Melissa Castillo was tired of draining her insurance expense account by going to UF’s Student Health Care Center for her migraines.
She needed a solution to help her not max out her estimated $600 limit on medication.
After ruling out acupuncture because her insurance didn’t cover it, Castillo found out about Gainesville Community Acupuncture, which serves patients for as little as $20 per session.
Jennifer Downey, one of the center’s certified acupuncturists, said the business is growing rapidly with uninsured patients who cannot afford to go to the doctor or purchase medication. Other patients, she said, look for a natural alternative to medication.
Downey and her business partner, Theresa Rizzo-Ovia, are graduates of Gainesville’s Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine. Downey said they started the clinic because they knew people who could benefit from acupuncture but couldn’t afford it. The clinic said private acupuncture can cost between $50 and $150.
At Gainesville Community Acupuncture, patients fill out health assessments and meet an acupuncturist. After a consultation about health, diet and the ailment, the patients relax in a room of recliners and meditative music for about an hour.
Downey said in order to help as many people receive acupuncture as possible, the center holds the sessions in a quiet room with other people there for the same cause: to get better.
“It’s like Gator fans in the stadium all there to cheer on the Gators,” she said.
According to Downey, acupuncture works with the body and helps patients deal with their problems.
Downey said it can help with depression, stress, anxiety, cold and flu, any type of body pain as well and ailments.
Castillo said the medication she got from the doctor for pain was masking the problem, and acupuncture prevented her from going down a long road of medication for migraine relief and prevention. She was afraid of taking more medication because the side effects were keeping her out of work.
