The Laser Learning Curve for Light-Based Fertility Treatments
Lasers & Tens

The Laser Learning Curve for Light-Based Fertility Treatments

Low-level laser therapy is having a moment in acupuncture circles for good reason. With a growing body of research supporting its role in reducing inflammation, enhancing circulation and stimulating mitochondrial activity, more practitioners are exploring its application in fertility care. But in the nearly 20 years I’ve used laser therapy in clinical practice, I’ve seen a wide range of outcomes. It’s not because laser therapy doesn’t work. It’s because many of us don’t realize how much the details matter.

Marcy White, LAc, Dipl. Ac., MAc, CFMP
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Headaches & Migraines
Resolving Chronic Migraine With Ocular Complications: Case Study
Resolving Chronic Migraine With Ocular Complications

The sternocleidomastoid muscle, which connects the head, neck and upper spine, has direct neurological relationships with both the trigeminal system and upper cervical nerves. When irritated or tight, this muscle can mimic or drive migraine symptoms – headache, eye redness, drooping eyelids, and restricted neck movement. This case demonstrates how important it is to assess and treat the musculoskeletal system in patients whose migraines don’t respond to conventional care.

Chris DiStefano, LAc
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Senior Health
TCM’s Potential in Preventing and Treating Cognitive Decline
TCM’s Potential in Preventing and Treating Cognitive Decline

In the U.S alone, approximately one in nine adults (11.1%) report experiencing subjective cognitive decline. A comparable percentage will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. As researchers and clinicians seek integrative solutions outside of conventional pharmacological approaches, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emerges as a promising, multimodal strategy in the prevention and treatment of cognitive decline.

Regina Robles, LAc, DAOM
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Chronic / Acute Conditions
Transformational Work With Anxiety (Pt. 2): Changing the Inner Story
Transformational Work With Anxiety

An anxious part of the self can be very persistent. It is a self-contained story with a pattern of somatic repercussions based on beliefs and coping strategies from life experiences that often start in childhood. The good news is that since anxiety presents with a repeatable pattern, we can start to recognize it as such and begin to question its validity in the moment. In the following case study, I outline three “heartmind” techniques that preceded acupuncture and took about 20 minutes.

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Kamala Quale, MSOM, LAc
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Anti Aging / Healthy Aging
Face Diagnosis: The Face as Microcosm
Face Diagnosis: The Face as Microcosm

Our face is an outward manifestation of our inner world. According to the traditional concept of biao li, everything we see on the outside is a representation of what is happening on the inside. The character biao (表) represents the outer appearance of a garment; li (裏) refers to its lining or that which is hidden. The biao faces toward the exterior and can be seen, whereas the li faces toward the interior and cannot be seen.

Michelle Gellis, AP, Dipl. Ac.
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Acupuncture & Acupressure
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations
A Skeletal Point Prescription With Practical Variations

Acupuncture can be highly effective in cases of nasal congestion so common in allergy presentations; so much so that I often treat such issues using acupuncture protocols alone. In cases of seasonal allergies with highly predictable causes such as obvious elevations of environmental allergens, I use a skeleton acupuncture prescription that can easily be fleshed out to target potential underlying patterns and effectively customized to the patient.

Craig Williams, LAc, AHG
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Nutrition / Detoxification
Functional Nutrition's HIDDEN Message
Functional Nutrition's HIDDEN Message

As integrative health practitioners, we’re trained to see the body as a dynamic web of interconnected systems, where balance is the key to health and well-being. Functional nutrition takes this philosophy a step further, offering a framework to decode the body’s signals and address root causes of complex conditions like long-COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome, gut dysbiosis, and Lyme disease.

Bill Reddy, LAc, Dipl. Ac.; Eric Shadd, FDN-P
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Featured

Bridging Paradigms: Integrating Acupuncture With Western Medicine 

From the Perspective of Master TCM Professor Dr. Hua Bing Wen

In the evolving field of integrative healthcare, Dr. Hua Bing Wen stands as a respected voice advocating for acupuncture’s rightful role in modern medicine. Classically trained as a physician in China and now a practicing acupuncturist and educator in Los Angeles, Dr. Wen draws from decades of clinical and academic experience to help shape the next generation of practitioners who are fluent in both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western biomedicine.

Jennifer Blake-Holden, LAc, DAOM
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Reader Favorites
News / Profession
The State of 21st Century Acupuncture in the U.S. (Pt. 5)
The State of 21st Century Acupuncture in the U.S.
Acupuncture Education: Today and Tomorrow

Education is the currency of access. It determines which practitioners are trusted in hospital credentialing, which programs qualify for federal loan forgiveness, which providers are recognized by insurers, and which voices shape policy. As the healthcare system expands coverage for nonpharmacologic therapies, acupuncturists must be ready to step into those spaces – competently, confidently and collectively.

Clasina (Sina) Leslie Smith, MS, MA, LAc, MD, Dipl. Ac., FAAMA; Bill Reddy, LAc, Dipl. Ac.
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Chronic / Acute Conditions  |  DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Transformational Work With Anxiety (Pt. 3): Hypervigilance
Transformational Work With Anxiety (Pt. 3): Hypervigilance

Hypervigilant behavior may be a result of acute or chronic trauma that was experienced in the past, often in childhood. Since we cannot change the past, we must change how we respond to the results of these chronic stress patterns in the present and learn behaviors that help us integrate new choices. This is where we, as practitioners, can intervene to bring a sense of safety, presence, and movement to the moment and teach patients how to release the old pattern. 

Kamala Quale, MSOM, LAc
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Nutrition / Detoxification  |  DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Coconut Congee: A Nutritious and Medicinal Meal
Coconut Congee: A Nutritious and Medicinal Meal

As a practitioner of Chinese medicine, I am always thinking about the best ways to treat the whole person, and how to link qi, jing, and shen in treatment plans. Often patients come into my office seeking acupuncture, but leave with a comprehensive approach to their health and multiple ways to incorporate these ideals into their daily lives. One of my favorite ways to do this is through food.

Lenore Cangeloso, LAc, MSAOM
Your Practice / Business
Three-Letter Marketing for Acupuncturists
Three-Letter Marketing for Acupuncturists
Why Short Message Service (SMS) Marketing Is Right for You

Do you receive text messages from companies letting you know about offers or giveaways, or simply sharing news? If your answer is yes, then you have opted in for SMS (short message service) text-message marketing. SMS text-message marketing uses various platforms and software to send personalized, timely and sometimes interactive messages.

Antonio Arias
Herbal Medicine
Dit Da Jow in the House
Dit Da Jow in the House

In 1998, when I first started acupuncture school at the N.Y. College of Health Professions in Syosset, N.Y., I was into mixed martial arts. I always had some kind of minor injury or contusion. My buddy Ron, who was going to the same school, was tired of hearing me whine and complain about all my aches and pains. He suggested we should go to the college apothecary, collect a bunch of herbs and make Dit Da Jow.

Christopher Chapleau, DAc, LAc, Dipl. Ac., AIT, IMT, MSHP, CES, HMS