There are many different philosophies, styles, and practices of acupuncture, which can vary greatly from each other.  The reason my practice is called Root-Branch Acupuncture, is because I believe in the strength of a well-rounded approach to healthcare.

The value and breadth of a holistic medicine is that it looks at the person as a whole, not just as separate discrete symptoms or parts.  Chinese medicine takes into account how the whole body, as one unified system, is functioning when addressing your problem.

Root-Branch is a theory of Chinese medicine that describes its holistic nature, and captures the essence of what I love about acupuncture. 

The analogy illustrates that whatever your chief complaint is, whether it’s low-back pain, infertility, or migraine headaches, this is the branch of the problem.  The branch is the symptomatic outward manifestation of a deeper underlying internal imbalance, the root. 

We understand that the leaves and branches of a tree are the outward manifestations of its deeper internal source, the roots.  We can trim the unhealthy leaves and branches, but if the problem of unhealthy roots remains unaddressed, then the health of the tree will not be restored.
         
The beauty of acupuncture is that it identifies and treats both the root and the branch of the problem.  Not only does acupuncture treat the offending symptomatology, it also works to balance the deeper cause of the problem. 

In Western medicine, healthcare is broken up by specialists that only focus on their specific part.  Your specialist may not see the relevance of seemingly unrelated symptoms, such as constipation, depression, or insomnia, but your acupuncturist will closely examine all these branches, in order to better identify the shared underlying root imbalance. 

I base my treatments on this theory and strive to treat every patient in this manner, to ensure your well-rounded healthcare.