San Francisco Acupuncture Group

I have been seeing Amanda on and off for at least 5 years now– she has been my lifesaver! I absolutely agree with everyone on her bedside manner. She has helped shift my life in a direction for which I will be forever grateful. I have seen her for a range of issues but mainly women’s health issues. I myself am now in Traditional Chinese Medicine school and feel so lucky to have her as my practitioner, mentor and inspiration!

I have been dealing with decades of rotator cuff shoulder pain, to the point I can’t sleep on that side. Having tried many different types of therapy over time, I approached Dr. Jonah regarding his practice’s use of BioFlex laser therapy.
Given the distance from his office, he was also open to working with me remotely via HIPA compliant videoconference. After a few months of treatment, I am now able to start my evening sleeping on my left side. Not completely out of the woods yet but pretty remarkable after more than two decades of pain. I’m 50% less pain on that issue.
As a completely separate issue, we treated my face acne as well using the laser LED arrays, and I’m 90% cleared up. This is something that two years of antibiotics was not able to address.
Very pleased with how Dr. Jonah is able to advise and adjust protocols for home treatment as well via remote. And a deeply appreciate how thoroughly he educated me as the patient/​consumer regarding the biological action of the LED, what it reasonably can and cannot do. My expectations were definitely exceeded.

I have been suffering from headaches for most of my life, which had been getting increasingly worse to the point of becoming debilitating and affecting my everyday life. I have tried massage, relaxation, yoga, heat, ice, medications, even changing my diet to minimize inflammation. My GP referred me to SF Acupuncture Group, and I am so incredibly grateful that she did. Franco did my initial assessment and treatment plan, and after the first trigger-​point dry needling session, I noticed I didn’t have a headache at all, for the first time in years.
The headaches came back, of course, but after only three sessions so far (and with a treatment plan for 12 in total), my headaches have gone from daily and debilitating to every other day and mild.
Franco’s knowledge and experience in his field, as well as his knowledge of anatomy and musculature, ensures he targets the areas that need treatment the most, assessing your reaction to each needle and ensuring he gets the results he wants. He is able to explain physiological and pathophysiological processes in a way that makes sense and is easily understood, and also explains what he is doing along the way.
I look forward to my appointments and I am so relieved to have found something that may actually cure my headaches. I highly recommend Franco if you are fed up with chronic headaches like I was!

If I could give Amanda more stars, I would. She is AMAZING. After suffering from secondary infertility, I decided to seriously invest in acupuncture before embarking down the path of an aggressive and expensive IVF protocol.
Needless to say, I chose wisely. After 4.5 months of bi-​weekly sessions, herbs, lifestyle and diet changes, I became pregnant at 39 — one cycle before my self-​imposed deadline to begin IVF.
Had I not become pregnant naturally, I can only imagine that her help would have been imperative throughout the IVF process.
Run, don’t walk to Amanda at SFAG.

I can’t say enough good things about Amanda’s care. I came to her about 2 years ago suffering from a chronic bronchial condition that was triggered when I came down with pneumonia in 2001. Since then I had seen lots of doctors, including pulmonary specialists, been prescribed handfuls of antibiotics and inhalers, but never stopped the awful cycle of getting sick over and over again. Since seeing Amanda I feel blessed to say that I no longer suffer from these debilitating lung episodes. She has done an amazing job listening and diagnosing my situation, and applying an effective mix of acupuncture, herbal remedies, and recommended life-​style changes. In a word she has been a life saver and I can’t recommend her highly enough.

I highly recommend Amanda to anyone looking for fertility treatment support. I have been getting acupuncture treatment from Amanda Moler at SF Accupuncture group for the last 5 months and cannot put into words the world of difference she has made in my life. I had two sessions per week that lasted about 60 minutes. We would typically spend the first 15 minutes catching up on how my week, any bloodwork results or medical updates that I had to provide and generally how I was feeling and Amanda would then adjust her treatment to focus on specific ailments or needs. She also provided tremendous help in improving my nutrition and sleep patterns. Overall — she became more of a confidante who I could talk to both about my physical and emotional state… and has helped me achieve the outcome that I have been working on for the last 2 years! Also — a big shoutout to the reception team that have been very accommodating and responsive in scheduling and rescheduling appointments.

Mario was recommended to me by my excellent sports massage therapist for trigger point focused acupuncture. I had a major problem with my calves cramping when I walked more than a few blocks, and trigger point massage was not making a dent in the problem even after more than 6 months of work. He suggested that I try trigger point acupuncture with Mario.
Mario did a detailed review of my issues and history and consulted frequently with me on what to do next. He’s good at putting people at ease and making the prospect of getting stuck full of needles less worrying. The office staff was great at dealing with insurance and even got them to pay for an astonishing number of visits.
I don’t know how acupuncture works, I just know that it does. I can now walk several miles before my calves start cramping. From here on out it’s strengthening, stretching, and massage work, but I couldn’t have gotten here without Mario’s acupuncture.

Love this group of professionals. Franco is an awesome patient care provider and makes acupuncture treatment comfortable. He helped me with a treatment program which helped me manage my chronic pain and stress.

Jonah has been my go to guy for acupuncture treatments since I moved to San Francisco (10 years ago). Throughout my decade long relationship with him, he has successfully guided me through both physical and emotional issues with acupuncture, herbs, massage, and insightful consultation.
Jonah’s approach is both kind and intuitive, but also medical. It seems like he is constantly enlightening me about the most current research related to acupuncture, health, pain. His jovial nature has always contributed to my feeling comfortable in his care.
The office is well run, friendly and full of interesting reading material, if you happen to arrive early. Convenient to public transportation and inside the gorgeous Shell building.

I have received treatment from Amanda from time to time and the quality of work is high. She is both intuitive and curious… which is a winning combination in this field. I recommend her highly.

I was the quintessential acupuncture skeptic, but after two failed back surgeries (within 2 months) for a herniated disc (l4/​l5), I was willing to try anything. I was in significant pain (sciatic nerve), every single day, for nearly a year when I had my first appointment with Franco. The short story is that I’m pain free today, which in my book, is a miracle. I had really given up hope that I would ever be free from the confines of my back issues again. Today, I’m able to work out again regularly, including running, lifting weights, and generally live my life like I used to before my back issues. But there’s a lot more to this story.
I actually visited other acupuncturists before seeing Franco, but Franco was different from the start. He took time to really understand me, taking time during each visit to carefully document my symptoms since the prior visit. Franco used the information to adjust the treatments until we saw optimal results. In parallel, he put me in touch with a Physical therapist who also worked with me weekly. Franco and my PT exchanged information weekly to create a comprehensive treatment plan. He spent time before and after my appointments to stay in touch with me, talk with my PT and create the best treatment plan.
Franco is a very gifted medical practitioner, but equally important, he cares like no other about his patients. For instance, I have a very chaotic work travel schedule and there were times when it was difficult for me to see him within normal office hours, yet he would find a way to adjust his own hours to make a visit possible. Franco is also versed in the latest techniques, treatments, technology and studies. He’s well acquainted with western medical practices and he takes a balanced, open minded view to all possible treatment options. He’s a natural educator who takes time with his patients to explain the physiology behind treatments and symptoms, often sharing his latest readings from other experts in the medical field.
I don’t write many Unilocal reviews and this one is well over due. My only regret is not seeing Franco sooner. In hindsight, I believe that I could have avoided my surgery all together. The proverbial proof is in the pudding. I’ve walked into Franco’s office in pain and left his office truly pain free on many occasions. It’s impossible to argue about the benefits of acupuncture when you walk in limping and walk out pain free. Eventually, the pain simply disappeared and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful to Franco. If you’re in pain, if you’ve had a discectomy /​laminectomy or your are considering one, do yourself a big, big favor and go spend some time with Franco. You will be hard pressed to find anyone who is as talented, caring, hard working and smart as Franco. In my opinion, he is the absolute best!

Jonah was a lifesaver for me. I developed a chronic problem with a muscle in my back in spasm. Jonah was able to resolve this for me and I am so grateful. His caring and gentle approach and expertise is wonderful.
I strained my back moving my father-​in-​law from his wheelchair to the couch. I wound up with a muscle in spasm — extremely painful. I could barely walk, and then only with extreme pain. I couldn’t raise my arm to wash my hair, etc.
I had several treatments from a Bowen practitioner who had been able to help me in the past. Didn’t help this time. I also had several therapeutic massages with no relief. I had my office bring in an ergonomics specialist — new chair, adjusted my computer, etc. Nothing helped. Went to my doctor and got a prescription for muscle relaxants — that didn’t do it either.
After a couple of months of agony, I looked up acupuncture on Unilocal and found Johah. He was able to find the difficult to find muscle — it is one that connects the bottom of your rib cage to your hip.
The acupuncture treatments were amazing. He got the needle in the right place and I could feel a jolt electricity run down my body. After the treatment, I got up and had significant relief. He also gave me a stretching exercise to perform at home. He warned me that it would likely take several treatments and he was right. I went back to my office, worked for a couple of hours, and the muscle went back into spasm. It took several treatments, but made noticeable progress each time. Eventually, I was completely healed.

I see Mario when I have big problems. Most recently, it was numbness in my fingers. Literally, I couldn’t feel anything in several of the fingers of my left hand. Messed up my computer skills. Not OK. After the first treatment, feeling started to return and within two more treatments, the numbness was almost totally gone! No more problems typing or anything else. I will say that some of those needles hit places that didn’t feel very good, but the overall result was fantastic! So if you have a problem that is in serious need of fixing, go see Mario. The results of his work are amazing!

I’ve worked with both Amanda Moler and Liz Carlson — both get 5 stars. I began with Amanda to become grounded, improve digestion and overall general health as we prepared for a bike trip to India, and with a goal of becoming pregnant soonafter. Amanda did such an excellent job of preparing me for India that after 5 weeks on the road, most of the time living day to day in hotels and eating truck stop/​street food, I came back without stomach issues and in great shape. I think maybe even she was surprised.
I got one check in with Amanda after India before she headed off for maternity leave and at that time I began working with Liz. I became pregnant immediately upon return from India and enjoyed acupuncture esp weekly throughout the first trimester and often throughout 2^nd trimester.
Liz has helped me continue Amanda’s work to remain grounded, continued to monitor digestion (which has stayed super for the most part), work on heartburn when it has creeped up and fatigue. Both Amanda and Liz offer fantastic perspective on how to approach transition into pregnancy — and motherhood too.
I look forward to my appointments with these ladies — their insights, acupuncture, herb and nutritional support have been great for me.

I can’t say enough about this wonderful place! I had an occupasion-​related upper cervical tention with constant muscle burning sensation and after just one session with Mario, my neck and shoulders felt immediate releive. Not to mention my runner’s arch pain that was taken care of as well.
The entire staff is friendly, attentive
compassionate and I can’t imagine what I would do if I didn’t find this place. Highly recommended!

After suffering from a recurring knee injury that continued for about 3 years, i was getting pretty frustrated at being told ‘you need to rest by my doctor. I’m a runner, and not particularly good at rest. So I decided to try my luck at acupuncture — thinking it was very likely a long shot, but worth a try.
After two treatments with Franco, I was completely free of knee pain. He used a combination of acupuncture, massage to help the swelling drain and cold laser treatment. I was cured and back to running with the frequency I had before the injury began. My only regret — I didn’t take this approach sooner.
Since then, Franco has helped me with a hip issue (also running related), shoulder pain (old injury related) and even a round of blood poisoning from a spider bite.
I’m pretty sure he’s magic.

I started receiving acupuncture from Mario a little over 6 months to treat heavy stress and sleeplessness. His treatments always provide relief and better sense of calm. He takes the time to ask a lot of questions and listen to my concerns which helps to guide my treatments, it feels very comprehensive. I will continue to see Mario for «tune ups» and general wellness; he is a wonderfully skilled acupuncturist with a great demeanor.
Speaking logistics, the office is very convenient for busy (stressed!) downtown professionals and all of the staff there are very professional and cheerful, in particular Cait who is very accommodating with scheduling and making you feel comfortable every visit.
Mario and San Francisco Acupuncture Group highly recommended!

When I went to see Mario it was my second time going to see an acupuncturist. The first time I was skeptical and didn’t really see or feel any different. I have scoliosis which causes a lot of tightness and discomfort in my right hip. I never thought Acupuncture was something that could actually help, but it truly did. All the tightness and pain that I feel on a regular basis was gone immediately after my session with Mario. When I left all I could think was that I was sold and finally understood how Acupuncture could help. I also left our session feeling like I was in a «dream state.» I was super relaxed, and calm which was the complete opposite of how I started.
I will definitely go back to see Mario and let him work his magic on me.

I. Love. Amanda! Need I say more? Truly, not only is she incredibly talented in her work, but her bedside manner is unmatched. Honestly, I’m someone who is sometimes too quick to think that something is «hokey» but Amanda has turned me into a huge believer in acupuncture and the impact it can have on my body. She looks at the whole person and the whole situation, and tries to paint a clear picture as to why something is going wrong, and map out a treatment plan that works.
Oh — and aside from her acupuncture abilities, the woman can massage! No one else has been able to relieve pain in my neck like Amanda.
Run, don’t walk if you are looking for an acupuncturist who is going to truly care about your whole body/​mind health.

Unfortunately, my experience here wasn’t very enlightening. For the amount of money I paid and the reviews on Unilocal,I expected a «decent experience» in terms of how the procedure was conducted.
To be fair, I’ve been to a few other medical facilities that specialize in acupuncture, and quite honestly, I felt this one didn’t live up to my other experiences. The whole procedure is a bit too rush. Johan is cold and doesnt seem very friendly. He asked me 2~3 questions, inserted the needles on my back and left the room. After 30 – 40 mins (i don’t really remember exactly how long) He came back to the room, pull out the needles from my body, and left the room. So… yea. basically that’s it. I did not even have chance to have a good talk with him after all and he had already gone…
Also, this was the first time that the initial procedure seemed quite ineffective compared to what else I’ve tried.
I am not sure why this place had so many 5 stars reviews but I am pretty sure that this is not a place for me.
The secretary at the front desk did seem nice and helpful though.