Acupuncture is an evidence-based treatment that involves inserting sterile, thin (0.12mm – 0.45mm) filiform needles into specific anatomical points throughout the body to stimulate natural healing. For pain management and rehabilitation, acupuncture helps:

• Desensitize the nervous system
• Increase local blood circulation
• Reduce inflammation
• Promote tissue healing

Herbs can be a powerful adjunct to acupuncture care. They are used to strengthen, build and support the body or to clear it of excess problems like a cold, fever or acute pain. Your practitioner may suggest starting with herbs and then adding acupuncture to your treatment in the future. This is suggested to build up your internal strength so you can receive the full benefits acupuncture has to offer.

With HSD and hypermobility, there’s no honest one-size-fits-all answer — and we’d rather be straightforward with you than give you a number that doesn’t reflect your reality.

Our Foundations Program is a focused 4-month program with formal progress reviews every 30 days. If we aren’t seeing meaningful clinical progress at any point — we’ll say so and discuss whether continuing makes sense for you.

Most patients begin noticing changes within the first few weeks. What we can promise is that you’ll always know where you stand and what the next step looks like.

For patients who complete Foundations and benefit from continued care, we offer the Transition Program and Stability Program — structured pathways designed to maintain and build on your progress over the long term.

Initial Consultation: $30 (30-45 minutes)

Your first visit includes:

• Comprehensive intake and health history review
• Physical examination
• Treatment options discussion
• Personalized program recommendations
• Q&A session

Treatment Programs:

Pricing varies based on condition complexity and program duration (typically 1 month to 6 months).

Performance DNA is currently out-of-network with insurance providers. We provide superbills after each visit that you can submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement — many plans offer partial coverage for acupuncture and integrative medicine services. We recommend contacting your provider directly to verify your benefits.

Our programs:

• Foundations Program — from $400/month
• Stability Program — from $195/month

Individual visits:

• Initial Consultation — $130
• Individual Treatment — $130

All programs include formal progress reviews every 30 days. If we aren’t seeing meaningful clinical progress together, we’ll discuss whether continuing makes sense for you.

• Clothing: wear clothes that are easily removeable and that you can move in. We will need access to the affected or injured area. 
• Food/drink: Make sure you are hydrated. If possible, avoid skipping a meal or consuming an overly large meal immediately before treatment

Both acupuncture and dry needling are considered extremely safe treatments. While no medical procedure is entirely risk-free, serious complications are exceptionally rare.

Safety Statistics:

• Infection or pneumothorax risk: approximately 0.0001% of cases
• Common mild side effects: temporary soreness, minor bleeding, or bruising at needle sites

Dry needling is a therapeutic technique with roots in both Western and Eastern medicine traditions.

Western Perspective:

First termed in the early 1980s, dry needling initially focused on treating trigger points using beveled-needle syringes without injectates (hence “dry”). Modern dry needling uses acupuncture needles to address various neuromusculoskeletal conditions beyond trigger points.

Chinese Medicine Perspective:

Dry needling evolved from “ashi needling,” a palpation-based technique. Practitioners locate and needle tender points that either reproduce or alleviate the patient’s symptoms.

The distinction between acupuncture and dry needling isn’t always clear-cut due to overlapping mechanisms. For an in-depth comparison, read our detailed blog post on acupuncture vs. dry needling.

Quick Comparison:

• Acupuncture: Uses lighter stimulation, treats both local symptoms and underlying systemic conditions, often combined with tui na massage and herbal medicine
• Dry Needling: Typically uses stronger stimulation, focuses on the problematic region, integrated with bodywork, stretching, and strengthening exercises

Our Approach at Performance D.N.A.: We combine multiple modalities tailored to each individual, empowering you toward your health goals with personalized treatment plans.

Chinese herbal medicine is a cornerstone modality of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), featuring over 300 herbs combined into customized formulations.

How It Works:

• Formulas contain 5-15 individual herbs
• Prescriptions are based on your specific symptom patterns
• Formulations adjust as your condition improves
• Treatment continues until herbs are no longer needed

Zheng Gu Tui Na is a specialized Chinese medicine bodywork technique for orthopedic conditions. This therapeutic approach includes:

• Deep tissue massage
• Myofascial release
• Joint mobilization and manipulation
• Focus on optimal joint mechanics

Similar to chiropractic care, Zheng Gu Tui Na emphasizes proper joint alignment and function.

Active Release Technique is a targeted bodywork method that identifies and treats specific muscle areas with suboptimal function. The practitioner applies directional force while moving the muscle through its full range of motion, resulting in:

• Increased mobility
• Improved muscle activation
• Enhanced rehabilitation outcomes

Qi Gong (pronounced “chee gong”) translates to “conditioning” and combines physical movement with breathwork exercises.

At Performance D.N.A., we use Qi Gong to:

• Rehabilitate injuries
• Reintegrate injured areas into normal movement patterns
• Prevent future reinjury
• Improve overall body awareness and function

Both use the same thin filiform needles and share overlapping mechanisms — the distinction is less important than how your body responds to needling in general.

Some patients respond beautifully to needling. Others — particularly those with hypersensitive nervous systems — do better with manual therapy and movement-based approaches. We assess this at your first visit and build your care plan accordingly.

There’s no wrong answer. There’s only what works for your body.

Your first visit is a 60-minute consultation — no treatment, just conversation and assessment. We’ll review your health history, discuss your symptoms and goals, and take the time to understand how your body has been responding to daily life and previous treatments.

From there we’ll outline a clear care plan tailored to your presentation and walk you through what to expect going forward.

You’ll leave with answers, a direction, and a plan — not just another appointment scheduled.

Most treatment protocols are designed for bodies that respond predictably to stress and load. Hypermobile bodies don’t — and treating them the same way often makes things worse.

We start with gentle passive therapies to calm your nervous system before introducing any active rehabilitation. We progress slowly and deliberately, never pushing your connective tissue beyond what it can handle. And we plan for flares as part of your care — not as setbacks.

The goal isn’t just symptom relief. It’s building a body you can trust again.