Welcome to the acupuncture practice of John Ditmars, LAc.

Acupuncture is a healing method from traditional Chinese medicine that uses very thin, sterile needles inserted into specific points on the body. The goal is to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes, improve energy flow, and support physical and emotional balance.

Many people use acupuncture to reduce pain, lower stress, improve sleep, support digestion, and help with general wellness. The needles typically cause little to no discomfort, and treatments are designed to help the body function more smoothly and efficiently.

Many people enter their first ever acupuncture session feeling quite nervous about needles, and the vast majority end up being just fine with it by the end of the treatment. While acupuncture might yield some strange “heavy” or “dull ache” sensations, only on occasion do we get a true “ouch” response when a needle enters a point, but that is almost always a very short-lived sensation.

There is no concrete answer to that question other than it all depends on the severity of the complaints and how long the patient has been dealing with them. As a general rule, the more severe or more chronic the problem, the more treatments it might take.

However, sometimes there are moderate enough cases that cause a lot of pain and discomfort, that are resolved in one or two treatments. Many chronic conditions will require several treatments. This all depends on what is presented at the time.

The best combination of points and applications is chosen to fit the treatment, therefore the timing is determined by the condition and the constitutional strength of the patient. Depending on what is being addressed, a treatment could last an hour or an hour and a half.

Initial treatments last between 90 and 120 minutes. In general, the duration of John’s follow-up treatments is between 60 and 90 minutes. One big difference you may notice, when compared to most acupuncturists’ styles, John is with you for much of the treatment time.

It is best that you do not eat too much before the treatment, but it is also important not to arrive for a treatment when you are feeling hungry. So please take the time to have some food in your stomach within about an hour of your treatment. Please arrive wearing either loose gym shorts or underwear on the bottom half. For women, please wear a bra or sports bra, in order for all necessary acupuncture points to be accessed. You will also be provided with a draping to respect modesty and ensure your comfort. If you are having a first treatment, please arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork if you have not already filled out the paperwork provided through the website. 

It is advised that you take it easy for the rest of the day after an acupuncture treatment. You should also drink a good amount of clean water in order to help flush released toxins from your body. If you have had some trigger points released, you may feel sore for several hours or even a bit the next day. Sometimes you may even be left with a small bruise from an inserted needle. One thing a person can do is apply some arnica cream to those areas, which can help reduce the bruising or soreness. John may also provide you with an application of liniments that can calm the post-needling aches.​

Cupping can sometimes leave marks on the back or any other parts of the body that were cupped. These bruised-looking spots may take a few days to disappear entirely. It is advised that you keep your body covered and warm over the next few days after being cupped, and do not shower for 3 hours after being cupped.

If you arrive late, I cannot push your treatment’s ending time forward – that wouldn’t be fair to other patients. I do require 24 hours notice for cancellations, aside from emergencies. All cancellations within 24 hours of the scheduled treatment will require payment in full. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late, you will be responsible for covering a missed appointment without 24 hours notice. That being said, I’m very understanding of emergency situations, so the honor system must be utilized once we’re within the 24 hour mark.

If you have a cold or flu, please be sure to let me know right away, as I prefer NOT to treat anyone with a contagious illness such as common colds and flu. The treatment room easily becomes a place for spreading such illnesses to other patients. Thanks!

I keep them on par with most massage therapists as I charge a flat rate fee. The first sessions are booked for two hours, and the rate is currently $175. Follow-up sessions are booked for 90 minutes, and the fee is $130.

John does not accept any insurance, but he does provide every patient with a thoroughly coded and documented Super Bill, which allows the patient to send to their insurance company for direct reimbursement.

Trigger point needling stems from Classical Chinese Medicine, in which tight “knots” and bands of muscle, which are often responsible for pain and organ dysfunction, show orthopedic-minded acupuncturists.

If your insurance plan does not cover acupuncture but does, in fact, cover Dry Needling, and you have been referred to the clinic for Dry Needling, then your Super Bill will have appropriate Dry Needling codes checked off for you to present to your insurance provider. The referring physicians and insurance companies should be well aware that Dry Needling is absolutely in the Scope of Practice for all acupuncturists.