Some of you might remember when I first started using an online calendar service - to be completely honest, at the time I was really nervous. What if something went wrong and my schedule gets messed up? What if I'm over scheduled or underscheduled? What if my patients hate it? So many worries! Well, it actually turned out to be a great relieft for me and seems like it is a convience for most of you!

For those of you that didn't find the online calendar useful, it seemed to be a Visibook issue. In hopes to rectify this, I've started working with a new calendar provider. Now you can view, book and manage your appointments by simply going to the "Book Appointments" page at www.ManhattanSportsAcupuncture.com. 

You can also save and use this link to go to my patient portal page directly: https://ManhattanSportsAcupuncture.as.me/

Below I have provided a step-by-step walk through the new calendar system. I hope this gives you a good idea of what the new system looks like and how to navigate through it.Some. Please let me know if you have an questions or comments.

1.  Go to www.ManhattanSportsAcupuncture.com and click on the Book Appointments tab.

2.  Click on 1 Hour Appt. If you want to book a longer appointment, please email or text      appointments@ManhattanSportsAcupuncture.com or 347-948-3533 directly to arrange this.

3.  Click on Any available.

4.  Choose the date you would like to come in, using the navigation buttons at the top of the calendar. Once you have found the day you want, click on the time you want to come in.

5.  Once you click on the time you want, a drop down box will appear. Click on Continue

6.  Fill out the form completely.

7.  Click on Complete Appointment.

 8.  You will see a final confirmation of your appointment. You can even have it added to your iCal/Outlook/Google calendars. You can also register for an account too. This will allow you to confirm, reschedule, and cancel your appointments. Just click on Register for an Account

9.  You can also sign-in to your account on the very first page, just click on Log in

10.   Once you sign-in, you will be able to see all of your upcoming and past appointments.

Play with the calendar a little bit and please don't hesitate to let me know of any glitches you come across. Look forward to seeing you soon!

Facial rejuvination acupuncture is a specific type of acupuncture treatment focused on improving the condition and appearance of the face and complexion. Often referred to as a "non-surgical" facelift, this type of treatment uses the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine to specially improve circulation, moisture, radiance and muscle tone.

In recent years, facial rejuviantion acupuncture has become more popular as people are looking for non-surgical, non-invasive options to improve their appearance. So far, a few styles of facial rejuvination acupuncture have become more readily available in the US.

However these styles have not been very compelling to me. They often claim visible results require at least 10 sessions; they often require a lot of needles to be inserted in the face - and you know when I say they are using a lot of needles, they are using a lot of needles; and currently these types of treatments are often provided in a beauty salon type setting, which for me is not sterile enough for acupuncture. For these and other reasons, I had not pursued adding these services to my practice.

Then in the spring of this year, I had the opportunity to learn from master practitioner Ooasa Sensei (Ooasa is her name, sensei is the title for a teacher) while studying abroad in Kyoto, Japan.

Ooasa Sensei's style of facial rejuvination treatment is quick, efficient, and produced visibly noticable results immediately in the face of our beautiful 24 year young lady who volunteered to be our class model. I honestly didn't think anything meaningful could be done because she is so young and has beautiful skin. However, after a quick demonstration - not even a full treatment, our class model's facial shape became more symetrical, areas of swelling reduced, and her complexion became more even and luminous. And I was sold.

Now you can experience Ooasa-style facial rejuvination at Manhattan Sports Acupuncture.

Here are a few examples of before and after pictures from my class in Kyoto and some pictures of my lovely friends. (Thank you for permission to use your photos!!)

You might have noticed a range of new products available on the market touting health benefits from an infusion of CBD. Based on my own research and experimention, I have decided to start using a CBD infused massage oil in my own work. Of course anyone can request non-CBD oil and I am more than happy to accomodate you. However, before you opt-out of CBD, why not learn a little more about it?

In order for you to make an informed decision, I have pulled to together some information about CBD generally and about the massage oil I now have in my practice.

What is CBD?
CBD is Cannabidiol, a compound derived from Cannabis. CBD has been shown in clinical studies to effectively treat several conditions. These conditions include:

• inflammation
• pain
• anxiety
• psychosis
• seziures
• spasms

Will CBD intoxicate me?
Unlike THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol, CBD is not pyscho-active and does not cause the lethergy or diphoria associated with Cannabis use.

Due to the various legal statuses of cannabis in different parts of the US, products that include both THC and CBD can be found on the market. Patients who do not want to experience the effects of THC should take care and look for products with CDB only - which is legal nationally.

Will CBD cause me to fail a drug screening test?
Fortunately, the urine drug screening for THC is known to have very little cross-reactivity to CBD which is good news for "normal" consumers of CBD products. That said, individuals using unusually large doses of CBD (above 1,000 mg/day) could theoretically test positive during the initial urianary screening. In this case, a confirmatory test can determine presence of THC specifically.

What should I know about the CBD massage oil you use?
The brand I am currently using is CBD Clinic Analgesic Massage Oil Level 3. This FDA-registered massage oil combines topical anagesics with CDB formulated to faciliate deeper and faster absorption of pain-relieveing compounds. These compounds penetrate pain receptors in the body to interrupt pain signals. Level 3 is formulated with organic Jojoba seed oil infused with menthol 15% and camphor 5% and CBD-rich hemp oil.

Why are you including CBD massage oil in your practice?
There are three main reasons I have decided to include CBD topical oils in my practice. First, almost all of my patients are dealing with one or multiple issues related to inflammation, pain or anxiety - based on my research, I think nearly all would benefit from the effects of topical CBD oil use. Secondly, use of CBD will also help patients manage the post-treatment soreness that comes from trigger point release. Finally, a reduction in anxiety will help patients' nervouse systems enter a parasympathetic state, working synergistically with the acupuncture to speed healing and reduce pain.

As always, I will continue to seek out and research the best tools to help you accomplish your goals.