Gone are the days where you’d have to book an appointment months in advance to see your acupuncturist—and then wait even longer for reimbursement from your insurance for this “luxury” treatment. Area 25, a network of new acupuncture clinics, has landed in New York City and hopes to change the way consumers access acupuncture.
Located within Lina.Co, a B2B wellness destination where practitioners can rent spaces, Area 25 recently opened in Manhattan’s NoMad and Grand Central neighborhoods. In 2018, Robert MacDonald, DAc, Lac, LMT, joined forces with Amy Diaz, a Harvard business graduate, to reimagine the way people understand and receive acupuncture through multiple location clinics, community events, pop-ups, partnerships, and more. Area 25 aims to acknowledge and preserve the origin of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice while thoughtfully infusing technology to provide a higher level of care and create a seamless experience for clients.
With more than 25 years of experience as an acupuncturist and Master healer, MacDonald utilized his experience to hand select a team of highly trained practitioners to deliver Area 25’s personalized and results-driven experiences. Since the brand prides itself of the one-service model, centered on just acupuncture, Area 25 practitioners are experts of their craft and are able to administer treatments without having to upsell add-ons or retail items.
A 45-minute acupuncture session costs $85, but Area 25 does accept FSA and HSA dollars. Prior to your treatment, your practitioner will take your pulse and look at your tongue, two standard practices in TCM to get a holistic understanding of your overall health. The strength, speed, and quality of your pulse, in addition to the color, coating, and shape of your tongue, will help your practitioner asses the function of your internal organs. The practice utilizes hair-thin, single-use needles that gently puncture the skin with a simple light tap to help you relax. As an added bonus, you can add sensory experiences such as sound or scent to amplify your treatment. Each treatment ends with complementary Ear Seeds, tiny stickers made from surgical adhesive tape and small, hypoallergenic metal balls, strategically placed on specific pressure points on the ear to increase the benefits of the treatment long after your treatment ends.
American Spa got to experience an acupuncture treatment from Dr. MacDonald at Area 25’s Grand Central location. Tap through our Spa Tours Instagram Highlight for behind the scenes action.
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