The Finest Needles in Town

Media Platforms Design Team

Courtesy of Olo Acupuncture

Instead of a yoga class, or a doctor's appointment, Yuka Hagiwara and Michael Waterman, offer something in between the two—community-style acupuncture.

"They didn't do private rooms..." started Waterman, "in ancient China," chimed in Hagiwara, his partner and wife. Together, the two opened Olo Acupuncture in New York City's Chelsea nearly a year ago. Part medicine, part therapy, part meditation, the clinic emphasizes group treatments, rather than boutique-style sessions that have become so popular in America. Their style is closer to the origins of acupuncture, and allows them to keep the prices affordable. (At $40 a session, it just may be the best deal in town)

The space smells of their custom-made concoction of lemon, orange, lavender, and cedar wood and is filled with reclining chairs that might be mistaken for pedicure chairs were they raised a bit higher—but there's nothing cosmetic about the experience. Patients fill out an in-depth questionnaire about conditions ranging from painful periods to migraines to general malaise. It's no wonder 70 percent of their clientele are women: acne, rosacia, hives, weight loss, the list of preventative and sustained treatment, especially for chronic conditions, goes on and on.

One woman came in for help with sleeplessness and left with a regular cycle, something she hadn't had for years. Another, who had been on and off of anti-psychotics and anti-depressants most of her life, found relief and support in her sessions with Hagiwara, who has been studying the theory and practice since she was a little girl.

Hagiwara offers a sense of calm to even the biggest skeptics with her down-to-earth demeanor. The space isn't tricked out with New Age music or hippie-dippie art; it's calm, clean, and comforting. So much so that the thought of being poked with needles is almost enticing. Forced to lie still for about 25 minutes, you fall in and out of sleep, in a haze. When you're ready, Hagiwara takes out the needles and, two days later, calls to check up.

"If you need surgery, don't go to your acupuncturist," Waterman said. But if you're having trouble sleeping, it's worth popping in before reaching for the Ambien.

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