What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used traditional naturopathic therapies in the modern world. It is a system of medical diagnosis and treatment primarily developed in China over thousands of years but now used and integrated into modern healthcare settings worldwide. Utilizing heat therapy, massage (acupressure), cupping, and very thin, filiform needles, acupuncture promotes the body’s self healing abilities and processes.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture works by activating and supporting the body’s innate self healing mechanism to help an individual better adapt to whatever may be going on. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), poor conditions of health, including mental-emotional problems, arise when the body’s basic vital substances- qi (vital life-force energy), xue (blood), jing (essence), and jin-ye (body fluids)- become misaligned. Acupuncture aims to naturally restore this balance and cultivate long-lasting health, vitality, vigor and wellness.
While evidence is inconclusive, modern research suggests that acupuncture triggers the body’s self healing capabilities via neural, vascular, immune and endocrine responses, especially those associated with pain and inflammation.
Conditions Treated With Acupuncture
Acupuncture may be used to help improve the body’s natural response and adaptation to a wide variety of factors that threaten health, particularly those related to the inflammatory response such as mental-emotional and physical stress, infection, cellular waste, trauma and pain.
Acupuncture is commonly recommended for use to control pain, promote muscle relaxation, reduce inflammation and swelling, and regulate blood flow and lymphatic drainage. It is also commonly recommended for use to enhance tissue and wound healing, normalize immune response, increase joint range of motion, promote homeostatic organ activity, reduce stress, increase mental acuity, and enhance mood.
Some evidence has shown that acupuncture may be effective for a wide variety of Western-defined disorders and diseases. In 2003 the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a report (“Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials”) that supports the effective use of acupuncture in the treatment of many different types of health problems, including:
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MEET DR RENE
Dr. Rene Rodriguez has over 20 years of experience in traditional naturopathy & integrative wellness, including acupuncture, plant based nutrition therapy, herbal medicine, energy healing, meditation, and yoga.
Dr. Rene has amassed over 20 years worth of experience and knowledge in natural medicine. He dedicated the earlier part of his life to sports, which culminated as a NCAA Division 1 baseball player. While a collegiate student-athlete in 1995, he was introduced to yoga and began a daily practice to help keep his body and mind in the game. Following his athletic career in 1999, he was introduced to Rinzai Zen meditation, naturopathy, and acupuncture, which inspired him to become an acupuncture practitioner. He ran his private practice in Los Angeles for the last 14 years before recently moving to Modesto, Stanislaus County CA, to be closer to family. Dr Rene’s goal remains to be able to help support others achieve their highest level of health and integrative wellness.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
PhD- 2014 (American Liberty University: Orange, CA)
Master’s- 2008 (Emperor’s College: Santa Monica, CA)
Bachelor of Science- 1998 (San Diego State University: San Diego, CA)
CERTIFICATION
Esoteric Acupuncture Teacher- 2014
Japanese Acupuncture– 2012
Reiki Practitioner, Levels I & II- 2009
Esoteric Acupuncture Practitioner- 2008
California Board Licensed Acupuncturist- 2008
AFFILIATIONS
Sangha Member- One Drop Zendo of Los Angeles
LANGUAGES
English (Native)
Spanish (Bilingual)
