FAQs
FAQs
How long have you been practicing?
I have been practicing and learning for over 25 years and I have learned a lot during that time. My career has spanned not just the center I established but in several health care institutions, group practices, and medical schools. Currently, I am also a faculty member at AMC College in Miami, and a member of the Board of Directors, Acupuncturists Without Borders.
What exactly is Comprehensive Medical Acupuncture (CMA)?
CMA™
CMA is my creation. I think that this approach makes sense. CMA is a mind-body medicine approach based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Integrative-functional medicine (IFM). What that means is that the classical TCM examinations palpation, tongue, and pulse (and the patient’s life situation) are also guided by the Biochemistry of the patient.
Then, a multi-faceted treatment plan is undertaken utilizing, as appropriate, the “toolbox” of acupuncture and other modalities, as needed for the persons health and well-being.
What types of cases do you see generally speaking?
Although I see many people with Musculo-Skeletal disorders, injuries and conditions, my main areas of specialty are Stress-mood-pain and chronic disorders (such as diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s, immune, cancer, etc.) as well as infertility in men and women.
How many sessions do I need to significantly improve my health care situation?
This of course depends on the health situation of the person and level of severity. For example, a weekend-warrior with a back strain who is otherwise healthy, may need only one session. However, for one given recurrent condition that has lasted more than 6 months, the gold standard is 5 to 8 sessions. That does not mean that more sessions won’t be needed in the future. It means that there was significant improvement in the health of the patient. Moreover, in my clinical and research experience I believe that there is a maximum level of efficacy of 18 sessions. But no one gets to 18 treatment plan sessions if there has been no adequate improvement during the initial 5. Now, I have many patients that I have been seeing for years. They come for wellness visits 3 or 4 times per year. Or to take care of a flareup. Or here and there. Because it is part of their lifestyle to keep themselves destressed and healthy.
Does the Sifre Center bill health insurance?
Yes and No. We accept some Medicare Advantage plans and some insurance plans that have Out of Network acupuncture benefits and that guarantee our fee for service. However, what we don’t accept is that an insurance plan reimburses us less than what our itemized fee is. And this can be a problem for the patient since the patient is responsible for whatever the insurance did not pay. So in other to mitigate this huge problem of the health care insurance system, we provide you with the option of a 20% discount Treatment Series of 5 or 8 sessions as a “Package” and with an Itemized Health Insurance Super Bill that you then directly submit.