Mental illness is a common occurrence in the US. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 51.5 million people, or 1 in 5 adults, in the US suffer from a mental illness. Specifically, 40 million people experience an anxiety disorder in any given year, including PTSD, and 17.3 million adults had at least one episode of major depression in 2017 alone. Furthermore, with suicide being the tenth leading cause of death from untreated depression, patients need appropriate support and effective treatments to overcome their depression.

Based on research, acupuncture, added as an adjunct therapy (or used alone for mild conditions), can be helpful in treating mental illness. Acupuncture improves mental illnesses by directly stimulating the same regions of the brain by altering biochemicals serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and BDNF and certain parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex (i.e., rational thought, reason, planning, personality, and proper social behavior) and limbic regions (i.e., survival behaviors and emotions), responsible for causing anxiety, depression, and PTSD. For example, a 2019 study revealed that patients who were given acupuncture treatments three times per week as an add-on therapy to antidepressants showed significant improvement in their moderate to severe depression compared to the patients who were using antidepressants alone by the sixth week of treatment. At six weeks, most antidepressants are just reaching their therapeutic effectiveness level. But with acupuncture, that effectiveness is reached much quicker and is more effective.

Conditions commonly treated:

Depression, Anxiety, PTSD and Trauma, Addiction, ADHD, Insomnia, ​Smoking Cessation, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Research in acupuncture for women’s health and fertility is a continued area of interest. It has been shown that acupuncture can help regulate hormones that are responsible for a regular menstrual cycle, ​healthy reproduction and fertility, balancing menopausal symptoms, support healthy pregnancy, and help correct breech version babies.

Acupuncture can also increase the success rate IVF and IUI treatments. In a 2002 study, researchers reported that pregnancy rate of women who had acupuncture on the day of the embryo transfer was 42.5%, compared to the pregnancy rate of the control group without acupuncture of 26.3%.

No matter what season of your life you are in, acupuncture can gently bring balance to your body.

Conditions commonly treated:

Menopausal Symptoms, Menstrual Irregularities, PCOS, PMS & PMDD, Thyroid Dysfunction, Insulin Resistance, Adrenal Disorders, Infertility, IVF/IUI Support, Prenatal and Postnatal Care, Pregnancy, Postpartum Depression

Whether acute or chronic, pain can make it tough to get through the day. It is estimated that 25.3 million Americans suffer from daily pain. According to the CDC, in 2019 20.4% of adults had chronic pain. For 7.4% of them, their pain greatly reduced their ability to do normal daily tasks or work at their job.

Research has shown that acupuncture activates many of the body’s own natural, pain-blocking opioids and other pain-reducing biochemicals making it highly effective for pain reduction and management. A systematic review of 13 clinical control trials of the use of acupuncture for acute pain, reported that acupuncture was more effective than both sham needling and injections with painkillers. Furthermore, another extensive study revealed that 454,920 patients treated with acupuncture for chronic headaches, low back pain, and/or osteoarthritis had an effectiveness rate of 76%. This effectiveness rate far exceeds that of opioid use for chronic pain, which is only 23% effective.

Pain conditions commonly treated:

Headaches and migraines, Menstrual cramps, Tennis or golfer’s elbow, Fibromyalgia, Low back pain, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Arthritis, Back pain, Muscle cramping, Muscle pain and weakness, Neck pain, Sciatica, Knee injuries, Sports injuries, Digestive Pain or Stomach Ache

Acupuncture can help with many different health conditions and can be used to treat all ages from children and teens to adults and seniors. I have experience treating many different complex health conditions including:

Digestive Health: IBS, Constipation, Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting, and Crohn's Disease Management

Respiratory Issues: Asthma, Allergies, Sinus Infections, Colds, Flu, and Immune Support

Cardiovascular: Hypertension and Stroke Rehabilitation

Cancer Support: Nausea, Neuropathy, Fatigue, Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, and Cancer-related Pain.

Other: Bell’s Palsy, and Post-Concussion Syndrome