The Acupuncture Therapist

04/22/2026

Spring maintenance isn’t just for your motorcycle. 🏍️🌿

Every spring, I go through my bike before I hit the road.

I check the tires.
Change the oil.
Inspect the brakes.
Make sure everything is working the way it should before I ask it to do more.

Because waiting until something breaks down in the middle of a ride? Not ideal.

Your body works the same way.

As the weather gets warmer and you start hiking, gardening, golfing, riding, traveling, or getting back into workouts, your body needs a tune-up too.

That stiff shoulder, tight hip, sore knee, or old injury that’s “mostly fine”? Those are often signs that your body is already compensating.

Acupuncture is like a spring inspection for your body.
We look at where things are tight, weak, inflamed, or out of balance before they turn into bigger problems.

A spring tune-up can help:
🪡 Improve mobility and flexibility
🪡 Reduce inflammation and lingering aches
🪡 Catch old injuries before they flare up
🪡 Support recovery and prevent breakdown

Don’t wait until you’re sidelined to pay attention.

Just like your motorcycle runs better when it’s maintained, your body performs better when it’s cared for consistently.

Come in for a spring tune-up and evaluation before the season gets busy. 🌷🏍️

🪡 Traditional + Sports Medicine Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

03/17/2026

Spring may still feel a little ways away, but your body often senses the shift before the flowers bloom.

For many people, seasonal allergies begin building weeks before symptoms fully appear — as pollen increases and the immune system starts reacting to environmental changes.

Instead of waiting for congestion, itchy eyes, sinus pressure, and sneezing to take over, this is the perfect time to prepare your body early.

In Chinese medicine, allergies are often connected to imbalances in the lung and immune systems, which regulate how the body responds to the outside world.

Acupuncture helps support your system during this seasonal transition by:
🌿 Strengthening immune resilience
🌿 Reducing inflammation in the sinuses and airways
🌿 Supporting healthy lung function
🌿 Helping the body respond more calmly to allergens

Treatment recommendations

For prevention, I typically recommend weekly treatments for about 4–6 weeks leading into allergy season to help regulate the body’s response.
Once symptoms are under control, many people transition to maintenance visits every 3–4 weeks during the season.

During your visit, we can also discuss other supportive remedies that can make a big difference — including herbal support, acupressure points you can use at home, and simple lifestyle adjustments to help keep symptoms manageable.

A little preparation now can make a big difference in how you feel when spring arrives.

🪡 Traditional + Sports Medicine Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

03/05/2026

By the middle of winter sports season, most athletes start to feel it.

The first few weeks are exciting and fresh — but as the season goes on, the body starts keeping score.
Tight hips from long ski days.
Sore knees from repetitive turns.
A stiff low back from cold muscles and long hours on the mountain.

Even small strains can begin to add up when the body doesn’t have enough time to fully recover between active days.

Cold weather makes this even more noticeable. Muscles and connective tissue naturally tighten in lower temperatures, circulation slows, and old injuries often reappear right when you want to be at your most active.

This is where acupuncture can make a huge difference.

Acupuncture helps the body recover and adapt by:
🪡 Improving circulation to tired muscles and joints
🪡 Reducing inflammation from repetitive stress
🪡 Releasing deep muscle tension that builds during activity
🪡 Supporting joint stability and mobility
🪡 Helping small aches resolve before they turn into bigger injuries

Instead of waiting until something forces you off the mountain, acupuncture can help keep your body balanced so you can continue doing what you love all season long.

Think of it as maintenance for an active body — helping you recover faster, move better, and stay ahead of injuries.

⛷️ Stay strong. Stay mobile. Enjoy the rest of the season.

🪡 Sports Medicine + Traditional Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

01/30/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BabF8hwwC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A groundbreaking discovery from Taiwan is bridging traditional medicine and modern science. Researchers at China Medical University have shown that acupuncture doesn’t just relieve pain—it can trigger stem cells to repair damaged organs naturally. Electroacupuncture at specific points, like ST36 (Zusanli) and GV20 (Baihui), stimulates the bone marrow to release mesenchymal stem cells into the bloodstream. These stem cells then travel to injured tissues, differentiate into organ-specific cells, and release healing factors.
Within 24 hours, stem cell levels in circulation increased by 300%, providing a measurable biological explanation for acupuncture’s therapeutic effects—beyond placebo. Stroke patients treated with electroacupuncture within 48 hours recovered 40% better than those with standard care. Liver cirrhosis patients showed reduced fibrosis markers, while heart attack survivors experienced improved cardiac function.
This discovery is rewriting how Western medicine views acupuncture. For thousands of years, it was considered purely traditional, yet science now shows a sophisticated, measurable mechanism for healing. Ancient practices are finally being validated through modern imaging and cellular tracking, revealing that needle stimulation can activate the body’s own repair systems.
The message is clear: acupuncture is more than sensation—it’s a biological trigger for regeneration, showing how centuries-old practices can integrate with cutting-edge science.

01/29/2026

Winter sports are demanding — cold muscles, long days on the mountain, repetitive motion, and the occasional wipeout all take a toll on the body.

Skiing, snowboarding, and cold-weather training can lead to:
⛷️ Tight hips and glutes
🦵 Knee strain and quad fatigue
🧊 Stiff low backs and sore ankles
💥 Old injuries resurfacing in the cold

Acupuncture helps support your body through winter sports by:
🪡 Improving circulation to cold, tight muscles
🪡 Reducing inflammation after long days of activity
🪡 Supporting joint stability and mobility
🪡 Speeding recovery so soreness doesn’t linger
🪡 Helping prevent small strains from turning into bigger injuries

In Chinese medicine, winter is about protecting your reserves — staying warm, supporting recovery, and giving the body what it needs to stay resilient.

Whether you’re chasing powder, training through the season, or just staying active in colder weather, acupuncture helps keep your body moving well — on the mountain and beyond.

❄️ Move smart. Recover well. Enjoy the season.

🪡 Traditional + Sports Medicine Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

01/20/2026

As temperatures drop, the body naturally tightens.

Feet get cold. Circulation slows. Joints feel stiffer.

In traditional Chinese medicine, warming the feet is one of the easiest ways to support the entire body — especially during seasonal transitions. This is why I often recommend herbal foot soaks as part of home care.

This ritual helps draw warmth inward, improve circulation, and ease discomfort from the ground up.

How to do it:
• Add an herbal packet (sold in office) to a heat-safe container
• Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the herbs
• Let steep for 10 minutes
• Transfer the concentrated tea into a bowl or tub
• Add cool water until the feet are comfortably covered
• Soak for 10–15 minutes and allow the body to soften

✨ Optional: add dried lavender or calendula for extra calming support

Your herbal soak can be stored in the refrigerator and reused up to two more times.

Why this works:
• Encourages healthy circulation
• Helps reduce pain and stiffness anywhere in the body
• Supports arthritis, injury recovery, headaches, menstrual pain, and restless legs
• Keeps the extremities warm during colder months

This is gentle medicine — simple, effective, and deeply supportive when done consistently.

🪡 Traditional + Sports Medicine Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

01/14/2026

As the weather turns colder, our hands and feet are often the first places to feel it.
In Chinese medicine, keeping the extremities warm is essential for circulation, pain relief, and overall balance — especially this time of year.

A Chinese herbal foot soak is one of my favorite at-home practices to support healing between acupuncture visits. 🌿
👉 Demonstration video to follow!

How to use your herbal foot soak:

1️⃣ Add your herbal packet to a heat-safe container
2️⃣ Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the herbs
3️⃣ Let steep for 10 minutes
4️⃣ Pour the concentrated tea into a bowl or tub for your feet
5️⃣ Add cool water until it comfortably covers your feet
✨ Optional: add dried lavender or calendula for a touch of luxury
6️⃣ Soak for 10–15 minutes — read, listen to a podcast, or unwind

💡 Your herbal soak can be stored in the refrigerator and reused up to 2 more times.

Benefits of Chinese herbal foot soaks:

🌡️ Help keep hands and feet warm
🩹 Reduce pain — anywhere in the body
🌀 Improve poor circulation
🌙 Calm restless legs
🌸 Support headaches, menstrual pain, arthritis, and injury recovery

Simple rituals like this help your body stay warm, nourished, and resilient through the seasonal shift.
Sometimes healing really does start from the ground up. 👣💛

Foot soak herbs available for purchase in office. 🌿

🪡 Traditional + Sports Medicine Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

11/28/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cm4L8W9hk/

Acupuncture Relief Project in Nepal doing great work!

11/22/2025

MYTH:
“Acupuncture only works for pain… right?”

TRUTH:
Acupuncture is a complete medical system that supports your entire body — not just the place that hurts.

Yes, it’s powerful for pain and injury recovery…
but it also helps regulate:
✨ Stress + nervous system balance
✨ Sleep + recovery
✨ Digestion + metabolism
✨ Hormones + mood
✨ Circulation + immunity

Pain is just the thing that gets most people in the door.
But once we treat the root imbalance, people often notice improvements in areas they didn’t even realize were connected.

That’s the beauty of whole-body medicine — everything affects everything.
And when one system is restored, the rest begin to fall into place.

🪡 Sports Medicine + Traditional Acupuncture
📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

11/21/2025

Moxa is one of my favorite tools for chronic joint pain — especially osteoarthritis in the hands.
It brings deep, penetrating warmth that improves circulation, relaxes tight tissue, and helps calm inflammation.
But it must be used correctly and safely.

Here’s how to use stick moxa at home:
1️⃣ Apply CBD cream or oil to the area you’re treating — this helps the heat pe*****te and soothes the tissues.
2️⃣ Light your moxa stick and make sure it develops a hot, glowing red ember.
3️⃣ Hover the moxa above the joint (do NOT touch the skin) for about 10–15 minutes, allowing a deep infrared warmth to soak in.
4️⃣ Repeat as often as desired for comfort and relief.

Moxa is wonderful for:
✨ Joint pain
✨ Cold, stiff, or achy areas
✨ Poor circulation
✨ Supporting healing in accessible areas of the body

🔥 Important disclaimer:
Moxa can burn if used incorrectly.
Only apply moxa to areas your licensed acupuncturist has instructed you to treat, and never place it directly on the skin.
Always practice caution and proper ventilation.

Your body responds beautifully to warmth — and moxa is one of the most simple, powerful tools in Chinese medicine for creating that healing heat. 🌿

🪡 Sports Medicine + Traditional Acupuncture
📍 Off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

11/17/2025

Most people don’t know this about me…
I ride — a lot. 🏍️
Long trips, new places, open roads… it’s one of my favorite ways to explore and reset.

But here’s the real truth about riding:
It’s hard on the body.
Hours in the same position, gripping the handlebars, bracing against wind… it all adds up.

Neck tightness.
Wrist strain.
Low back compression.
Hip stiffness.
Shoulders that feel like cement.

Yep — I’ve felt every single one.

That’s why I love acupuncture even more.
Because it doesn’t just help riders recover — it prevents those overuse patterns from turning into bigger problems later on.

Acupuncture can help:
🪡 Release chronic neck + shoulder tension
🪡 Improve circulation after long rides
🪡 Ease hand, wrist, or forearm strain
🪡 Reduce low back tightness from vibration + posture
🪡 Loosen hip flexors + glutes from sitting for hours
🪡 Support recovery so you can keep doing what you love

Whether you ride motorcycles, bikes, horses — or you just sit at a desk all day — your body deserves balance, mobility, and relief from the repetitive strain that builds up over time.

Here’s to staying strong, free, and pain-free on (and off) the road. 🤘

📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🪡 Sports Medicine + Traditional Acupuncture
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice

11/14/2025

I hear this a lot:
“Isn’t dry needling the same as acupuncture?”

Here’s the truth 👇
Dry needling is acupuncture — it uses the same needles, same insertion, same points.

The difference is training, intention, and depth of understanding.

🪡 What’s dry needling?

A technique used mainly by PTs, chiropractors, and trainers to release tight muscles or trigger points.
Most dry needling certifications require only a weekend course or a few short modules.

🪡 What’s acupuncture?

A complete medical system that requires 2,000–3,000+ hours of training, anatomical safety, diagnostics, meridian theory, pathology, and supervised clinical practice.
Both use needles.
But only one is backed by a full body of medicine.

⚠️ Why you should be cautious:
Because inserting needles is not the risk —
👉 not knowing where or how to insert them safely is the risk.

A lack of training increases the chance of:
• Puncturing too deeply
• Hitting nerves or vessels
• Missing underlying patterns
• Only treating symptoms, not causes

🧠 Why this matters for YOU
If you’re dealing with chronic pain, overuse injuries, or recurring issues, you need more than a quick muscle release.
You need someone who understands:

• The musculoskeletal system
• Meridian pathways
• Organ support
• Fascia + movement patterns
• How injuries relate to the whole body

Dry needling may release a knot.
Acupuncture rewires the entire pattern that created it.

Choose care that’s safe, informed, and rooted in thousands of years of medicine — especially when your health, mobility, and longevity are on the line.

🪡 Sports Medicine + Traditional Acupuncture

📍 Located off Mill Plain in Vancouver, WA
🩹 In-network with Regence BCBS (WA & OR) + First Choice