Many people don’t realize that an Acupuncture Physician is licensed to do more than poke people with needles. In fact, we’re licensed to work with all the same tools as MD’s, except drugs and surgery. That means we can order lab tests, prescribe herbs to be mailed to your door, recommend supplements and coach you through lifestyle changes. All of this can easily be done through telemedicine, from the comfort of your home.

No. Dr. Shark is licensed as an Acupuncture Physician (AP) in Florida and an Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) in California. Both of these licenses qualify Dr. Shark as a primary care practitioner and confer a very broad scope of practice. Both of these licenses also require completion of a full four-year Chinese Medicine school and the passing of a comprehensive board exam.

Niko Shark is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP), which is a certification that focuses on using food for healing and not just diet advice. Unfortunately, Registered Dietician (RD) education is about twenty years behind the current research, so Niko chose to study at the Nutrition Therapy Association (NTA) instead of through a standard dietician program. This makes her uniquely positioned to create customized nutrition plans for patients suffering from health conditions.

Telemedicine is the use of digital communication tools, like video calls and messaging, to provide healthcare services remotely, allowing patients to consult with healthcare professionals from the comfort of their homes.

We use video calls for all our appointments and text and email for any communications between appointments.

All our intake paperwork is online, allowing you to complete and submit it from any digital device.

In a consult, we assess your health concerns, review your medical history, discuss symptoms, and provide personalized advice and treatment plans. We may also recommend further tests or follow-up appointments as needed.

We always start with the New Patient Consultation to make sure what we do is right for you. If we accept you as a patient, we’ll move on to the Intake Series, where we’ll assess your condition and create a treatment plan.

Once we’re implementing your treatment plan, we use your follow-up consults to coach you through your plan step-by-step. We answer all your questions and give you the tools you need to be successful for the long-term.

You can determine if this is right for you by scheduling a New Patient Consultation to discuss your health needs and goals with Dr. Shark. He will evaluate your situation and let you know honestly if what we do can help you. This appointment also gives  you a chance to ask questions and get a feel for how we work before making a commitment. 

You’ll need to be comfortable interacting through video calls, texts and emails, of course. If you’re not comfortable with this approach, an in-person provider may be a better fit for you.