“If I could give Christopher ten stars I would. His office is extremely calming, as is his approach. Christopher is always very pleasant to be around and quite conversational, always with a smile on his face. He is compassionate and tremendously giving, while passionate about what he does. He’s always professional - he makes me feel like he cares about me and my progress.
He has an exceptionally broad range of knowledge that was very helpful with regards to detoxing my body, nutrition, and working with my mind and spirit as well as the health of my body. Everything he does is with sincerity via a holistic approach. Christopher has given me a new lease on life, so I highly recommend him to everyone. I know, like me, you will be thrilled with your results.
”
Classical Acupuncture
The most important thing in acupuncture is that the medicine has to match the person. I adapt each treatment to fit the unique needs of my patients. So, to understand acupuncture, we have to look at how Chinese medicine views the person.
In acupuncture and Chinese medicine, we start by looking at the body holistically. The focus is on all the dynamic connections in the body. Every part of a person is in constant communication with every other part. The term we have in Chinese medicine to describe these living relationships is qi.
Qi isn’t only the vibrant energy of the body, as it’s become known in the West, but it's a way of describing the body’s intercommunication on every level. The blood flowing in your veins is also a form of qi. In acupuncture and Chinese medicine, we look at the body, spirit and mind as being inseparable.
Whether the problem is in the body or mind, acupuncture can bring balance and harmony by treating the qi. Acupuncture does this by treating the places on the body that we’ve found have a powerful effect on the body’s own self-regulation. These are the famous acupuncture points.
Studies in China and Europe have found that acupuncture points can have a dramatic effect on regulating neurotransmitters in the brain. Since acupuncture can balance brain chemistry, it’s no wonder that acupuncture can have a powerful effect on the body and mind!
According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture has been shown to treat:
low back pain
neck pain
sciatica
tennis elbow
knee pain
periarthritis of the shoulder
sprains
facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
headache
dental pain
rheumatoid arthritis
tempromandibular (TMJ) dysfunction
induction of labor
correction of malposition of fetus (breech presentation)
morning sickness
nausea and vomiting
postoperative pain
stroke
essential hypertension
primary hypotension
renal colic
leucopenia
adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy
allergic rhinitis, including hay fever
biliary colic
depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
acute bacillary dysentery
primary dysmenorrhea
acute epigastralgia
peptic ulcer
acute and chronic gastritis
“Before I met Christopher, I suffered from unexplained tightness and spasms on the right side of my body that led doctors to believe I had early onset Parkinson’s Disease. I had MRIs, EKGs, EEGs, and every blood test imaginable yet all of those tests came back completely normal.
I told him my “life story” while he listened patiently and took copious notes, asking about my day to day life, my exercise regimen and even my spiritual practice. After being in and out of doctors offices for months, I finally felt like I was under the care of someone who took all of my experiences into account and wanted to get to the root of the problem and not just treat the spasms.
During my treatments the spasms begin to lessen with every appointment. Now one year later, I am completely spasm free. He is the most capable, well rounded acupuncturist I have ever worked with!”
Essential Oils
Essential oils are powerful plant medicines. Many hundreds of pounds of a plant may yield only a single pound of essential oil, so these oils are very concentrated. When massaged into an acupuncture point, they go right through the skin and are circulated by the blood through the whole body.
Chinese medicine takes these essential oils and makes them into a complete healing art for the whole body, mind, and spirit. I blend together a small number of essential oils, unique for each patient. Each oil is chosen to work with and strengthen the healing effect of every other one. These combinations are then anointed over acupuncture points, which themselves have been chosen for the ways they complement each other. It's a powerfully integrated system that addresses symptoms and also affects underlying causes yielding true and lasting wellness.
“Christopher is very knowledgeable when it comes to Chinese massage, oils, and herbs. When I was having sinus pain and discomfort he suggested I take some herbs and I felt better right away.
Also, at the end of my pregnancy Christopher used some essential oils during massage to prepare my uterus for labor, and I had a very easy delivery in 4 hours! Christopher is patient, reliable, highly knowledgeable and someone I would go back to.
”
Chinese Herbs
Chinese herbs are at the heart of Chinese medicine and are very different than the supplements you find at the drug store. Chinese herbs are much stronger and you will very rarely find a single herb used alone. Instead, Chinese herbs are combined in formulas where multiple herbs work synergistically, each one multiplying the therapeutic power of the others for safe, effective care. It’s a focused approach based on thousands of years of medical wisdom and experience.
I choose traditional and modern Chinese herbal formulas carefully for each patient who needs them. Matching the medicine to fit the person, Chinese herbal formulas can treat not only symptoms but also the underlying root causes of medical issues. The range of conditions Chinese herbs can treat is vast, from digestive, reproductive and metabolic issues to infections, inflammation, and allergies, to pain, headaches, insomnia, and stress.
Chinese herbal medicine is not only great for treating what’s wrong, it can also help with wellness--making what’s good even better. These herbal formulas are used to increase vitality and boost the immune system, to increase circulation and even help with mindfulness, memory, and concentration.
I carefully work only with herbal companies with the highest standards and testing--it’s important. Your herbs might be in the form of pills, or they could be powdered herbs that are mixed with water. The formula, dosage, and course of treatment are personalized for each patient, including custom formulas if needed.
“Christopher is professional, confident, patient, gentle, and meticulous in his approach. He remains in the room for the entire treatment and carefully explains what he is doing. I experienced a dramatic improvement in my tendonitis. Although the beginning of the healing process was noticeable immediately, the treatment was not a magical “cure-all.” Christopher taught me stretches, discussed emotional health and posture, and offered dietary advice that I could follow throughout the week.
The things I appreciate most about Christopher are his interpersonal skills; his commitment to rigorous study of Chinese medicine, and his ability to empower his patients to take an active role in their own well-being.
”I would highly recommend Christopher as an acupuncturist, and I am genuinely grateful for his help.
”
Chinese Massage
Chinese massage, also called tui na, is a powerful way to gently treat bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue. But it does so much more than that. This technique allows me to listen to your body and feel out what parts of it are working together, and which parts need a little help. Through this listening, I’m able to sense if vertebrae or ribs are out of place, and even find a hip misalignment that could be the root cause of your knee issue.
Tui-na is also a way to assess unconscious postural tension; all the ways we unknowingly tighten up as we face the world and its challenges. This tension sets us up for injuries, chronic pain, headaches, and more. It also impedes circulation, so by freeing up your muscles and joints we also increase blood flow and enhance the function of your nervous system. This process actually helps you to change your relationship to stress and the way it gets deposited in your body.
Orthobionomy
A kind of bodywork based on research done in the 1970s. It works with you to bring the body into greater ease and comfort. Never forcing things and never cracking or popping, orthobionomy slowly, gently, and safely guides bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments into a more harmonious relationship with one another.
Do you ever have a sense that something is out of place in your body? With a little guidance, your body can move things back to where they were meant to be for greater freedom of movement and comfort. This is powerful and safe because we aren’t fighting the body, but instead we are working at the body’s own pace. As you can see, it matches perfectly with Chinese medicine.
Cupping
The advanced cupping I use for you will feel like a deep, good massage. It powerfully stimulates your blood circulation, and this in turn releases tension from your nervous system, activates your immune system, and releases chronic stress, tension, and inflammation in the muscles. Cupping seems simple, but has a strong and broad range of benefits for the body. I once had a grumpy Chinese medicine teacher tell me, “Don’t use cupping—because if you do, patients will always ask for it!” Cupping is great and it became popular after olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps used it in the 2008 olympics.After you experience cupping, you’ll be asking me for it, too!