Aliso Viejo company offers modern, comfortable approach to acupuncture

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (KABC) -- It's increasing in popularity, but there are still a lot of misconceptions about acupuncture. Now, one company is trying out a new approach to change that.

It's located in a busy Aliso Viejo strip mall and is an oasis of calm.

"This is great. It's really nice," Jaclyn Mino said.

It's a spa experience, but with a point.

"We're doing what they've been doing for thousands of years. We're just making it a little more approachable and a little more convenient," said Chad Meisinger, with Modern Acupuncture.

The company's new storefront is a new chapter in the ancient practice of acupuncture.

Bret Elington, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine said it works.

"It's extremely effective. Some people experience pain relief in a matter of seconds," he said.

Strategically placed needles can help stimulate blood flow, oxygen and feel-good hormones. Studies show it can help alleviate pain, stress, insomnia and other ailments.

Yet, many are afraid to try acupuncture.

Meisinger said only three percent of Americans have tried acupuncture because of a stigma regarding the needles.

"We only use the points from the elbows, down to the knees and face and head area," he said.

In this modern approach, clients get to keep their clothes on.

"You take your shoes off. You sit back in a nice chair, you listen to some peaceful music. It's wonderful, it's actually a very pleasant experience," customer Neil Sinay, of Ladera Ranch, said.

This clinic is part of a chain, with more clinics planned in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

The walk-in price is $89 per session, but they offer memberships and other incentives for lower priced packages.

But developer Chad Meisinger said the biggest selling point is convenience.

"By bringing it front-and-center in a high-traffic area, I think it's allowing people to take a chance and realize that it's not a big a deal," he said.

The goal is to get one of these clinics within a 3- to 5-mile reach of every person.

You would think that would threaten other smaller acupuncture businesses, but Modern Acupuncture said that's not the goal.

Ellington said it would inject new life into the acupuncture industry.

"I think it's going to help acupuncture to become more ingrained in our culture and not a last resort," he said.