I have 4 sessions scheduled and after two I have less pain! So glad I read Jerom Vahai's Yelp story on this practice! She explains the process clearly. She noted my complaints and asked questions to clarify. She made a plan based on my issues, she also checked my heart, lung, liver health. My insurance pays for a portion of the treatments. Happy to be coming here, I have hope to become healthier and get rid of my hip / back pain. She also made suggestions to help with the congestion in my throat. read more

I had an injury on my left foot that was making running or even walking fast difficult. Also I had chronic injuries/pains resulting from training for long-distance triathlons (Ironman; an 140.6 miles race) on my right shoulder and the right side of my back. Tina's treatment has been amazing! To the point that she has earned a nickname in my household - "the Magician with Needles"! Details of my condition: (1) Injury: something dropped on my left foot. As it happened right after my Ironman World Championship race, I did not care - I was not doing much of my training. I thought that the pain would disappear by itself. Then months passed, and the pain persisted. Moreover, I realized that the NERVES on my left foot are a LITTLE NUMB. So, when I tried to run a higher mileage at my tempo pace, my left foot was less responsive after a 6-7 miles. Also, TAKING STEPS the following few days were quite difficult. (2) Chronic pain: I almost entirely breathe on one side while swimming, especially if I am doing long difficult sessions. Also, when I am holding the aero position on my time-trial bike, I inadvertently tighten one side of my upper body - this becomes especially true if I am doing hard intervals and/or doing more than 2-3 hours of training. Consequence: chronic dull pain on my shoulder and my back. This results in debilitating pain during later phases of a race. This was seriously hampering my sleep after long rides (which is bread-and-butter for Ironman trainings). Treatment: I had gone through extensive acupuncture treatments before the pandemic for chronic pains - thanks to my health insurance! They worked, but the results were not even close to Tina's treatments. I went to Tina, in the beginning of Dec, 2022. After three sessions, my foot injury was completely solved! In fact, after the very first session, I was incredulous with the results! The same goes for the chronic pain on my shoulder - that I have been living with for several years now. That too was gone! I was very confident that as I start doing "red mist swim sessions" in new years, the shoulder pain would come back - it kind of did, but only to 10-20% intensity compared to what it used to be. And that was relieved after one session with Tina in Jan, 2023. Now, she has started working on the chronic pain on my right lower back - and I am experiencing her magic already. In summary, my condition was a sudden injury and one from muscle overuses from sports. Tina's acupuncture treatment resolved both issues unbelievably well (better than physios and sports massages). read more

I just finished a series of acupuncture sessions with Tina. She is excellent, warm and so knowledgeable. I went to her with several issues and she covered them all. Her intake process is super thorough, so I knew I was in the right place! I'll be back. read more

Dr. T is so wonderful to work with! I have been so happy with my first accupunture experience (and she is so patient with me even given my fear of needles). It's been so helpful for me health wise. I received her name from a dear friend who also had a fantastic experience. If you're worried abotu trying accupunture Dr. T will take good care of you! read more

Tina is funny, warm, knowledgeable, and most importantly thorough. In my first appointment with her, she invested a lot into understanding my problems and explaining how she diagnosed me and how she plans to help me. In my case, it is poor blood circulation and I can see how it leads to all my other issues. She performed acupuncture on me and I know it works because my hands, which are usually very cold, got really hot and even started sweating. Thanks Tina! read more

Went in for insomnia and fatigue. It has been consistent and western medicine has not figured out the reason even after trying diff things like doing lab work, overnight sleep eval, etc...so figure I would try eastern medicine. My Yelp rating is not a reflection of the staff - they were great, friendly, and professional. The rating reflects that their treatment did not help. I did acupuncture, pills, and herb powder. Did it for 8 weeks (weekly visit) and no results. I do realize for this treatment to work they say it could take many months...maybe a year +...of visits, but sadly I don't have to time to keep doing this every week. This time needs to not be used on other treatments/remedies I am looking at... So while it did not work, in their defense western medicine has not worked either! I am writing this post partially so people don't think acupuncture is some sort of guaranteed cure-all as the current yelp reviews here seem to indicate. read more

Not to sound like a blithering idiot - but OMG Tina is absolutely AMAZING!!! You know how Dentists used to call themselves "painless dentists" to get more business but you always knew they were lying? Which I can honestly contest to since my Dad is a dentist... Well, Tina is truly a painless acupuncturist! Now I must qualify this by saying that the painless part does not necessarily a good acupuncturist make - so not only is Tina painless - she's GREAT! From her warm and caring bedside manner through the 1/2 hour long treatment (which is the full cycle of qi) Tina shines in every aspect. Her treatment room is warm and inviting, lovingly lined with her jars of herbs. She takes her time with a thorough intake stopping to ask relevant questions about your life. I felt confident and taken care of. Her needle insertion is spectacular and as I mentioned above - completely painless. And, she gets the qi, every time. When she left me to lie on the table I actually fell asleep, which has not happened to me during an acupuncture treatment in a long time and is a very very good thing. I kept waking myself up with gurgling/snoring like noises but I couldn't keep myself from dozing off once again. After the treatment I felt relaxed AND refreshed. Plus during the intake she had recommended some particular supplements for me and during my treatment she spent the time researching them and writing them all down - including where I could get them. Upon leaving, she gave me a gift!!! A wonderful Chinese soup mix of tonifying herbs and deliciousness. Her clinic is in a wonderfully central SF location with easy (metered) street parking and some non metered parking too if you're lucky enough to find it. Either way, there was no hassle getting there, which is ever important to the blissed out treatment you can expect to receive from Tina Chin-Kaplan L.Ac extraordinaire!! :) read more

I've only seen Tina a few times....enough for me to know that she is smart, effective, and pretty awesome all the way around! She knows her stuff in a way that I would never think to REQUIRE of her, and immediately I believe I'm in good hands. Our talks are honest and informative, and the treatments yield real results! Afterward, I am rested, pain-free and euphoric. Combine Tina with a clinical massage and/or chiropractic adjustment in the same office, and you have the wellness trifecta! read more

I've been seeing Tina on and off for 2+ years now, and she has kept me in top health! She has helped me with everything from stress, to muscle pain, to the common cold and more. The best thing about Tina is that she really cares about her clients' health and well being. She will respond to my questions via email even on the weekends and while she's on vacation. I've never received this type of response and consideration from my medical doctors. Tina is also a whiz with women's health, herbal remedies and is very gentle with the needle (I was afraid at first). I would recommend Tina to anyone who wants a higher level of care and doesn't want to run to their medical doctor for every ache and pain. She's simply the best! read more

I'm new to acupuncture so I can't really compare Tina to others. But if all acupuncturists are like Tina, then count me a fan of acupuncture!! :) I've been having some back pain problems for a while and decided to get my doctor to refer me to an acupuncturist. Even before I made an appointment, Tina was amazing in helping me figure out exactly how my insurance works in regards to acupuncture. Once we got that straightened out, I booked my first acupuncture treatment ever! I went for a total of 10 sessions. Every single time, Tina really tried to figure out what's going on with my body+mind that particular day and customized the treatment accordingly. In addition to treating my back pain, she could tell when I was particularly stressed out or tired and added points to the treatment to help with that. I'm generally not a huge fan of needles but Tina has gentle hands and also told me exactly what she's doing, which really helped to calm my nerves. Thanks Tina! read more

Seeing Tina has greatly improved my well-being. She's incredibly knowledgeable and professional, and has a wonderful sense of humor. She's helped me with everything from anxiety to sunburn and I always leave our sessions feeling happy and hopeful. read more

My experience with Tina's Chinese medicine was nothing but positive. She is very knowledgeable and always interested in getting to the bottom of what ails you. I am always a bit skeptical of treatments outside of Western medicine however, the treatment she prescribed worked! I have to say, the roots/herbs were a bit less than tasty however, they did the trick and I am very happy to have positive results. I will definitely see her again. read more

Tina rocks! She takes a holistic approach to solving your health issues, in addition to the acupuncture treatment. I went to Tina earlier in the year because I was having some bad migraines. She started by taking my pulse, and then spent some time asking questions about my overall health and about the sources of stress in my life before continuing onto the acupuncture treatment. She helped me identify some of the triggers for my migraines and talked about some of the steps I could take to relieve them. The acupuncture treatment was painless, and left me feeling pretty good at the end of the one hour session. It was kind of a floating, hazy, and relaxed feeling. I went for a total of four sessions, and my migraines haven't returned since! I would definitely recommend Tina to anyone looking for a patient, caring, and professional acupuncturist who will help diagnose and treat your problems. read more

I started to see Tina only a month ago, yet I am seeing amazing results from sleeping better to better circulation! During my 1st visit, I knew that Tina was the one as she listened, talked me through what she recommended and on top of this was so pleasant. I'm one tough cookie when it comes to doctors and health, she is top notch! Her office location is perfect, right next to the muni stop and makes getting there on time a breeze.... read more

After my GP ran out of ideas about how to treat my 4 months of consecutive colds, I had a hunch this was one for Acupuncture. I found Tina on Yelp and all the 5 star ratings are for real. Tina listened as I described my symptoms and she asked me a lot of questions. After the first treatment, I felt better and then over the consecutive treatments, the clouds cleared and - viola! - I felt WELL!! I have been to Acupuncture before, so I knew what to expect for treatments (looking at tongue, pulse, chatting about symptoms, not to mention the feeling -or not- of the needles) and I would say that the results with my treatments by Tina have exceeded my expectations. I look forward to and enjoy Acupuncture :-D In addition to being an exceptional healer, Tina also worked through the business side of things so that my insurance would pay per my plan - huge for me to be able to continue with as many sessions as needed to get me through. read more

I started this review about 6 months ago and apparently did not finish it! I called this morning hoping in desperation to get in today for my 5-yr old daughter, who suddenly started getting migraines. Tina answered the phone herself and was able to fit us in same day. Secondly, she is obviously really well-versed in children and acupuncture for kids. Fast forward 6 months and we've been going here and love it. Highly HIGHLY recommend. read more

Tina has changed my life. After 5 concussive blasts from combat my pain was untreatable with pain killers, which destroyed my kidneys and liver and also had very bad side effects. I also had worse after effects when pain medications wore off. Medical marijuana was effective with less side effects however with PTSD, while the pain was minimized, my nightmares and flashbacks became worse and more vivid. Acupuncture has been my saving grace and Tina is the best. I have been to other acupuncture places but none of them compare to her. I experience more reduction in pain for longer periods. Naya also does a great job when Tina is not available. I recommend Needles and Tea to all my friends and fellow Veterans. read more

I've been seeing Tina for the last year for some back pain and muscle tightness and she's the best! She is always super friendly and accommodating. I truly enjoy my sessions and feel relaxed when I leave. read more

Beware if you are using your insurance and coming here. Here's what happened to me... I am covered by my insurance (Aetna) for acupuncture with a simple co-pay at each visit. Both my insurance company and Needles and Tea confirmed this prior to my first appointment. After coming for over a month and paying my co-pay each time I was told that I had a deductible to cover and that I needed to pay them the deducible plus and extra $10 for each co-payment for my prior visits. Excuse me? I immediately called my insurance, and as I expected, I did not have a deducible nor were my co-payments supposed to be more. So why is Needles and Tea suddenly trying to demand I pay them a deducible. I may never know the real story! After weeks of harassing emails from the owner about the situation, she finally got it straightened out and ended up having to refund me money. As a client, I am applauded by how the situation was handled. If there was an issue between her claims and my insurance company, for the sake of her business, she should have figured it out with them before ever getting me involved - telling me I was wrong about my coverage (when I was not) and causing me all this stress. Not the best customer service if you ask me. As a result - she's lost a client, who now has this unpleasant story to share on yelp! Other than that ordeal, the place is just ok. They're in weird location, tucked in the back of a building and sharing a floor with a start up company of sorts. I was very cold during my treatments (they do not keep the rooms at a comfortable temperature for acupuncture) and I bled on multiple occasions from the needles (painful!). There are several other acupuncture places popping up in the area and I would suggest you try one of those. I'll be going to Brannan Street Acupuncture instead, my co-worker has been going there and everything has gone seamlessly for him. read more

i have threatened to write this review for awhile. after 5 weeks of no Tina -- my issues are starting to surface again. i am convinced that acupuncture is probably the most under-rated pain treatment on the market. after postponing a hip replacement surgery and subsequently learning that i probably need back surgery, i was at an emotional bottom. a former marathoner and current fitness buff, the pain was intolerable. i'm not a cryer -- and the first day i walked into her office, i couldn't hold back the tears. i couldn't imagine living another 30 years (life span) with this kind of pain. i was no longer me. i don't do painkillers -- so the amount of aleve and ibuprofen i was taking was wreaking a different kind of havoc on my body. i saw 3 orthopedic surgeons -- one ready to operate, two who said wait. these two also said to try a combo of acupuncture and physical therapy. so for 5 weeks, i committed to both acupuncture (2x per week) and physical therapy (various times per week using different exercises). i've been in and out of physical therapy for a year (for a previous knee surgery). i had no opinion of acupuncture. it worked for some friends of mine -- and didn't work for others. some used it for pain, smoking, sleeping, menopause, etc.... again.... i had no opinion. i was willing to try anything. by the way -- did i mention: DON"T RUN MARATHONS!!! i should have listened to my mamma. 9 marathons and my body is showing the wear and tear. after my third treatment, something major changed: i was able to sleep through the night -- without a sleeping pill. i had taken a mild rx sleeping pill for years -- because the pain of my back and hips would wake me in the night. after my fifth treatment, what pain? i have to admit -- on some level, i couldn't believe that i was finally pain free. in fact, i was suspicious -- that the pain would set in again. i remained pain free -- yes, pain free -- for the 5 weeks of treatment -- and another 5 weeks -- post treatment. almost 3 months of no pain. i'm increduous as i write this. since tina is the only acupuncturist i've used, is it tina or acupuncture i'm giving 5 stars to? clearly... it is tina. i've been back to my internist and orthopedic surgeon since seeing tina. both were surprised at the extent of relief i was able to achieve. in fact -- both asked for tina's contact information. while advocates of acupuncture, as i shared details of tina and my experience with her and her treatments, they were impressed. i live in 2 states -- so i'm not at liberty to see her again until june. the pain is starting to set in again. i'm not finding an acupuncturist in my home state. i'm waiting until i'm back in CA to see tina. she is that good. now.... if i could only get her to move to CO!! if you're on the fence, let me "needle" you.... give her a "shot." and don't go just once. commit to at least 3 treatments. PS: she gave me a powder to help reduce menopause's lovely night sweats. i haven't started taking it yet. will keep you posted on that treatment. read more

i'm currently working on my yearly budget to see how i can manage building a bedroom in my apartment so tina can move in with me. she's knowledgable, thorough, sweet, and makes my back feel better and she doesn't laugh at me when i wake up from my 20-minute nap mumbling nonsense because i don't know where i am since i slept so well. her office isn't super easy to get to (not hard but definitely not on any main thoroughfare) but it's worth it. read more

Dr. Tina is an exceptional practitioner - a responsive listener, an insightful healer, and very kind and caring. I have found my treatment under her care and guidance has very helpful and beneficial. I enjoy working with Dr. Tina and I hope to continue to work with her even after my immediate health issues are resolved. read more

Tina is AMAZING! I'm in the process of planning our wedding and as you can imagine this is a stressful albeit exciting time. I relish in those quiet moments just after waking from acupuncture and look forward to them every week. Tina takes the time to really listen to what's going on in your life and in turn your body and then gets to work placing needles, carefully and in all the right spots. Plus she takes my insurance, Blue Cross, which is just the icing on the cake. read more

Tina is the best! She takes the time to get to know you during the assessment and her treatments are like magic. I have degenerative osteoarthritis in my right knee. When I saw her in September of 2009, I could not walk, let alone put any weight on the knee. I had tried steroid injections, physical therapy, etc. to no avail, however, with Tina's help (needles & herbs) after ~ 6 months, I was virtually pain free. Now on her recommendations of tea pills and tiger balm, I am still pain free. Thanks, Tina! P.S. Not to mention her needles helped with the allergy/sinus headaches and alleviating the hot flashes. read more

Tina is an incredible acupuncturist! She can help with so many health concerns; pain, fertility, rehab, digestive issues, injuries, IBS, emotional issues, etc. The list is endless. Make an appointment with her-I feel incredible after seeing her. Thank you Tina! read more

Tina is the first acupuncturist I've been to, and honestly I was a little nervous about getting a bunch of needles stuck in me. I went to see her to help my body prepare for pregnancy since I was having a bit of a hard time due to stress. She made me feel comfortable right away. During the first appointment, she took the time to thoroughly go through my medical history and my lifestyle which all was combined to determine my treatment. She really explained everything that she was doing and why she was doing it. It was obvious that Tina is very knowledgeable, takes her craft seriously and really cares. The experience was not only painless, but quite enjoyable. Leaving the appointment makes you feel like you just got an amazing deep tissue massage. Best of all, were the results. In just 3 short months, I was pregnant! Tina was even able to feel my pulse and correctly predict the gender of my baby. I would highly recommend her to anyone for any medical reason. read more

I've started going to Needles and Tea for tinnitus and its the real deal. Tina Chin-Kaplan knows what she's doing, knows how to listen and make any adjustments to your treatment. I also wanted Chinese herbs and that's the tea part. The office is easy to get to, parking is not hard, and so far its been helping me with a pretty intractable problem. Lots of insurance options as well, which is a godsend. read more

Summary: Tina's got the Chinese medicine goods. And rides a motorcycle. What more do you want? Highly recommended. I've had the fortune of knowing Tina for a number of years, before and through her years of TCM training and practice. So, when she finally started taking patients as an LAC/CMT, I was super-psyched to check in with her when the opportunity came up. Before a recent career transition into the realm of negative disposable income, I finally booked a few appointments to deal with (undoubtedly related) stress and resultant fatigue. Being interested in the theory and practice of TCM, it was cool to chat a bit about the diagnosis process and the general concepts behind the treatments I was receiving. Outcome after treatment + herbs was good. I didn't expect a miracle, just some gentle nudging back to some sense of balance to complement my own efforts (exercise, qi gong, decent sleep, reducing stress), and got what I expected. Actually, I got more than I expected- she gave me a bunch of snacks one time when I got there in the evening, completely famished, preventing a hypoglycemic shutdown in addition to fixing my qi flow. Right on! Once I fix this cash flow thing- I don't think she can help with that, unfortunately- "I'll be back!" (in my best Arnold voice) read more

Tina is amazing. I have been seeing her on and off for over a year. Recently I have experience very painful shin splints to the point where I could no longer run. I have been seeing Tina consistently for two month and I am able to run now with very limited pain. I would highly recommend her to anyone. read more

I saw Tina with an unusual problem, sensitivity/pain in my fingers when using a computer mouse. Tina subscribed an herbal remedy which I applied over several weeks. It was affective. I found the clinic to be professional and comfortable, and also convenient. I recommend anyone looking for alternative treatment than traditional medicines. read more

Tina is WONDERFUL! I started seeing Tina when I hurt my back. Her acupuncture treatment was the only thing that made my back feel better. I've continued seeing her on a weekly basis just because it is so enjoyable. I feel it really helps with my stress level and overall health. It's never difficult to schedule an appointment, and parking is ample on the street outside her clinic (bonus!) I highly recommend her! read more

I went to see Tina for acupuncture for lower back pain! I threw my back out over a week ago and the pain just lingers. First off, I have insurance that covers acupuncture but Tina isn't in my network - however, she is right around the corner from work and was so accommodating that I went to see her regardless. I did not regret it! She asked a lot of questions and I really wish she was in my network now. The pain hasn't miraculously "disappeared" but it was a great experience from start to finish. read more

Tina is a very caring, patient and interested professional who always has the time to understand all of the variety of physical complaints I might have at any given time. She has helped me shed/minimize several difficult medical issues that my primary care physician and gyn were at a loss to assist with. I have been seeing her regularly for nearly two years for issues such as knee pain, herniated disc pain/numbness and post-partum depression, fatigue and even just to assist in avoiding cold/flu bugs. I have never had any problems using my insurance here (BlueShield), though for this quality of care, I would keep coming even if it wasn't insurance covered. read more

This place and this woman really takes you to a higher plane of healing !!Thank you for my experience there has been extoadinarily wonderous!!! read more

Tina is amazing. As a first-time acupuncture patient, I had a lot of questions. Tina takes the time to truly listen. Her patients are her priority. She asks all of the right questions, and has an awesome memory. Tina's patients are both seen and heard. As for the results, they are spot-on. Regardless of the issue I am dealing with for that particular week, Tina has known exactly what to do. Tina Chin-Kaplan is a healer. I give her my highest recommendation. read more

Eureka! It's such a good feeling to know when you're at the right place. I came to Dr. Chin to have an evaluation of circulatory issues and spider veins. I am no stranger to accupuncture and have used herbs and essential oils since 1980. I found the dr. to be a great listener and very skilled at what she does. My body responded well to the treatments and I noticed improvement right away. I like it when healers like her offer advice on what I can do outside the office. She recommended certain exercises, massage, and a salve that I use to rub on my skin and veins. I enjoy this level of care and appreciate her empathy towards my health. read more

I generally am not one to leave Yelp reviews. However, I do rely on yelp to make informed decisions when using local businesses. I visited TIna back on 8/18/2015. I had recently fractured my foot and was looking for pain relief through acupuncture. Tina was found via Yelp. As an employee of (a large tech company in SOMA) Acupuncture is actually part of our coverage we currently use Aetna as a provider. After my visit, which consisted of acupuncture treatment, heat lamp treatment, a "diagnosis" of checking my pulse, my tongue and "vitals" Tina billed Aetna for over $315. Thats $150 for my first visit, $40 for the acupuncture treatment with co-pay, $20 to turn on a heatlamp and many more charges. As it stands I am now asked to pay $189 from my insurance. I felt a bit taken advantage of. I called Tina, and asked to go over the details, to ask why there was no follow up, or set plan for treatment given to me... I've personally done a lot of acupuncture, and have never had to pay as much as being requested. I certainly will not be re-visiting this provider. read more

I have been to Tina for acupuncture treatment for over a year now for my bad left shoulder and stress in life and work. Tina not only always provided best care and results with patience and grace, she also can make other holistic suggestions that compliments her treatment, like what kind of pillow and mattress top to pick. I really love to go to her place to get some relive of stress in life and some good Qi. I highly recommend her service and expertise. read more

This review is so overdue, I finally have time to write this after taking care of our baby as a first time parent for one year now. I am so grateful to Tina for helping us to live our dream of having a child. We tried several fertility treatments and natural conception for years. After a miscarriage and failure to conceive naturally at age 48, we decided to try IVF. I saw Tina for IVF support prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy. I had one chance for a successful IVF cycle because we could not afford another one, so I made sure to do everything I could to increase the chances of a successful cycle with effective acupuncture treatments. I really feel the successful IVF cycle was due to Tina's deeper knowledge of Chinese medicine. She was knowledgeable with a holistic approach addressing much more than just needle treatments. She helped my hormone balance, egg development and helped build a strong endometrial lining. Tina encouraged me to have regular consistent acupuncture regardless of my busy schedule at work to help reduce the effects of stress on the pregnancy, which was great advice. While I was pregnant I had little trouble sleeping due to hormones being balanced and other discomforts alleviated (mental and physical). Tina always took the time to educate me with her knowledgeable advice and support throughout the long process. I really miss my visits with her and look forward to the day I have time for more treatments. Maybe some metabolism boosting acupuncture to lose this pregnancy weight:) read more

Tina is great. She tells you all about the differences between accupuncture as an ancient form of healing and 'western' medicine. She tells you what she's doing, why she's doing it and how you're being affected by it. So far, my experience has been amazing. I had a lot of trouble typing at work and my hands feel great now. Thank you Tina. read more