Treated at all four Suffolk County offices
Frequent tension-type headaches are one of the conditions where a course of acupuncture has the clearest national guidance behind it. We treat them at four Suffolk County offices.
If you recognized yourself in more than one of those, that is enough to book. You do not need a diagnosis to come in, and you do not need a referral to start.
Most people do best on a combination. Your first visit sorts out which of these you actually need, and in what order.
The main treatment here, and the one with national guidance behind it. Usually a course of up to ten sessions over five to eight weeks.
Aimed at tight bands in the neck and shoulders that often come with these headaches. We use it alongside, and we are honest that the evidence for it is weaker.
Hands-on work on the neck and shoulder muscles, used to make the rest of the plan more comfortable rather than as a treatment on its own.
1
We work out the cause
A full history and a hands-on exam. We look at how you move, not only where it hurts, so the plan targets the thing driving the pain.
2
Treatment starts the same day
You are treated on the first visit in most cases. No waiting for a second appointment to begin.
3
We reassess as you go
We check progress at set points and adjust. If something is not working we change it or tell you honestly that we are not the right fit.
We accept The Empire Plan/NYSHIP, BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, Medicare and UnitedHealthcare, and other plans that have out-of-network coverage. We check your benefits before your first visit and tell you what you will owe, so nothing lands on you at the front desk.
We handle the billing. In most cases you pay a co-insurance amount at the visit and we take it from there.
Not every plan covers every service, and coverage depends on medical necessity. A few plans place us outside their network. When that happens we still file the claim for you and give you the cost in writing before you book.
Plans we accept
For frequent tension-type headaches a course of acupuncture is worth considering. Cochrane reviewers rated the evidence moderate quality and found that adding acupuncture to usual care helped more people cut their headache days by half, though the gap over simulated needling was modest. UK national guidance suggests up to ten sessions over five to eight weeks. Dry needling and hands-on work to the neck rest on weaker evidence, so we use them alongside rather than instead.
Source: Linde K, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2016. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Headaches in over 12s, CG150, 2012, updated 2025.
A sudden worst-ever headache, headache with fever and a stiff neck, new weakness, numbness or speech change, headache after a head injury, a new headache over age 50, or a headache that worsens lying flat needs urgent medical assessment. Daily headache with frequent painkiller use may be medication overuse headache and should be reviewed by a physician. Needling near the neck and upper chest carries a small risk of pneumothorax, which we will discuss with you.
With most plans you pay your co-insurance. We verify benefits before the first visit.
National guidance suggests up to ten over five to eight weeks. We review with you well before the end of that.
No, and the treatments differ. Part of the first visit is working out which you are actually dealing with, because plenty of people have both.
No.
A brief twitch or ache when the needle finds a tight spot, then a release. Most people find it very tolerable.
Four offices across Suffolk County. Call the one nearest you, or request an appointment and we will route it.
Tell us what is going on and we will get you in. Most plans accepted, and we check your coverage before you come.
Fill out our form below and let us know what times work best for you and what services you are interested in, and we will do our best to find a day and time that works for your schedule.
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Many patients find relief through more than one service as part of a single care plan.
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