should not be painful. Some needles produce little to no sensation, while others may feel slightly achy or heavy and occasionally elicit muscle twitching, which are all normal therapeutic responses. As an acupuncturist trained in Japanese style acupuncture, Ari is skilled in gentler needling techniques using thinner needles. Most people report acupuncture as a very relaxing and restorative experience.
Is it Safe?
Acupuncture is an effective, non-invasive style of treatment. Acupuncture needles are single use, sterile, pre-packaged and disposable. As a licensed acupuncturist and nationally board certified practitioner, Ari is Clean Needle Technique certified and has completed over 3,000 hours of graduate-level training before passing board exams and obtaining licensure.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry Needling is another term for trigger point acupuncture, which involves insertion of acupuncture needles into muscles to release myofascial trigger points. Licensed Acupuncturists specializing in trigger point acupuncture have been practicing this technique to treat musculoskeletal pain for decades in the United States. The term “dry needling", which is a re-branding of this subset of acupuncture, has recently been coined by physical therapists and other allied health professionals in an attempt to expand their scope of practice. The important difference is in the level of training. Physical therapists receive only 27 to 54 hours of dry needling training and are administering this technique with as little as a weekend workshop in dry needling. Physical therapy is not a profession that has historically included the use of needles. Dry needling courses for physical therapists are abbreviated continuing education workshops in which there are no clearly defined training requirements or standardized curriculum. Furthermore, there are no national examinations to test competency of physical therapists in the practice of dry needling. In contrast, Licensed Acupuncturists have 2,000 to 3,000 hours of needle training in a 3 to 4 year accredited Master's Degree program and have successfully passed several national board examinations for state licensure and national board certification. Licensed Acupuncturists are master needlers and have years of experience perfecting their skills. It is always in your best interest to work with a Licensed Acupuncturist trained in trigger point acupuncture for dry needling, as they not only specialize in pain management, but can address the underlying cause by treating the whole person. Ari has over 10 years of experience as a licensed acupuncturist specializing in dry needling / trigger point acupuncture. Her graduate program in acupuncture required completion of over 3,000 hours of training, including extensive study in trigger point acupuncture.
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Please refer to the following articles for more information on dry needling:
https://www.nccaom.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NCCAOM-Dry-Needling-Position-Statement.pdf
What is the Cancellation Policy?
In order to provide the best care possible, there is a 24 hour cancellation and rescheduling policy. Please call, text or email at least 24 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If cancellation or rescheduling of an appointment is made with less than 24 hours notice, a late cancellation fee equal to the cost of the service will be charged. Cancellations and reschedules, even with advance notice, are often challenging to fill. When scheduling your appointment, please ensure to double-check your availability and do your very best to honor your original appointment time.