Your first visit is where we get to know you and your body. We’ll start by reviewing your intake paperwork together, then discuss what brought you in and what you’re hoping to accomplish.
The physical exam includes:
- Postural analysis
- Active and passive range of motion testing
- Pulse and tongue diagnosis (Traditional Chinese Medicine assessment)
Once we’ve completed the exam, we’ll go over the findings with you, discuss your outcome goals, and create a treatment program tailored specifically to your needs.
The length of follow-up appointments depends on your treatment program. Each session typically includes a combination of:
- Needling (acupuncture and/or dry needling)
- Manual therapy
- Herbal prescriptions
We perform a formal routine re-evaluation to ensure we’re making appropriate progress toward your goals. This keeps us accountable and gives you clear milestones along the way.
We use a combination of traditional acupuncture and dry needling techniques based on your specific treatment plan.
What it feels like: The insertion is essentially painless—most people describe it as slight pressure or a pinch, similar to a mosquito bite. Once the needles reach the proper depth, you’ll typically feel a therapeutic sensation. This might be a “good hurt” aching feeling, a muscle twitch, or even a recreation of your familiar symptoms (which tells us we’ve found the right spot).
In some cases, we’ll add gentle electrical stimulation (similar to a TENS unit) to enhance the effect. Most of the sensation occurs while we’re actively working with the needles. After that, you’ll rest with the needles in place for 5-10 minutes while we apply red light therapy to boost the therapeutic response.
We combine needling with hands-on bodywork to offer a truly multi-modal approach. Our techniques include Zheng Gu Tui Na (Chinese orthopedic bodywork) and Active Release Technique®—similar to what you’d experience at many chiropractic and physical therapy clinics, but integrated directly with your needling treatment.
Herbal medicine is a core component of most treatment programs at Performance D.N.A. We use customized formulations—both internal and topical—to address the underlying factors that drive pain and slow healing.
Internal Herbal Formulas
Taken as powders or tablets, internal herbs work systemically to support your body’s healing capacity. We prescribe them to address:
- Systemic inflammation — reducing widespread inflammatory markers that contribute to chronic pain
- Metabolic imbalances — supporting blood sugar regulation, hormone balance, and energy production
- Sleep disruption — improving sleep quality, which is critical for tissue repair and pain management
- Digestive issues — optimizing gut health and nutrient absorption to fuel recovery
Many patients find that herbal formulas accelerate their progress significantly, especially when pain or dysfunction has roots beyond just the local injury site.
Topical Herbal Oils & Liniments
We also provide topical herbal solutions you can apply at home for:
- Localized pain relief — reducing discomfort between clinic visits
- Inflammation control — calming acute flare-ups
- Bruising and swelling — promoting faster resolution of trauma
Think of topicals as your at-home toolkit—they extend the benefits of your in-clinic treatment and give you an active role in your recovery.
Why Herbs Matter for Recovery
Pain rarely exists in isolation. Stress, poor sleep, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction all impact how quickly—and how completely—you heal. By addressing these factors with herbal medicine alongside needling and manual therapy, we create the optimal environment for your body to repair itself.
As you improve, we’ll incorporate movement-based therapies to:
- Continue your progress
- Reintegrate the injured or restricted area into normal function
- Create lasting change and prevent reinjury
Exercises are specific, efficient, and designed to fit into your daily routine.
Treatment programs typically range from 1 to 6 months, depending on the complexity of your condition and your outcome goals.
Some issues resolve quickly with just a few sessions. Others require a more structured, phased approach. We’ll be transparent with you from the start about what to expect.
