Ayra Nielson, PhD

Dr. Arya Nielsen is an assistant clinical professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health. She developed and directed the Acupuncture Fellowship for Inpatient Care at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Her research includes treatment of chronic pain in underserved populations, acupuncture therapies for acute care and the inpatient setting, and both the physiology and therapeutic effect of the traditional East Asian healing technique gua sha.

Previous Articles

"Facial Gua Sha" That Isn't Gua Sha at All
February 2021 (Vol. 22, Issue 02)
Trending
Acupuncture & Acupressure
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations

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
Lasers & Tens
The Laser Learning Curve for Light-Based Fertility Treatments
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
Evidence / Research / Science
TEAM Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Cancer Patients
TEAM Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Cancer Patients

“Integrating Traditional East Asian Medicine Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Supporting Cancer Treatment and Survivorship in the West,”published in Perspectives on Integrative Medicine (2025), provides a detailed exploration of how traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) can support cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. This article summarizes findings from the two case reports included in the study.

John Chen, PhD, PharmD, OMD, LAc