The Zen Point

The Zen Point is a solo practice in Bethesda that opened in 2022. Dana Scarton, the founder, is its only practitioner, so the person who replies to email is also the one who treats clients. The office is a short walk, roughly five minutes, from the Downtown Bethesda Metro Center stop on the Red Line. Free parking, limited to two hours, is available out front, and paid parking is available in the Waverly Street Garage two blocks away.

Electroacupuncture is the core of the work. Fine needles are placed around and away from the painful area, and a low-level current runs through selected needles. Typical electroacupuncture visits use four to six needles, compared with twelve to twenty in standard acupuncture, and the treatment itself lasts about 25 to 30 minutes on the table. Chronic conditions usually start with two to three sessions a week, and plans may include changes to hydration, diet and supplements. Painful areas can sometimes be treated through remote points on the ear or scalp. If four to six sessions have produced no benefit, the practice says it will not offer a longer course. A free 15-minute consult by phone or in person is offered before treatment, and gowns are available. Pediatric acupuncture is offered for ages 10 to 15.

The practice is cash-based and payment is collected at the end of each treatment. It accepts HSA and FSA cards but does not bill insurance. Instead, it issues itemized invoices with treatment codes that clients can submit for out-of-network reimbursement. A first visit, which covers intake and the first treatment, costs $195 and lasts 75 to 90 minutes. Follow-up visits cost $150 and last 45 minutes. Hours are Tuesday 1:00 to 7:00 pm, Wednesday 11:00 am to 3:30 pm, Thursday 12:30 to 7:00 pm, and Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cancellations require more than 24 hours' notice. Late cancellations and missed appointments are charged the full fee. Clients can email a question first, and the practitioner answers personally, usually within one business day. Medical details are best shared by email or in person rather than by text.

Microneedling is booked as its own appointment, starting with a 90-minute intake for $125 that covers skin history, prior products and goals, with no treatment that day. Deluxe microneedling is $360 for a 60 to 70 minute session covering the face, neck and décolletage. A motorized device keeps needle depth and speed consistent, and depth, passes and topicals are set for each client after the intake. Deluxe sessions add serums, hot towels, gua sha, tuning fork vibrations and near-infrared light, and finish with about 15 minutes under a light panel. Redness typically lasts 12 to 24 hours. A typical plan is three to six treatments four to six weeks apart, and microneedling is limited to one or two patients a week. The practice describes microneedling as suitable across all Fitzpatrick skin types and as a texture and tone treatment that does not restore volume or lift the skin. Add-ons at $20 each include facial cupping, gua sha, three LED light therapy options, Rapid Release and tuning fork therapy, and they are added to an acupuncture or microneedling visit.

The practice focuses on sports injuries and athletic performance, chronic and neuropathic pain, neurological conditions, long COVID, and autoimmune presentations. For some complex cases, it works with an orthopedic sports regenerative medicine practice and a concierge neurological and cognitive care practice in the Washington area. It often works alongside physical therapy and, on request, shares treatment notes with a client's therapist. Neurological cases usually require clearance from the client's neurologist before treatment begins. Neuroelectric acupuncture is not an emergency service, so sudden neurological symptoms require calling 911. According to the practice, it has an average rating of 5.0 across 18 Google reviews.

Technique is chosen after a full history and a clear sense of what the client wants to be able to do again, rather than from a fixed protocol, and care is often added to an existing course of physical therapy.