New York College of Health Professions

161 Madison Ave, Acupuncture Clinic– Clean, conveniently located near trains, the students, professor and woman at the front desk are all SO warm, friendly and knowledgable. They have helped me with so many different issues. Acupuncture is what’s up– so therapeutic, and you can’t beat the price here.

OH WOW A REVIEW FROM A MASSIVE SKEPTIC. I’ve been going their acupuncture clinic at the 161 Madison Ave location for a few weeks and I already have seen improvements in the migraine headaches (among a billion other health issues, hi) that sent me here in the first place — thanks to another Unilocal person telling me this place was the shit, yay, thanks Unilocal!
It’s a no-​frills clinic that is way more clinic than pan-​flutes-​and-​soft-​lights spa or collective hippie drum circle or however else one could describe the typical white people acupuncture spots (no offense, hippies, I love you), but the people are about a thousand times warmer and more lovely than the fluorescent lights and efficient décor would imply. The woman who runs the front desk is absolutely charming and lovely and bubbly, so you automatically feel comfortable in spite of staring down the prospect of many wee needles all up in your… chi? Seriously this woman reminds me of every wonderful auntie I’ve met since being absorbed into an east coast Italian-​American family, so maybe I’m biased, but if she doesn’t make you feel comfortable then you need to reconsider your values (and possibly purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka)(look it up). The student interns are lovely and personable in spite of being quite serious about what they’re doing, and the supervisor who comes in to observe and adjust needle placement is who I would want to be my grandfather if I was granted a free grandfather.
I’m a proud skeptic, I was raised by an old school western physician (HI MOM!), and I’ve been through probably every western medical option for all the generally scary health shit my body is trying to do to. I went to another (white people hippie style) acupuncture clinic briefly and had a lovely time with a fabulously caring and compassionate practitioner, but never experienced actual diminishment of the health problems that had brought me there. I decided to try this spot kind of out of desperation after several years of 2 – 4 migraine headaches a week. No, for real, not «I had to take a whole Excedrin!» migraines, I mean the oxycontin barely takes the edge off, triptans hardly work kind of migraines. And holy fuck I haven’t had a migraine in weeks, and (TMI but whatever) the student intern told me she wanted to sort out my irregular periods, which she seems to have done. Like a fucking WIZARD! I don’t know how or why it works but I know going here has markedly improved my quality of life and to me, THAT IS AMAZING AND WORTHY OF SEVERAL PARADES AT LEAST. I mean I’ve had migraine headaches since I was 3. This is huge. CONNIE IS A WIZARD. Remember that and if you meet her, tell her I told you that. Thanks!
And let’s just talk about how inexpensive treatment is at this spot.
This is one of those special and rare times when you get more than what you paid for. In New York. True story. I love my fancy specialists, but for $ 30 I can have zero migraines for weeks and that’s something not even my fancy (as in $$$$$$) neurologist could make happen in spite of many, many pharmaceuticals and years of trying.
Also, it’s in the same building as my dentist and periodontist. So that feels somehow convenient… And I’m not sure how that affects YOU, person reading this, unless you’re looking for acupuncture AND teeth help, in which case, yesssss you’re welcome.
TL;DR = looks like your typical, sterile medical office, but is populated by many magical wizards who will make you feel better and treat you like your family would if your family was a bunch of acupuncturist wizards. AND THE PRICE IS RIGHT. Get your ass in there, tell them Gail sent you, remind them I’m the one who calls them wizards (ESPECIALLY CONNIE), why yes you’re welcome.
Edited to add: They have priceless artwork hanging in the waiting room. No joke. And the lovely woman at the front desk will tell you about it if you’re an art nerd like me and you ask. Seriously legit pop art stuff happening there, and because the staff is such a friendly bunch of lovely people, they’ll take the time to drop some pop art knowledge on you, and you will leave feeling better AND smarter. You’re welcome!

I went there a few months ago, I believe I was charged $ 35 for a 60-​minute massage. There was no tips involved. I like that because I get the same deal in Chinatown, but not only I feel bad for the (probably illegal) workers there, I also feel pressured to tip a fair amount.
I plan to go back again in the new year.
***My only request is for the room to have dimmable light, it is not easy to relax under fluorescent light.