Treatments Offered
Japanese Style Acupuncture
Because of its delicacy and precision Japanese or meridian style acupuncture is essentially painless. Patients who refer their entire family can attest to the fact that it doesn’t have to hurt to be successful.
Patients often experience profound relaxation. That relaxation leads to physiological and psychological healing that drugs have difficulty in matching. In Japan Oriental Medicine is called the medicine of vital energy. Japanese style acupuncture specializes in effectively moving and balancing that energy without depleting it. That is why it has the flexibility to treat so many Illnesses and pain conditions.
Nutritional Counseling
This consultation is Condition Focused on a specific diagnosis such as:
- Adrenal and thyroid imbalances
- Stress and fatigue
- Immune support
- Hormone deficiencies
- Supporting and rebuilding digestion
The session can be in the office or virtual. Each will be an hour long and will include diet and lifestyle changes, herb & supplement suggestions, recipes and further testing if indicated. We can also create a protocol tailored to your diagnosis.
Herbal Formulas
Herbs are used in combinations according to principles perfected over 3000 years of study. The use of herbal medicinals has reached highly sophisticated levels in Oriental Medicine. It’s versatility and lack of side effects makes this a great place to start when you are looking for improved health or relief of symptoms.
Vitamins and Supplements
We are not a fan of “more is better” when it comes to vitamins and supplements. There are, however, a few things that we feel most people should take. Usually supplements will be suggested to treat a suspected deficiency or as a temporary support for a health or mood problem. We will also help you streamline your supplement routine and make sure you are getting what you are paying for.
Gua Sha and Cupping
These techniques may be likened to a mini deep tissue massage and are effective to relieve many types of pain in specific areas. Gua sha is a simple and painless treatment for varicose veins, skin problems and relieving fascial adhesions. Cupping is also effective for venting chest colds and coughs.
Essential Oils
Essential Oils have a wide range of therapeutic properties. They can be chosen and combined according to the principles of Oriental Medicine, then applied to areas or points on the body to stimulate or soothe. Oils can be used with or without needles. We consider them a form of herbal therapy.
Far Infrared Therapy
This is a modality that is used to reduce inflammation so it is very effective in treating chronic conditions especially pain of all kinds. Research is revealing that most chronic health problems are caused by persistent low level inflammation. It can also be used as a gentle detox so it is a wonderful treatment for all kinds of skin problems. It can be combined with other forms of treatment to enhance healing and relaxing.
Microcurrent
Soothes away pain and creates healing by enhancing communication between cells and circulation. Microcurrent works by mimicking the natural energy at a cellular level. It can also be used to stimulate acupuncture points without needles.
Our Specialties
Tired - Stressed - Depressed - Fat
Over the years we have recognized a constellation of symptoms that bring many patients to our clinic. These people have often consulted many practitioners with varying results. While not everyone has all of these symptoms most have a lot of them:
- Fatigue
- Sleep disruptions
- Hormone imbalances
- Foggy thinking or lack of focus
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Inability to lose weight
- Digestive disturbances
- Joint pain and or inflammation
- Sweet cravings
- Allergies
- Skin problems
- Thyroid problems
- Autoimmune problems
If a lot of these sound familiar you are in good company. Your body is out of balance and very depleted. We can find the root and fix it to bring back your vitality and hopefully some joy in living. Call us for an appointment today!
Women's Issues
The Hormone Dilemma
Many women facing or entering menopause are confronted with what seems like a dilemma without a solution. They must tolerate the mood swings, sweats, insomnia or hot flashes of “The Change” or risk hormone replacement therapy. Many women assume the risk, while others just suffer the symptoms. There is an alternative however.
Thousands of years ago Chinese doctors started experimenting with hormones derived from urine much like what Western doctors currently prescribe with Premarin (pregnant mares’ urine). In the case of menopause, they were dissatisfied with the use of hormones alone because it failed to address all of the symptoms or imbalances they were seeing. Today those imbalances are even more profound. Our lives are stressful and our diets less than perfect. Girls reach puberty early. Hormone levels are commonly imbalanced by the time a woman reaches her thirties, as demonstrated by increasing complaints of PMS. Stress and diet play an important role in menopause due to the interrelationship between the adrenals, the thyroid gland, and levels of hormones available. Menopause symptoms are becoming more common and more severe. Menopause without adverse symptoms, otherwise known as “ideal menopause”, is becoming increasingly rare.
Menopause is not just about hot-flashes and night sweats. For some, these symptoms never occur. Instead, some women experience:
- depression
- insomnia
- memory loss
- anxiety
- weight gain
- joint pain
- among many others.
- Menopause may also increase a woman’s risk for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. So what are your options?
Oriental Medicine works for menopause by treating each woman as a unique individual. The pattern of symptoms tells us where to look for weakness in the body. Other signs, like an individual’s pulses or even their tongue, show us where the body needs to be strengthened and where things need to be moved. Everyone is different.
If stress in your life has caused depletion of your adrenals they may not be able to make even the small amount of hormones you need for an ideal menopause. The same stress affecting a different part of your body could cause anxiety and mood swings. What you eat may also cause problems. Caffeine can cause hot flashes while sugar can be the cause of your joint pain or memory loss. It all depends on where your body is weak.
In our practice we use Oriental Medicine, acupuncture and herbs to locate your body’s weaknesses and treat them. Along the way we can offer some healing alternatives for menopause and its many symptoms.
About Us
Melody Pickell MSTOM, L.Ac.
Melody offers a unique combination of western and eastern experience. Her undergrad degree is in Physiology. After graduation, she went to work for NASA researching the effects of stress on the body. Her experience working in hospitals caused her to question the western focus on treating symptoms when she saw patients returning again and again for the same problems.
Her search for a better way led to a master’s degree in Oriental Medicine with a specialization in Japanese style Acupuncture and functional medicine.
She enjoys learning and teaching and seeks to empower her patients toward optimal health giving them the tools and knowledge they need to help themselves.
She enjoys gardening, reading and interior design.
Kelly Thomas MSTOM, L.Ac.
Kelly has dedicated the past 20 years to traditional healing arts. She came to this medicine as a means of finding a way to return natural sustainable healing remedies and preventative health practices to the community.
While working for 15 years in the fields of mental health, education, and homelessness, Kelly continually sought methods of healing outside the traditional western allopathic medicine world to address issues resistant to treatment. During this time she established new programs to address the mind body connection including a comprehensive wellness center for permanent supportive housing in Los Angeles’ Skid Row.
She earned her Masters in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Emperor’s College in Santa Monica, CA. She received her BA in Child Development from San Francisco State University. She had the privilege of assisting renowned herbalist Dr. Ji Zhang in his dispension of classical herbal formulas for over four years. She was an acupuncturist at Being Alive HIV Clinic in West Hollywood, CA focusing on trauma treatment. She is also certified in Clean Needle Technique by CCAOM and has completed the Advanced Cosmetic Acupuncture training certification through Shellie Goldstein Acupuncture. Prior to her move to the Central Coast, Kelly maintained a private practice in Pasadena, CA.
While Kelly has studied and treated a variety of health issues her expertise lies in gastrointestinal issues, women’s health and mental health, especially anxiety and depression.
Through her work with acupuncture, herbs, and traditional East Asian medicine Kelly empowers by facilitating the practices and rituals that give people optimum health everyday.
Kelly is licensed by the California State Acupuncture Board. Her license number is 18827.
Vanessa Ornelas
Certified Massage Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Vanessa has been in this business for four years. She loves helping others get back to where they need to be: in their bodies, energy levels, and/or just better range of motion.
She has an integrated style of massage that varies depending on the different clients that come to see me. Myofascial release is her go to modality. It helps most with the assessment when at the first meeting. It helps calm the body and opens up the tissues layer by layer. Making it that much easier and more relaxed to assist the body in doing what it does best.Heal.
Vanessa is very excited to join the Healing Alternatives team and looks forward to meeting you!Research on Acupuncture
Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs/Techniques proven effective treatment for many ailments says the World Health Organization
Proven By Research
Several years ago the World Health Organization started publishing a list of diseases, symptoms and conditions for which acupuncture had been proven to be an effective treatment thru clinical research. This list is several pages long so I will paraphrase. If you want to see the whole list - CLICK HEREPain treatment:
- Joints including sprains and strains, arthritis
- Neck
- Back (includes Sciatica)
- Knees
- Arm (shoulder, elbow and wrist)
- Face (jaw, trigeminal neuralgia, Bell’s palsy and dental pain)
- Head ( including sinus and migraine headaches)
- Post operative pain
- Menstrual pain
- Fibromyalgia
Gastrointestinal problems:
- Diarrhea
- Irritable bowel
- Nausea and vomiting (including morning sickness)
Insomnia and sleep disturbance
Mood disorders (including stress)
Allergies and rhinitis
Asthma
Years of experience has added significantly to this list so if you want to know about our experience with your problem call us (805) 541-2199.
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