Chad Larson, DC

4.5 stars for Dr. Larson
2 stars for the facility
I bought a YouSwoop for 6 acupuncture sessions, knowing nothing about Dr. Larson or about All Family Health. I knew I liked receiving acupuncture; I knew All Family Health was in my area; and I knew my post-​recession income was in the toilet. I was very happy to try a new provider, if I could receive acupuncture.
In the past, I’ve had very good results with acupuncture, but I thought that my former provider had kind of lost interest. The treatments were rushed, and I wasn’t getting the customer service I had received from this person in the past. I had some reluctance to book more appointments with this person, despite some numbness I was getting in my hands and fingers. As a massage therapist, numbness in the hands can be very serious. So, when I saw the YouSwoop, and saw I could get 6 treatments for $ 100, I Swooped.
First, the venue: the offices are in the basement of a small professional building just a block north of Foster. They are a few parking places in the back, but they are always, always occupied. I parked on a small one-​way street north of the facility and always found a space there.
The office is very, very clinical. It’s not warm and fuzzy at all. The is a TV in the waiting area, and it runs only videos on various health topics. That’s a good thing — if I had to sit there and watch Jerry Springer in that little space, mayhem could be the result.
The receptionists are all business. Not friendly, but not cold. They are there to do their job, and they do it. That’s it.
The office in which I saw Dr. Lawson looked like a physical therapy space. It is very clinical — no warm fuzzies at all. I reclined on what I believe was a physical therapy table. Mind you, no pillows, no music, no nothing. A couple of occasions, the room was pretty cold, and Dr. Larson couldn’t even find a blanket for me. Luckily, I had my coat, and I had to drape that over myself. It’s a great space to have a pap smear; for acupuncture, it is really inadequate.
Dr. Larson is brisk, efficient, and businesslike. Again, if you want lots of conversation; if you want your hand held; if you want lots of warm fuzzies, I don’t think he’s your guy.
When i first met him, I told him a brief history of my experience with acupuncture, my history, and why I wanted to see him. I want to say I did fill out a brief health history form.
Dr. Larson is a chiropractor who does acupuncture. I did not see him for chiropractic. That stuff scares the crap out of me. I only received acupuncture. I felt better after each session; I don’t have the numbness that I did have; and Dr. Larson was responsive to my questions. As far as I’m concerned, I got what I wanted.
Again, he is not a person to chat. He’s all business. Pleasant, but all business.
I’m a person who is very sensitive to energy, and the energy of this place just does not resonate with me. Again, if I was getting a colonoscopy, it would be fine. But for me, acupuncture really is a lot more touchy/​feely. I’d like the place to feel more welcoming, and less sterile and cold. Heck, I’d have been happier if they had a blanket for when I was cold.
You’ll have to decide if this is the atmosphere that’s right for you. If it is, you’ll be very happy with everything you get here. If you need warmth (literally), friendliness, and a welcoming atmosphere, you might want to go elsewhere.