After reflecting on my experience, I feel it's important to share so that others can make an…read moreinformed decision and hopefully avoid wasting their time, money, and limited insurance benefits.
Before booking, I sent a detailed email explaining concerns and what I needed help with, asking whether I would be a good fit for the practice. I was told yes and encouraged to schedule an appointment. Because I was experiencing significant pain in my neck due to buldged discs, and hoping to find relief as soon as possible, I asked to be placed on a cancellation list and rearranged my schedule when an opening became available.
What I was not told was that the issues I wanted to address would require additional services at an additional cost, nor was I clearly told that my first visit would be consultation-only with no treatment provided.
As a result, I drove to the appointment, used one of my limited insurance-covered visits, and a co-pay for what was essentially a conversation about how I would need to pay more to work with her.
My frustration is not that additional services cost more. It is that this information could have been communicated in a simple email before I booked. Even a simple response such as, "Based on the concerns you've described, I believe additional services outside of insurance coverage may be needed. If you're comfortable with that, please schedule a consultation-only visit so we can discuss treatment options, pricing, and next steps," would have allowed me to make an informed decision before booking.
Instead, I felt I was brought into the office under false pretenses. I used one of my limited insurance-covered visits and paid a co pay for an appointment that primarily consisted of being told treatment would cost more. What made the experience even more frustrating was that the consultation itself did not provide the clarity and these extra services she was insisting I have. Although I was repeatedly told that the purpose of the consultation was to discuss treatment options and create a plan, I was unable to get clear answers about what services were being recommended, what the treatment plan would involve, or what the actual costs would be.
I also found the bedside manner concerning. During the assessment, she repeatedly described my scapula area as "deformed." When I asked what she believed it was, she admitted she had never seen anything like it before and did not know what it was. Being told that a part of your body is "deformed" by a practitioner who cannot explain what they are seeing was unsettling and unprofessional. Later, my massage therapist was surprised by the comment as the area was clearly muscular tension with knots that needed bodywork, most likely resulting from the buldgled disc in my neck. I was troubled by how the situation was handled, especially by an acupuncturist who's job is to look at bodies all day.
To be fair, I later discovered that the consultation-only policy was mentioned within the patient portal she had me register for (which took a ton of time and paperwork and filled out last minute due to the cancelled appointment I took). However, given our detailed email exchange and the fact she knew I was actively seeking relief from pain, there was ample opportunity to communicate expectations and especially make it known that there would be no treatment for my pain before asking me to come into the office.
Ultimately, I left feeling taken advantage of and examined by someone who did not know simple body anatomy/tension. The consultation she insisted on so she could assess the treatment plan and pricing, was not accomplished. The pain I was experiencing that she said she could help with was never addressed. Her bedside manner and lack of knowledge of the body was concerning. She literally took my money to tell me it would cost me more to see her and couldn't even communicate what additional services those would be.
There are plenty of talented and professional clinics in the Bay Area. If you are considering this one, my advice is to ask very specific questions about consultation policies, treatment plans, and fees before booking. If the answers are not clear and direct, keep looking for a practitioner who communicates openly and transparently so you are not taken advantage of.
