ACUPUNCTURE
Welcome! I am a healing practitioner with the mission to bring people towards greater body, mind, and life balance. My approach integrates Eastern and Western techniques and trainings. As a California licensed acupuncturist, I hold a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine degree which encompassed 2 years of Western medical science and 2 years of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Eastern Theory, along with extensive clinical work. 22 years of experience as a massage therapist gives me insight into assessing and addressing all types of muscle and joint pain and injury. Acupuncture and herbal medicine is a powerful tool we can use for your total body wellness, addressing energy, mood, sleep, hormones and digestion. To aid us on this journey, I bring my 15 years of practicing and teaching yoga, meditation, and Buddhist mindfulness, which has greatly deepened my understanding of the mind-body connection.
Throughout the years as a wellness practitioner, I have developed a unique approach to healing that is both intuitive and scientific, nurturing and empowering, healing for the body, mind and spirit. Please visit my lovely peaceful treatment space in Old Town Pasadena for any of the offerings below:
New Patient Assessment and Acupuncture
This session includes time for a conversation about what brings you to acupuncture, past health history, pulse and tongue diagnosis, and hands-on assessment of any body imbalances. Then receive an acupuncture treatment combined with therapeutic or relaxation massage to targeted areas, and advice for continuing self care. All sessions also include essential oils and warm towels.
75 Minutes. $150
AcuMassage Combination Treatment
This session combines acupuncture treatment with 30 minutes of massage, including prone and supine treatment with one or two sets of needles, plus essential oils and warm towels. Perfect for muscle and joint pain, tension, and injury, while also addressing total wellbeing and conditions like digestive discomfort, menstrual and hormonal imbalances, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and much more.
75 Minutes. $160
AcuMassage PLUS
This session combines acupuncture treatment with 30 minutes of massage, plus an additional technique to increase relaxation and blood flow, either hot stone massage, sliding cupping, guasha, moxibustion, or electro-stimulation. All sessions also include essential oils and warm towels. Perfect for deeper or more chronic muscle and joint pain, tension, and injury, while also addressing total wellbeing, energy and stress level.
75 Minutes. $180
Acupuncture Treatment (returning patient)
This acupuncture session continues the care started in your new patient or Acumassage treatment. A peaceful cozy environment allows you to fully relax for a deep recharge. Regular treatments are best for resolving an injury quickly or shifting your metabolic, digestive, and hormonal health - recommended 2x/week.
45 minutes. $75
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice that has been utilized for over two thousand years, aiding millions of people in achieving better health. Acupuncture is based on the understanding that the human body is a complex bio-electrical system, a concept that Western science has recently begun to fully explore. In traditional Chinese medicine, energy, or Qi, flows through the body, connecting the internal organs to the external muscles and connective tissue along pathways known as meridians. When this flow is obstructed, it can result in pain and illness The energy pathways open to the outside world at the acupoints, and through them Qi can be stimulated, calmed, or redirected through the insertion of small needles. In this way, Acupuncture works to re-balance and restore the proper flow of the body’s energies, thereby promoting health and vitality.
Additional modalities used to enhance the AcuMassage PLUS sessions:
-Cupping uses suction to draw enhanced blood flow to a local area, facilitaing healing and allowing toxins to move out of the area. Sliding cupping releases connective tissue similar to a myofascial massage, which promotes flexibility and relieves tension.
-Hot stone massage uses volcanic basalt lava stones to conduct heat deeply into your muscles to relax muscles, improve circulation, and promote a sense of tranquility. Claire is additionally trained to use the stones to relieve tension on a deep level with myofascial and trigger point techniques.
-Guasha is a traditional Chinese healing technique that involves scraping the skin with a smooth-edged tool to stimulate circulation and relieve tension in the muscle and connective tissue, improving blood flow and venting heat and toxicity in the case of illness.
-Moxibustion (Moxa) is a traditional Chinese practice that involves burning the herb mugwort to apply therapeutic heat to specific points on the body. Claire uses smokeless moxa, which provides the beneficial heat without the accompanying smell, promoting healing and relaxation.
-Electrostimulation (Estim) in acupuncture involves applying a mild electric current to acupuncture needles, enhancing the therapeutic effects. This technique helps to stimulate muscles, reduce pain, and promote faster healing by increasing blood flow and cellular activity.
-Ear seeds are applied at the end of the treatment for ongoing or chronic conditions, allowing continued stimulation of acupuncture points at home for up to three days. These needle-free seeds or metal magnet balls can be pressed to provide ongoing therapeutic benefits.
The AcuMassage Experience:
by Wellness Writer Brooke McKelvey
When you enter this serene clinic in a restored Craftsman style house in Pasadena, you’ll find a cozy and comfortable waiting area where you can relax and enjoy a cup of warm tea. Claire will greet you warmly and guide you to your treatment room where you’ll discuss how you’re feeling, any current aches and pains, and both short and long-term symptoms. She will take your pulse and perform a tongue examination to gain insights into your health.
That discussion will lead to a customized treatment plan using the tools that she feels are best for your condition and your body type. Every AcuMassage appointment includes massage and acupuncture combinations, but additional techniques may be added to your plan based on your assessment with Claire. These may include cupping, hot stones, gua sha, shiatsu, and trigger point therapy.
Once you get on the table, Claire will use shiatsu massage techniques to get your body warmed up, relaxed, and comfortable. This will also help her diagnose any tensions you’re holding in your body. There are warm blankets and lots of coverage for you on the table. Once she has done that, she will move on to focus on the parts of your body diagnosed with pain or discomfort.
She will begin with massage and then move on to either hot stones, cupping, or gua sha to bring heat and blood flow to the area, maximizing the healing done by the acupuncture. She mixes all of her own massage oils—coconut or sunflower—with essential oils to enhance your massage experience. This process also helps you become more relaxed and ready to communicate what you are feeling when the acupuncture needles are inserted.
After stimulating blood flow and assessing your condition, Claire will insert needles into key points on your body. If you are healing from an injury, acupuncture directs the body’s healing response to the area. Other acupoints are targeted to address mental stress and balance emotion, improve digestive organ function, and even reduce menstrual pain and PMS symptoms.
After placing the needles, Claire will ensure you are comfortable under your coverings, with a heat lamp targeting the treated areas to enhance the healing process. She will gently massage your scalp, drawing from her Reiki training to help you reach a deep state of relaxation. She will check in periodically, adjusting the needles if needed, and when you're ready, she will remove them.
After the needles are removed, Claire offers a variety of topical creams and liniments tailored to your needs. You will have time to get up, regain your bearings, and get dressed. You can then enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of water. For any further self-care instructions, Claire will provide helpful materials in your online patient portal, ensuring your journey to wellness continues smoothly.