Do you take insurance?

Sorry, we do not take insurance.
It would require hiring an additional full-time person to diligently follow up with billing, which ultimately would double the price of our treatments and make the clinic less accessible to those who do not have insurance. We are happy to print or email you a receipt, or an annual summary of your account that you can submit to your insurance if they offer reimbursement for out-of-network services.

This is suspiciously cheap.. It's not the real thing, right? Not as good as other styles of acupuncture?

Since you noticed that our prices are some of the lowest in all of the 5 boroughs, you're paying attention!

Please be assured, this is acupuncture being administered by a fully licensed professional. We comply with all local and national acupuncture guidelines, OSHA, the CDC, and adhere to the hygiene protocols as described in Clean Needle Technique.

According to our market research, in NYC metro area, the average price for a "community style" treatment is currently $60-$120.
The cost of a single, private room treatment ranges from $100-$250. A lot of factors go into pricing.
So, how and why is CGA offering such "cheap" treatments?

-Because we can! As a celebration and affirmation of abundance!

-CGA wants lots and lots of people to see what acupuncture can do for them-- what a difference it can make for their health, and in their life. That's much less possible when the cost of regularly attending treatments is too expensive. We want to make acupuncture more commonplace for the every-day person.

-Many acupuncturists are drowning in debt and fighting an uphill battle make a living wage on top of paying back student loans (1) (2). CGA's current sole acupuncturist attended POCA Tech, which does not utilize student loans and instead requires up-front cash payment for tuition. Lack of student loan debt is a big factor in being able to offer low cost treatments.

- Some practitioners don't want to be seeing lots of patients, and prefer to treat just a few patients a day for a high rate. That's fine. We love the energy of a full treatment room, the coming and going, meeting lots of new people and helping them tackle their health concerns with acupuncture. And we really like providing an accessible service to our community.

- CGA practices acupuncture without frills. We don't spend a lot of time talking -- We don't need to know your entire health history since birth or what you ate for breakfast! We are able to treat you efficiently and effectively in just a few minutes. This keeps the cost of treatment low.

- Real estate is expensive... Instead of charging higher rates for a fancy commercial space, CGA is sharing space with ________. The partnership helps sustain both businesses as the new clinic builds its local patient base!

-There is no scientific evidence proving that one style of acupuncture is better than another. Anyone claiming that community-style acupuncture is an inferior option to private room treatments, is either expressing a personal preference or lacks proper understanding. For example, using acu points on the back to treat back pain isn’t necessarily more effective than other approaches.

-The best acupuncture for you is the one you can afford to continue. If you can’t sustain regular treatments, it won’t be effective. There is a lot of expectation and financial risk with expensive private treatments. For many, acupuncture is the last stop on the try-anything train. Spending $100+ for one treatment and hoping it will "do the trick", as a last resort. With acupuncture, expensive treatments are not inherently better. We use the same tools and work with the intention of improving your health. But acupuncture works best when it is received frequently. That can add up quickly, especially for people who use acupuncture to manage chronic conditions. This is a low cost, low pressure alternative, and just as good, if not better :-)

How many treatments will I need to get better?

This depends on what you are being treated for and how severe the condition is. Acupuncture is a process. At your first visit we will give you an overall treatment plan for your main complaint. Any time you come in for treatment feel free to check in about your treatment plan with one of the acupuncturists. In some cases, like with very acute pain, labor induction, unrelenting migraines, nausea, etc. we recommend daily treatments until things change more significantly. Traditionally a course of acupuncture treatment in China is treatment daily, 10 days in a row. CGCA realizes that most people can’t come get treatment almost every day, and we are not yet open 7 days a week!

We generally make frequency recommendations based on a pain scale. If your pain or condition is 5/10 or worse on a pain scale we may recommend you come in 2-3 times or more per week until your pain is at a manageable level. If your pain or condition is less than 5/10 on a pain scale we may recommend you come in 1 or 2 times per week. As your symptoms improve we gradually taper off your treatments. Do what works for you. If you can only come once a week or once every 2 weeks, then that is great, please do that. You will still see results, just maybe a bit slower.

How long is an appointment?

First-time patients should expect to be at the clinic for a minimum of 45 minutes. You will meet with your practitioner for an initial intake and clinic orientation, and discuss a treatment plan. They will then apply the pins and then move on to the next patient. Once the pins are applied, patients generally rest from 30-120 minutes. Many people take a nap. We have a wake-up board if you need to leave by a specific time. Once you are ready to get up, open your eyes and give us the "check please!" look, or little wave. Your acupunk will be on the look-out and prompty take your pins out

Do you treat pregnant people?

Yes, acupuncture is effective for many pregnancy-related conditions.

Do you treat children?

Acupuncture is often very effective for children and teens, and many of them love it. We ask only that the child in question is willing to try acupuncture; we don't want to treat unwilling patients of any age. The parent or guardian must sign a minor consent form.

We are not able to supervise children who are not being treated.

Can I bring my dog?

Pets are not allowed, but services animals are - If you are unsure please read about the distinction here:
https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/

Does acupuncture hurt?

There is not a straight forward answer, it is different for every body. Some people are much more sensitive than others and don't like many pins, some people love to be pokes as much as possible. We will meet you where you are at!
Acupuncture needles are very thin, like a cat's whisker. CGA uses particularly fine-gauge needles designed for comfort. Most people become deeply relaxed and/or fall sleep once all points are placed. While you are resting with the needles in place you may feel some tingling, pulsing, heaviness, or other sensations of energy movement. All of these are normal and usually pleasant; if anything becomes uncomfortable please let us know and we will gladly adjust it, or simply take the needle out.

Is acupuncture safe?

Yes. Single-use, sterile needles are used and then properly disposed. Mayo completed a 4-year Masters degree program, and has extensive clinical experience. She is nationally board-certified and completed numerous safety courses to receive state licensure. It is safe and gentle enough to use while pregnant, though there are certain points that are not used, so please let your acupuncturist know if you know or suspect you are pregnant.

Do I have to believe in acupuncture for it to work?

Not at all! Animals get good results from acupuncture just like people, and we’re pretty sure that they don't believe in it. You're welcome to be skeptical. You just need to have enough of an open mind to want to find out if acupuncture will work for you, and you will only know that for sure by experience. Come try it and see what you think.

Since the treatments are in chairs, how will you treat my back/hip/shoulder/hamstrings/neck?

We are able to treat all kinds of conditions (even your back/ hips/shoulder/hamstrings/neck) by using a style of acupuncture that uses points primarily below the knees and elbows and above the neck. Because acupuncture channels flow across the entire body it is possible to treat back problems, for example, with points on the hands and feet.
While some acupuncturists tend to favor lots of points on the torso this is usually a matter of personal preference and style, not a necessity to get effective results from acupuncture. There are literally thousands of different ways to do acupuncture, and all of them seem to work, and as far as we can tell, no one way seems to work substantially better than any other. There are no studies that we know of that prove that acupuncturists who specialize in a particular area get better results than acupuncturists who don’t specialize; there are, however, studies out of Germany that suggest that even when you do acupuncture "wrong", it still works.

What should I wear to my appointment?

We generally use points on your arms, hands, ears, scalp, face, legs, feet, chest, and abdomen. Generally and ideally, something loose enough to roll up to your knees and elbows. However, if you are coming in from work/etc. or prefer to stay covered for any reason, we can still give you a very good treatment with any available areas. There are lots of ways to treat every condition! You otherwise stay fully clothed throughout the treatment.

Can I combine acupuncture with medication/massage/chiropractic/osteopathic treatment/exercise/etc.?

Absolutely. You can combine acupuncture with almost anything. That's one of the best things about it. Nothing is going to make your acupuncture treatment less effective, and it doesn't interfere with anything else. It's one of the reasons that so many doctors refer their patients to acupuncture. There are also very minimal adverse effects, and minimal containdications with medications (and in general).

What happens to the needles after my treatment?

All needles are new, sterile, and single-use. After needles are removed, they are put in a sharps container and then picked up by a medical disposal company to be properly discarded

How does sliding scale work? How much do I pay?

You decide what you can afford, no questions asked. 
 In order for acupuncture to work best, most people often require multiple treatments. In the case of chronic, severe, or acute conditions, you may want to visit more often. The purpose of the sliding scale is to make sure you can get enough acupuncture to get results. We want you to feel better and then tell everybody you know about how well acupuncture works!

Sometimes people think that the "appropriate" payment amount is somewhere in the middle of the scale. That's not how it works here. The appropriate amount is what will allow you to get enough acupuncture for it to actually work for you. All of our patients pay based on what they can afford. We don't have income guidelines or ask for verification of assets. If you can afford to pay more, thank you very much! But if you can't, no problem. No one will be offended or hurt by you paying on the lower end - it is a price option that is offered willingly, with no strings or caveats attached.

How much does it cost?

We use the sliding scale to make our treatments accessible to as many people on the economic spectrum as possible.
$40-$80 for first appointment
$35-$75 for return patient
$5 optional discount for return patients who choose to pay with cash (minimum tx cost is $25)

Packages are $110 for 5 treatments, offered quarterly (January, April, July, October) - Limit 3 per person. Expires 1 year after purchase.

We prefer cash! We also accept: debit cards, credit card, Venmo, Cashapp, ApplePay, and Zelle.

How big is an acupuncture needle?

Needles (or "pins" since they are solid rather than hollow!) are 0.01in or 0.25mm. That's about 2.5x the width of a human hair!