Most patients barely feel a thing when needles are inserted. Some of the sensations associated with the therapeutic effect of acupuncture may include: heaviness, slight aching, tingling or an electric sensation.

If your treatment plan involves trigger point therapy, your practitioner will inform you in advance. You may experience muscle twitching, a slight cramping sensation, and mild soreness afterwards when trigger points are addressed. If any discomfort is experienced with trigger point therapy, it is usually mild.

If at any point you’re feeling uncomfortable, just let your practitioner know so they can take this into account when developing your treatment plan. It depends on the individuals pain tolerance and experience with being treated.

While our practitioners specialize in orthopedic acupuncture and trigger point therapy, they can treat a wide range of conditions. Acupuncture is extremely effective for skin conditions, migraines, PMS, digestive issues, emotional issues, symptoms of anxiety and stress…to name a few.

Acupuncture is also used as a preventative medicine.

• Avoid caffeine immediately before treatment.
• Plan your activities so that after the treatment you can get some rest, or at least not have to do an intense workout same day. This is especially important for the first few visits.
• Arrive neither starved nor stuffed. We recommend a snack or meal one to two hours before your treatment.

Bring comfortable, loose clothing with undergarments. Gowns and linens are available, depending on the area of your body receiving treatment.

To form the best treatment plan for you, your practitioner will form a Chinese Medicine diagnosis by information gathered from questions and observation. Depending on what you are coming in for, they may also run you through orthopedic assessment tests and postural evaluation.

While some of the information we ask for may seem completely unrelated to the reason you came in, this information can be of vital importance in correctly determining your diagnosis and designing your treatment plan.

In Western medical theory, acupuncture appears to work by stimulating parts of the brain. It also stimulates the body to release natural biomolecules such as neurotransmitters, vasodilators, and hormones. Other research has demonstrated that when connective tissue is stretched for at least 30 minutes by mechanical stimulation such as an acupuncture needle, the fibroblast cells that help produce and maintain the connective-tissue matrix become enlarged and flattened, leading to a process that produces analgesic effects.

In Chinese medical theory, acupuncture works by balancing the body’s Qi. If Qi gets blocked, it shows up as an imbalance or illness. Chinese medical theory allows us to find the imbalance and therefore work to rebalance you.

This depends entirely on the individual. You will discuss your treatment with your practitioner and together create a plan that balances best practices with your schedule and lifestyle.

If it is your first time receiving acupuncture, we generally recommend aiming for 4-6 sessions to determine progress.

In general, chronic, long-term conditions take longer to resolve then acute conditions that recently appeared.

After your first visit, you may experience some of the following symptoms: • Feeling achy or sore if trigger point therapy was provided • Feeling sleepy, groggy, or hungry • Feeling of euphoria

These symptoms are not a sign that anything is wrong. Acupuncture is a balancing of the whole body. As you recover, these symptoms will pass, and you will begin to feel better. Fatigue is part of the normal healing process, and can be a positive sign that acupuncture is working.

Yes, you can work out after having an acupuncture treatment, though something light and relaxing like yoga or pilates.

However, if you feel light-headed, dizzy or tired then you should not exercise after your acupuncture session. Instead have something to eat, rest or have a nap.

We are out-of-network with ALL insurance companies and are non-participating Providers with Medicare (we bill on your behalf and you will get a check directly back from Medicare). You can learn more about insurance at OPSC by visiting our insurance page. Our billing department will check your insurance benefits and call you back to determine a billing arrangement based on your coverage. If you do not have insurance or out-of-network benefits, we will do our best to make treatment easy and not cost-prohibitive.

Yes, in an indirect way. Massage Therapy guides your body to a state of higher efficiency. A Massage Therapy session will help break down muscle adhesions, increase range of motion, relieve knots, increase circulation, decrease pain, stretch tight muscles, reduce stiffness and generally reduce the negative after effects of hard training.

Getting regular massages has many benefits for athletic performance, but those benefits are tremendously increased if self-care techniques are used in between sessions. This “homework” usually includes: hot/cold therapy, stretching, self-myofascial release, acupressure, mobility drills, lifestyle habits and rest. Go to our BLOG tab on the home page for self-care techniques!

Massage therapy has been proven to reduce recovery time for injuries to heal by improving tissue health. It can also reduce swelling and inflammation associated with soft tissue injuries. A therapist can locate and deactivate “trigger points” that can form as a result of trauma or stress. For serious injuries, Massage therapy helps form strong pliable scar tissue to prevent the forming of stiff scar tissue. Furthermore, it assists with range of motion and tissue extensibility.

There is almost always a gap between the start of an overuse injury and the point where you require professional treatment for it. With a little work and some dedication, you can catch problems in that gap and prevent symptoms/problems from becoming injuries. If an injury does occur, self-care techniques will assist with the recovery time and improve tissue health in affected area.

It depends on several factors such as volume and intensity of training, whether or not you have chronic pain or acute injury. For some athletes, they include a weekly massage as part of their training cycles to maximize their performance. Other athletes get an occasional Massage for areas that are painful. The best way to reduce the effects of hard training is with regular Massage. We suggest you try a series of Massages to see how you feel when the positive effects accumulate (session packages are available). Getting massaged even once a month regularly has long lasting positive impact.

Yes. Contraindications are conditions when you should not be massaged. The most common condition among athletes is that of an acute injury or inflammation. Usually the first 72 hours after an injury is the acute stage. After the swelling and pain begin to diminish, massage is recommended. There are many possible contraindications so please alert the therapist of any medical condition or injury before a massage session. Some conditions are localized so massage may take place except in the affected area. Always consult with your doctor prior to starting any new program after an injury or surgery.

At OPSC, our clinicians conduct a comprehensive evaluation to discern the root cause of your injury/condition. After taking a thorough history of your injury, reviewing past medical conditions, and prior treatments for current your current conditions, they will move onto the physical exam. The physical exam is an assessment of your structure, posture, biomechanics, joint health, soft tissue mobility, gait and movement patterns.

Your therapist will work with you to determine the appropriate individualized treatment plan by the end of the initial visit. A complete summary of findings and goals will be provided to you at your follow-up session, keeping your individual functional & lifestyle goals in mind.

Please bring a valid photo ID, your insurance card, prescription from your MD (if applicable), any radiographic test results (radiologist report of X-rays, MRI, CAT Scan, etc), a check or credit card for any payments, and comfortable shorts and t-shirt (males) or tank top (females).

We are out-of-network with ALL insurance companies and are non-participating Providers with Medicare (we bill on your behalf and you will get a check directly back from Medicare). Our billing department will check your insurance benefits and call you back to determine a billing arrangement based on your coverage. If you do not have insurance or out-of-network benefits. We will do our best to make treatment easy and not cost-prohibitive.

Compared to the industry standard of 10-25 mins, our clinicians will spend approximately 60 minutes one-on-one care with you. You may be given exercises to be done during the treatment session.

No, you do not. In New York State, under Direct Access, you are allowed to come to Physical Therapy without a referral or doctor’s prescription for up to 10 visits within 30 days from your initial evaluation.

OPSC strength and conditioning coaches are highly specialized in barbell, kettlebell, and bodyweight programing/exercises. Each session will be individualized to each client, working on movement patterns and strengthening exercises geared to improving any deficits. Each session is 60 minutes one-on-one with a coach. Coaches will assign home stretches or exercises that will complement the in-session workout. You will also receive a follow-up email, outlining the exercises performed and numbers associated with it.

Currently, evidence demonstrates kettlebell/barbell exercises (performed under a qualified coach) are the most functional and have the largest impact on the nervous system to elicit a positive change in movement patterns and strength. To achieve your goals as safe as possible and as efficiently as possible, OPSC coaches will utilize tools that will have the largest impact to get you there.

This will depend on your goals, current movement experience, and any rehab considerations. At OPSC, we will individualize all aspects of your recovery, strengthening, and performance program. A realistic time frame is more sessions per week for the initial program (first 2 weeks), then less sessions per week as you progress through movements.