Beach Community Acupuncture

This is a good place to go if your pain level is more in the middle/​mild side. I severely hurt my left arm and bad swelling on my side of my body from a fall. I came here initially to try and help my body. I’d say it was working but very minimally. So before other people get confused like me I wanna share my experience. I’ve realized there are two different types of acupuncture therapists, people that treat mild things like you always have a stuffed nose or just little bit of back pain from bad posture. I’d say this place is great at doing the more mild symptoms but I don’t recommend this place if you have had a serious injury. You sit a huge room with almost up to 10 other people at a time. The therapist doesn’t really spend much time with you beyond sticking you with their needles. But their sessions are $ 20 dollars, like I said though you get what you pay for. There is a $ 10 initial start up fee, kinda odd the other places I’ve been never charged me to start being treated. So I realized after the 3^rd session this wasn’t getting me anywhere and I needed more one on one help that beach community just isn’t set up to deliver. I recommend Acusport highly, their treatments are bit more expensive but they are 2 hours verse just the 1 hour here. You get to be in private room on heated exam table. The Doc gives you a complete exam and consultation before he does any type of treatment. They also include massage into their sessions. You get to speak privately with the therapist about your issues before anything starts. Beach Community is good and will help but make sure you evaluate your situation before you start spending money like I did!

I love Beach Community Acupuncture! I’ve been here a few times for treatments and they have been incredibly relaxing and effective in treating my issues. I have received treatments from both Nicole and Mary, who are both professional, knowledgeable and wonderful personalities. The community acu setting is calming and relaxing and I love that I can get regular acupuncture on a flexible schedule at an affordable rate. I recommend BCA to everyone, even my own clients!

Mary and Nicole are so experienced and SO kind. The space is really relaxing and quiet and I am always able to make an appointment online when I need one. They provide an amazing service for the community.

This has been my first experience with acupuncture, so I do not have anything to compare it to, but I have had such a great experience coming here the past couple weeks! It is so peaceful and calm right when you walk through the door. You really don’t even notice that there are other people sitting in the same room as you! Plus you cannot beat the price! I have only seen Mary, but she does a great job and is very knowledgeable about how to help you with your ailments. I came in for anxiety and tension headaches and I could completely feel a difference when I left. Sometimes you don’t even realize how much tension you have until you release it. I use yoga and reflexology to help calm my nerves and I am so excited that I found another natural way to help manage my stress. I would highly recommend this to anyone who needs some attention to something specific in your life and you do not want to turn to western medicine. Mary even put some little beads in my ear that last about week that are supposed to help calm your central nervous system. Pretty cool stuff!

I love this place so much. I was a little sad when they moved to the rosecranz address as I miss being able to ride my bike over. But the parking is better and the place is beautiful. The only thing I would change is installing darker curtains so it’s easier to chill. But you can’t get better than this for best deal for your money and they have always helped me with acute pain and are affordable enough for weekly tune-​ups!!! All the ladies are fantastic.

Appointments are easy to make! I’ve used their online and phone in options. I prefer online, it’s easy to see what days they’re open, who’s in and what spots are available.
Parking is a snap! There are a few spots next to the building, plenty of street 2-​hour spots on their block, and if you feel like taking longer in the neighborhood park on Talbot St. (non-​timed street parking).
I have consistently walked out of here feeling so much better and only felt that the days after my appointments.

What an amazing place. I’ve struggled with low back pain from my office job, and Mary helped in just one session! I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Who says you have to live with arthritis? You don’t! This was my first acupuncture experience. They are quick and effective. 8 recliner chairs in the room, ambience music, everybody is very quiet. I mostly fall asleep during the 1 hour treatment. After 1 month, the pain in my finger joints was gone. Multiple treatments are possible, for example you can have a stress treatment at the same time!

First time with acupuncture… amazing, relaxing and would recommend it to all. I came in for morning sickness and hope to sign my BF up for help with his battle to quit smoking.

I’ve been going here for treatment of my jaw clenching and migraines. It has been a great experience so far. This was my first time trying acupuncture and it seems to be helping after 2 weeks. I was very afraid of needles (I’ve fainted on more than one occasion) and Mary was very gentle and it was not painful. Going to a community place allowed me to attend more treatments since the cost was significantly cheaper. I would definitely recommend this place to friends!

BCA is the BEST! Nicole and her team are so incredible supportive and attentive; you feel immediately welcomed and at ease from the moment you enter the space. You can’t beat the price, but the BENEFITS are the true gift. Nicole has done wonders on me… from healing a broken back to helping with fertility and pregnancy, I can’t recommend BCA highly enough. GO THERE NOW!

I cannot say enough positive things about Beach Community Acupuncture! I’ve gone there multiple times, as has my husband, and we’ve both referred friends time and time again. My most positive experiences with this place have happened during the two times that I was pregnant. In 2011, when I was pregnant with our daughter, the midwife found that she was breech — this was a few days before it would be almost too late to flip her. She recommended that I visit Nicole at BCA. I did and she was SO helpful. I did two sessions of acupuncture and she provided some moxy herbs that I could burn next to the right pressure point in between visits. I never felt the baby flip, but she did… about 5 days later I went back to visit the midwife and the baby was the right direction. I was able to deliver naturally with no c-​section thanks to Nicole! Fast forward to fall 2014 and the SAME THING happened with our little boy. He was breech, the doctor didn’t think that acupuncture would help, and he offered to schedule a version or have me schedule a c-​section. I told him I’d wait. I visited Nicole and after our session she gave me some moxy to burn again. That was on a Wednesday, and Saturday night I ended up in the emergency room and the doctor said that I needed to be induced. My biggest fear was that it had only been 3 days since I’d had acupuncture and I hadn’t felt the baby flip — if he wasn’t the right direction I’d be sent to a c-​section. The doctor checked and the baby had flipped. I honestly don’t feel that this was a coincidence — I know the benefits of acupuncture and know that it was what helped both babies flip into the right position. I’m truly grateful to Nicole and BCA for her help in allowing me to give birth in the way that I wanted (naturally)! I will continue to recommend this place over and over again!

Here are copies of my old reviews for BCA :). What I can say as a NEW review is that I cannot wait to visit San Diego and get some amazing treatments from Nicole & Mary! They are both wonderful at what they do! This place is a gem & I miss it all the time now that I’ve moved away to Colorado. Nicole and Mary also helped me through my pregnancy with excellent treatments, and I think it’s one of the reasons I had an easy recovery postpartum & also had a relatively easy pregnancy. :)
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I waited until now to review Beach Community Acupuncture because I wanted to give this place a couple of tries before saying anything. But I just can’t wait any longer! I was in love with this place after my first visit.
Anyway, I love Nicole (her mannerism and professionalism, plus the fact that she seems to know everything about acupuncture!), I love the way this business is set up, I love the location, I love the great price, etc. I love everything about Beach Community Acupuncture.
But most importantly, I love how I feel during acupuncture, and the natural high I get from acupuncture, as well. I also love that it seems to be doing some amazing things for my body. My husband has noticed that his carpal tunnel is being helped by the acupuncture as well. I can’t wait to see how we both improve over the next while.
We will be back over & over, and I recommend this place to anyone and everyone. I can’t believe it took me so long to try acupuncture! But I’m really glad that I did. I’m hooked!
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I’ve now had two full weeks of treatment from Nicole, and I look forward to more!
I could go on and on like I did in my first review, but all I really need to say is that acupuncture WORKS. I feel so wonderful, and everything is normalizing in my body (which is such a fabulous feeling). I go three times a week, and that seems to be the perfect amount of acupuncture (though honestly, I could go every day since I love the feeling it gives me… Probably not necessary, but still!) :)
This place keeps getting better. If you haven’t checked it out, you need to! No matter what ails you, you will find bliss at BCA.

I was an acupuncture virgin. I went in to see if the specialists could help me with by bursitis in my knee. I was amazed at how easy it was to get treatment and how quickly it worked for me. I was 50% improved in 24hours and after 3 treatments almost 100% better. Couldn’t ask for a nicer team of practitioners either. Two thumbs way up on this on. I can’t wait to see the new digs.

This is also a copy of my old review from before BCA moved.
BCA helped me quit smoking! I tried multiple times before and failed because of those pesky cravings, but BCA was able to get my cravings to go away!
On top of that, BCA is a wonderful community place to come and relax, while getting your Qi moving. I highly recommend BCA to anyone thinking about getting acupuncture treatments – its affordable and well worth your time!
** Update: 4÷7÷2015 In case you’re wondering, it’s been 4 years and I still have not smoked one cigarette! :) Happy girl right here.

I love this clinic! Great location with parking available and all the doctors are very patient and attentive to client’s needs

This is a copy of my review i did before they moved to this location:) I had never had acupuncture before coming here one afternoon and I loved it! I didn’t feel any pain, just a little soreness in the spots that I got treated, but the acupuncturist said that it was normal and it would go away after a bit. Now any time I have a headache or back/​neck issues or just want to get relaxed before going into working a night shift, I come here and get myself a fix! It’s so relaxing and cheap, it’s practically free! ;) I’ve met a few different acupuncturists they have working here and all are very helpful, friendly and a bit silly… which makes me feel right at home! I recommend this to anyone in town on vacation, before dealing with a family function, or before/​after going in for a long day at work. It’s a little present to your body and trust me, you’ll love it!

where do i begin?
my husband and i experienced our first visit to beach community acupuncture today. nicole and her staff are amazing. as we entered the beautiful cloud blue clinic, beach’s front desk staff greeted us with a smile and helpful introduction.
after settling into our comfy recliners, we waited no more than a few seconds before our practitioner began her quick and efficient intake. we were both impressed with nicole’s wonderful needling technique and sincere compassion. our minds were quieted and our bodies healed gently.
but wait, there’s more. beach com acu is only a block from san diego’s beautiful beach. so, we enjoyed a breezy lunch in the sun after getting poked.
give yourself the gift of health and go there. you can thank me later.
:-)
btw, they just moved and Unilocal won’t let them take their reviews with them. there are more reviews for this biz at
.

This is a very impressive business and concept. I went for my first visit and I was blown away. The price is untouchable. It’s not ideal at first to have so many people so close to you, but it’s no big deal and totally worth it. Mary knows exactly what she’s doing and handles a full house with ease and grace. Life saver.

I have done acupuncture before, but never in a «community» setting. Beach Community Acupuncture is a very welcoming and tranquil enviornment. This is the same business that has this review page on Unilocal! (
) but they recently moved their location. It’s very clean, the chairs are surpringly comfy, and the price cannot be beat! The staff is very friendly and knowledgable. I love having time like this to purposefully slow me down, so that I don’t run around worring about what I have to do or contemplate what’s next in life for me lol. Lots of street parking, my appointment was around 930am and I had no issues finding a spot. Will definitely be back, highly recommend!

I have been going to Beach Community Acupuncture since it opened. The new location has a great atmosphere (and bathroom) and the parking is easy. Nicole and Mary are the best.

I’ve been seeing the lovely Nicole for the past year. After seeing my regular physician in regards to a pain issue and being given two choices-​either a hysterectomy or «just take pain medication» I decided to seek help here, and I am pleased to say that I have not taken even an asprin in over 6 months thanks to Nicole! Regular treatments and Chinese herbs are working wonders for my fibroids. I also have received treatment for stomach problems (once again-​Dr says take dangerous Prilosec meds for over production of acid, but it was due to stress so that did not help) and the acupuncture did wonders to relieve the problem. They can also help with sports injuries. Another time I was bitten by a spider and my whole arm swelled up-​but acupuncture worked wonders to relieve swelling. Thank you Mary and Nicole!

The new location is fantastic! Comfortable atmosphere and plenty of free parking. I’ve been seeing Mary to work on my anxiety disorder. She’s always extremely attentive to my condition and keeps tabs on any changes that may have occurred since my last visit.

This is a copy of a review I did of the BCA for the OBRag. I still go there and am still very, very satisfied with the results. What does a porcupine, a pin cushion and a needle have in common?
That’s a pretty simple question. Of course you know the answer. But here is another question for you: What does a native of Maryland, a degree in English literature, and working in a non-​profit domestic violence agency have in common? You don’t know the answer? Let me give you a hint by asking another question.
What does a Master’s fellowship in documentary film making, a developmental director for
, and the Managing Director of «Baykids» have in common? A hint about «Baykids.» This is a group of hospitalized kids learning to express themselves through movie making. Does that help?
Hmmm. Well, how about a brief stint in Peace Corps in Vanuatu, Melanesia, a former pet care business owner or the mother of two. Does that help any?
Geez — maybe this will help. A Masters degree in Chinese Medicine; passage of the California acupuncture board exam in 2009, and the sole practitioner of the «Beach Community Acupuncture».
Community Beach Acup NicoleAshley
Practitioner Nicole Murray and staffer Ashley.
Those are all the clues you can have. Rather than have you go to Google to check her out, let me tell you that one person that has achieved all of the above — well, not the porcupine part –and is none other than our own Ocean Beach resident Nicole Murray.
Hers has to be one of the most impressive resumes I have ever seen, and as an administrator, I have seen many. So what exactly does she do?
Her clinic has seven very comfortable recliners in a large, airy room. Soft music is playing and most of her clients are either sleeping, reading, or relaxing.
Unlike the porcupine and needle, there is virtually no feeling as the acupuncture needles are placed in a variety of points on your arms, legs, head or neck. Because acupuncture channels flow across the entire body, it is possible to treat back pain, for example, with points on the hands and feet.
Acupuncture needles are sterile, metallic, solid, and hair-​thin. Some people feel energized by treatment while others feel relaxed.
Acupuncture relieves pain. My first experience with the needles was when I broke my back in 2004. Nothing helped in relieving the pain. I went to pain doctors; chiropractors; and even got hooked on morphine to help get through a few hours a day pain free.
Someone suggested acupuncture and I turned it down. I am afraid of needles and did not want to be a human pin cushion. But when the pain was so bad that I couldn’t stand it anymore, I had my first treatment, and I have to tell you that the relief was almost instant. I walked into the office hunched over and walked out of there almost upright. After many treatments I was able to resume everything I had stopped because of pain, and only seldom do I have any of the same twinges I had back then.
I want you to know why I am seeing Nicole, and her able staff of three, Ashley, Mary, and Brutta.
Community Beach Acup handEighteen years ago I was operated on for breast cancer. I had no ill effects, and continued working through the chemo and radiation treatments. In the armpit there are 24 lymph nodes, and these nodes carry the lymph fluids throughout the body. I had 20 of the 24 removed to check to see if the cancer had spread. (Nowadays, they are able to remove far fewer to check for spreading.)
I was never bothered with lymphedema — swelling of the arm — which is a common side-​effect from breast cancer surgery, until 9 months ago. One day my watch popped off of my wrist, and I was horrified to see that my arm was the size of an elephant’s leg — no lie — it was, and, unfortunately, still is. I have seen my oncologist who tells me that in 30 years of practice, he has only seen the swelling occur in one other patient so long after the surgery.
I have had over 20 physical therapy treatments; have had it wrapped, and yet the swelling remains. As a last resort I am trying acupuncture to see if that procedure can reduce the swelling and have the system in my body start to work correctly.
Here’s the good part — my insurance will not pay for acupuncture. But each visit to the Beach Acupuncture Clinic only costs $ 20! (I was paying $ 80 when my back was broken.) At that cost I can afford to go often and continue with the treatments until I am helped or until we feel that the procedure will not help. And it isn’t just $ 20 for me — it is $ 20 for all of Nicole’s clients.
Nicole says she is passionate about affordable health care. She certainly puts her money where her mouth is. If you are hurting; if you can’t sleep; if you feel you need something but just don’t know what it is — give Nicole and acupuncture a chance. The needles don’t hurt. Really. The benefits far outweigh any fear you may have.