Care here is a course, not a drop-in.
When you come to Makari Wellness, you’re not booking a session — you’re enrolling in a structured course of care designed to actually resolve the pattern behind your condition. Here’s what that commitment looks like, by track, so you arrive ready.
This medicine works cumulatively — so half a course is no course.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are dose-dependent. A single visit can ease a symptom, but lasting change comes from a series of treatments delivered closely enough together that each one builds on the last. Patients who come sporadically receive a sub-therapeutic dose, see modest results, and conclude the medicine didn’t work — when in truth they never completed a real course.
That’s why our programs front-load treatment (typically twice weekly at the start) and then taper as your body holds the change. Requiring the commitment isn’t a sales policy. It’s us refusing to let you fail at half-dose. We reserve our limited time and space for patients who are ready to commit to themselves — it’s what produces the results our reviews describe.
Four steps, and you’re underway.
Understand the approach
Read how classical Chinese medicine reads your whole system, not a lab printout. This is the lens everything else follows from.
Book your initial evaluation
A 60–90 minute classical assessment. We diagnose the pattern, determine whether we’re a good fit, and design your program.
Receive your plan
At the end of that first visit we lay out your recommended course — the track, the schedule, what’s included, and the investment.
Enroll in your program
If you choose to proceed, your initial fee applies to your program. We get to work — on a schedule, with a clear arc.
Each track is priced to the time and modalities it requires.
Every program is built from your initial diagnosis. Packages are discounted against single-visit rates and reflect the realistic course a given track requires. You’re treated by Michael himself — never handed to an assistant.
Orthopedic / Sports Medicine
A multi-modality program combining orthopedic dry-needling, Active Release Technique, e-stim, cupping, and a complete functional-movement rehab plan. Most see the difference in a single visit; most conditions resolve within a course, and patients who finish their home program rarely need follow-ups.
Internal Medicine Program
For internal, fertility, and hormone conditions, where acupuncture opens the door and custom herbal medicine carries the treatment between visits. Chronic, internal patterns took time to form and unwind in phases — we front-load, then review and taper as your pattern shifts.
Neurological Program
For stroke, MS, Parkinson’s, neuropathy, and TBI recovery — combining scalp acupuncture, the XNKQ stroke system, electro-acupuncture, and herbal support to stimulate circulation and neuroplasticity. Progress is gradual and built over sustained, consistent treatment.
The first 90 days after a neurological event are the highest-yield treatment window. The brain’s capacity for cortical remapping and the sprouting of new axonal connections — the mechanisms that allow function to return — are most available in this period. Treatment density must be highest here; earlier presentation consistently produces better outcomes. That said, we have produced meaningful results in patients who came to us years after their incident. Early care is highly recommended, not a requirement to benefit.
The clinical standard for this track: a minimum of 10 sessions before evaluating outcomes. Intensive scheduling — morning and evening on three days per week — during the acute phase. Frequency arc: sessions 1–10 at 3×/week; sessions 11–15 at 2×/week; sessions 16–20 at 1×/week. Rest 1–2 months, then repeat the course.
Vision / Eye Program
Micro Acupuncture 48 (M48) with classical herbal formulas for macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and related conditions. Each program includes a month of custom herbs; healing often begins within the first several treatments.
The visual pathway — retina and visual cortex — reorganizes most readily in the first 90 days following a vision-affecting event. Treatment density is highest at the start of care; earlier presentation consistently produces better outcomes. For chronic and degenerative conditions, intensive repeatable courses continue to produce results at any stage. Treatment follows the same schedule arc as our neurological program: intensive scheduling — morning and evening on three days per week — tapering as the condition stabilizes.
Individual & Remote Services
Herbal medicine consultations, telemedicine visits, and online care for patients at a distance or maintaining herbal protocols between or beyond in-person programs. The best diagnosis happens in-clinic — but structured video and online consults let us build or adjust your formula remotely.
The Initial Evaluation
A 60–75 minute initial examination. In most cases we also treat during this visit — to give you a clear sense of what care feels like, and because only by palpating your pulses, abdomen, or musculature and fascial chains can we accurately assess and characterize an internal or physical condition. We don’t work off a Western label alone; we examine why you, specifically, are presenting this way, and how your organ systems are interacting to produce it.
Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine are separate clinical specialties requiring separate visits. Each involves different examination methods and clinical time — they are not combined into a single appointment.
Every patient receives access to our general dietary recommendations library and a complete physical and structural rehabilitation program — including mobility, stability, and motor control progressions. Many include instructional videos for home practice, with in-office corrections available at each visit.
Before you book
Why do you require treatment twice a week?
Because the medicine is cumulative. Treatments spaced too far apart never reach a therapeutic dose, and the gains from one visit fade before the next. Front-loading the schedule is what allows the underlying pattern to actually shift — it’s the difference between a course of care and a series of disconnected appointments.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not bill insurance — most of the conditions we treat and the combination of therapies we use aren’t covered. We do accept HSA and FSA accounts, and provide superbills you may submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. We accept some personal-injury liens where fault is established, on a case-by-case basis, and MedPay for immediate reimbursement (not on attorney lien).
Can I book a consultation first, instead of an exam?
An honest diagnosis requires an examination — we need to palpate your pulse and abdomen and read the full picture before we can speak to your condition. So we don’t offer standalone consults. You’re welcome to email a brief outline of your situation through our contact page and we’ll give a brief response; if we don’t believe we can help, we’ll tell you, and we won’t charge you for the visit.
How should I prepare for my first visit?
Wear loose, comfortable clothing that can reveal the knees, elbows, back, and abdomen. Orthopedic and sports-medicine patients should be ready to perform basic movements. Bring all pertinent medical information — MRI reports, OCT scans, and similar. Eat a good meal beforehand, complete your paperwork online ahead of time (on a computer or tablet, not a phone), and arrive about 10 minutes early so you’re not rushed.
Are herbs included in the program?
It depends on the program. Vision and neurological courses include a month of custom Chinese herbal formula per 10 treatments — herbs are the only consumable included. For internal medicine and telemedicine, herbal formulas are prescribed to your pattern and billed separately, typically $125–$200 per month depending on what’s required.
What if I genuinely can’t afford care?
We believe everyone deserves good health and we understand financial hardship — we have a family too. If you can’t afford treatment and believe you have something of value to offer in exchange, reach out through our contact page and we may be able to reach an arrangement.
What exactly is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a core branch of Classical Chinese Medicine that uses the precise placement of fine, sterile needles at specific points on the body to influence the flow of qi — the body’s vital energy — through a network of channels called meridians. When qi flows smoothly and the body’s systems are in balance, health is the natural result. When that flow is blocked, deficient, or excessive, symptoms arise. Acupuncture works to restore that balance gently and systematically.
For patients with eye conditions, we offer Micro Acupuncture 48 (MA48) — a 48-point microsystem developed by Dr. Andy Rosenfarb that maps the entire body onto the hands and feet to address conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy.
Does acupuncture hurt?
This is the question we hear most often, and the honest answer is: not the way most people expect. Acupuncture needles are hair-thin — nothing like a hypodermic needle used for injections. Most patients feel a brief moment of mild pressure or a dull, achy, or tingling sensation as the needle connects with the acupuncture point. That sensation, called de qi, is a sign that the point is activated. Many patients find the experience deeply relaxing and fall asleep on the table.
What conditions can acupuncture and Chinese medicine address?
Chinese medicine is a complete medical system, not a specialty for a single condition. We work with a wide range of presentations, including musculoskeletal pain (neck, back, shoulder, knee, sciatica, and sports injuries), headaches and migraines, digestive complaints, hormonal and reproductive health, anxiety, stress, depression, sleep disturbances, fatigue, neurological conditions including stroke recovery and tinnitus, and ophthalmic conditions including dry eye, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy.
We do not claim to cure or diagnose disease. What we offer is a thorough assessment of your pattern — the constellation of symptoms that is uniquely yours — and a treatment plan designed around that pattern. Chinese medicine works best as part of a collaborative approach alongside your primary care team.
Can I use my HSA or FSA?
Yes — acupuncture is a qualified medical expense under most Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plans. We accept HSA and FSA cards directly at time of service.
A few things to know before you book.
- —Makari Wellness is a time-of-service clinic. Payment is collected at each visit.
- —We do not accept insurance or personal injury (PI) cases. A superbill can be provided the following day for self-submission to your insurer.
- —HSA and FSA cards accepted directly at time of service.
- —All pre-paid packages are non-refundable once treatment has begun.
- —Patients traveling from out of area may schedule intensive visits (up to 2× per day).
Ready to commit to yourself?
Book your initial evaluation and let’s find out, honestly, whether we can help — and if we can, exactly what the path looks like.