Through the application of hair-thin, sterile, single-use needles, acupuncture affects change in the body. General and immediate benefits include relaxation, pain relief, and improvements in circulation, sleep, and digestion.
For the best outcomes and patient-centered care, I practice a non-dogmatic blend of classical, traditional, and contemporary acupuncture techniques.
Traditional Chinese medicine
Classical Chinese medicine
Ear acupuncture
Scalp acupuncture
Facial acupuncture
Traditional Chinese medicine
Classical Chinese medicine
Ear acupuncture
Scalp acupuncture
Facial acupuncture
Electroacupuncture
Orthopedic/sports medicine acupuncture
Trigger point acupuncture/dry needling
Five element acupuncture
Your acupuncture treatment may include several of these techniques, as well as cupping, gua sha, hands-on bodywork, heat therapy, herbal therapy, and lifestyle recommendations.
What does acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are effective in treating a vast range of conditions. If you don’t see your specific concern listed here, please schedule a free consultation.
Testimonials
FAQ
Read more about acupuncture in Portland OR
Acupuncture blogs and articles, by Betsy Gordon Acupuncturist
Find Relief from Migraine Headaches with Acupuncture
Migraine headaches can be utterly incapacitating, affecting one’s work, social life, and overall well-being. While conventional treatments such as painkillers and preventive medications can offer temporary relief, they often come with side effects and fail to address the underlying cause. Recent research* published in the British Medical Journal provides compelling evidence of acupuncture's effectiveness in...
Acupuncture is a top treatment for anxiety disorder
Most experienced recipients of acupuncture can attest to its calming, anxiety-relieving effects.Once needles are placed we settle in, gaze around the room or close our eyes, and feel our nervous systems passively reach a comfortable parasympathetic zone.These benefits aren't just anecdotal! Research has found acupuncture is a safe, effective, reliable treatment for the symptoms of...
Acupuncture for neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve pain, occurs after injury or damage to nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. Common examples include: Trigeminal neuralgia (searing pain across the jaw, usually on one side) Postherpetic neuralgia (burning pain following shingles infection) Post-traumatic neuropathy (chronic pain following surgery, whiplash, or other body injury) Diabetic neuropathy...
How can acupuncture help painful periods?
Dysmenorrhea affects as many as 90% of women and can have a significant and detrimental impact on their quality of life. Cramping ranges from mild to severe and may last for a fleeting moment or several days. A 2014 review reported as many as 29% of women studied experienced severe dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is thought...
Acupuncture speeds recovery from the common cold
It's never a good time to have a cold. Research has shown that acupuncture limits the progression of the common cold and is highly effective in treating the unpleasant lingering symptoms. How does acupuncture help treat the common cold? Acupuncture potentiates the cellular immune system by increasing levels of T lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, CD8), interleukins,...
Acupuncture for cancer-related pain
The study included a total of 31 randomized controlled trials. Seven of these trials were sham-controlled, and acupuncture was associated with reduced pain when compared to sham acupuncture. These findings call for additional research to identify which types of cancer pain are best treated with acupuncture, and to integrate these findings into clinical practice to...
How acupuncture can help anxiety
Whether mild or as part of bipolar disorder, anywhere on the spectrum, anxiety almost always pairs with a set of physical manifestations. Over time as our emotions affect our physiology and vice versa, the nervous system falls into a habit. Even if the source of anxiety disappears, the body may remember and be entrenched in...
Harvard study finds acupuncture quiets cytokine storm in mice
Exciting new research! We've seen how acupuncture can reduce inflammation in chronic asthma, pain conditions, Parkinson’s disease, and more. Now, a team of neuroscientists have used acupuncture to calm acute systemic inflammation in mice. Cytokine storm is associated with an array of diseases and many of you will recognize this term from your own recent...
How does acupuncture work?
Two of the most common questions I hear: how does acupuncture work, and what can it help with? Acupuncture releases blockages and restores harmonious flow. Traditional Chinese medical theory helps us understand how acupuncture points, herbal therapy, and movement medicine can address specific disease processes even before they manifest. When our bodily systems and organs...
