Spring Acupuncture & Wellness

We hope you have a great holiday!

A reminder - make sure that your animals are secure and have the support they need. Today and tomorrow are the busiest days of the year at dog shelters because so may get spooked and accidentally get lost.

Don't let that happen to your furry family member! Keep them safe inside if you go out. :)

While I rarely post other people's content I must make an exception with this wonderful post from a fellow colleague and friend Dr. Jonathan Kukor, DTCM, AP, CMTP of https://orlandoalternativehealth.com/

Let’s talk low back pain Often times I hear patients say they need a MRI to tell them what it happening with their low back. The following information is important to consider.

While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be a valuable tool in diagnosing certain conditions, it is not always reliable for diagnosing the cause of low back pain. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Lack of correlation with symptoms: Many people experience low back pain at some point in their lives, but not all cases are associated with a specific structural abnormality visible on an MRI. Studies have shown that even individuals without any back pain can have abnormalities on an MRI, such as herniated discs or degenerative changes. Therefore, the presence of these findings on an MRI does not necessarily mean they are the cause of the pain.
2. Age-related changes: As we age, changes in the spine are common, such as degeneration, bulging discs, or spinal stenosis. These changes are often seen on MRIs of older individuals, regardless of whether they have back pain or not. Hence, it becomes challenging to determine if these findings are the actual cause of the pain or simply age-related changes.
3. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment: Relying solely on MRI findings to diagnose low back pain can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The discovery of minor abnormalities on an MRI may prompt medical professionals to pursue invasive procedures or surgeries that may not be necessary or effective in relieving the pain.
4. Complex nature of pain: Low back pain is a multifactorial condition with various potential causes, including muscle strain, ligament sprain, joint dysfunction, nerve irritation, or even non-spinal causes like kidney stones or abdominal issues. MRI scans primarily provide detailed images of the bones and soft tissues, but they do not capture functional aspects or the dynamic nature of pain.
5. Cost and availability: MRI scans are expensive, and not everyone has easy access to them due to their high cost or limited availability. Relying solely on MRI scans for low back pain diagnosis would not be feasible for many individuals, especially in resource-limited settings.

We thank the heroic men and women in the service of our country.

The shoulder joint works hard during a bench press. We think of it as a chest exercise, and while it does work the pecs for sure, it involves the deltoids and triceps as major movers and all of the humeral and scapular stabilizers too.

If the prime moves aren't working together effectively, front shoulder pain is common. If the scapular stabilizers are not coming on line when they should be, you can get mid-back pain.

Either way, we can help!
Call today 208-616-1040

It's been a long winter.
We all feel ready to head to the hills.
Will you be ready when the snow melts?

If anything feels a little off, come in now for a tune up!
We can help stabilize your joints and balance your musculature.

If you haven't tried Sports Acupuncture, you are in for a good surprize.

If you haven't tried Sports Acupuncture, you are in for a good surprise.

Sometimes we know what happened- we got rear ended, or overexerted at the gym.

Other times, you just wake up with a pain in your neck.

However it happened, we can help with acupuncture and deep tissue massage. We work on pains in the neck every day with great results.

Don't stay in pain!
Call today 208-616-1040

You have probably heard of the stress responses- flight, fight, or freeze (and sometimes fawn). These are our animal body's hard-wired reactions that occur when we have accumulated too much stress.

It might be that your schedule is too full, or you fell and hurt yourself and still had to go to work or take care of your family, or that you are trying to deal with greif or bad news, plus your regular life too.

If you feel like you could use some down regulation, we can help!
Call today 208-616-1040

Sometimes we just need a break.
Both our minds and bodies can get overwhelmed. Add in the low-grade chronic stress that seems to be the way of the world these days, and p**f! we're toast.

One of acupuncture's superpowers is to help you relax and let go. Let go of physical tension, circular thoughts, and anxiousness.

Need a break?
Call today 208-616-1040

Trail running season is fast approaching!

Sometimes, old ankle sprains and strains can act up when you run on uneven surfaces. We have some great treatment protocols that we get excellent feedback on.

If you are feeling a little unstable on your feet, or overly cautious, we can help!

Call 208-616-1040

Our first tip is to get something padded to kneel on, or even a gardening stool.

Our second tip is to come in and see us and get your shoulders and upper back pain free and strong. We can even give you at-home stretches to do before and after gardening.

Our goal is for you to understand your body ans be able to take care of yourself.

Our acupuncturist didn't learn Sports Acupuncture in his graduate studies. He took a post-grad 240-hour program to learn how to help you perform your best and recover quickly from injuries or setbacks.

Since then he has continued to study almost daily to better understand biomechanics and the healing process.

We are lifelong learners with a passion for the human body and want to help you feel your best.

Wow, are we ready for spring!
Rumor has it that it may show up this weekend.

We have already seen a lot of bike riders out on the road.

If you are one of them and feel like your knees, back, or hips could be working more smoothly, we can help!

Call today 208-616-1040

Norah at her class… keeping a lookout and then checking in, so happy to be there!


She starts reminding us about 36 hours before class by sniffing at her class collar, and is super chill and happy afterwards. 🥰🐕

It happens to all of us.
Life keeps on happening, which while better then the alternative, can build up. Sometimes it sows up as tension in our shoulders or back, or as a racing mind.

Acupuncture can help. One of it's super powers is putting you in a para-sympathetic state. This is the opposite of fight , flight, or freeze.

Do you need to relax? Do your shoulders and neck need some encouragement to let go already?

We can help.
Call today 208-616-1040

When we work on a personal record, we want all our systems in tip top shape. Joints stable, muscles balanced and firing well, and mind clear.

Remember in 2015 when Tiger Woods pulled out of competition because his glutes wouldn't fire? If he had a sports acupuncture treatment, chances are that wouldn't have happened!

Get tuned up before going all out.
Call today 208-616-1040

We truly love helping people. It's why we do what we do.

When you have muscular-skeletal pain, it can be draining and depressing. You don;t have as much bandwidth for fun because your nervous system is busy dealing with pain.

When you have muscular-skeletal pain, it can be draining and depressing. You don't have as much bandwidth for fun because your nervous system is busy dealing with pain.

It becomes a pattern called the pain-spasm cycle.

Come in and find out if we can help you break free.

call today 208-616-1040

In order for our joints to be happy, they need a balance between flexibility and stability. Going too far in either direction can cause discomfort.

If you notice that something in your movement doesn't feel quite right, or your left and right sides don't feel as balanced as usual, we can help.

Call today 208-616-1040

Happy Easter! It's been a long cold spring here, and today we are going to break 70F for the first time. Enjoy your day! ☀️🌱 🐇

We do more than acupuncture. We use soft tissue techniques and some carefully chosen tools.

But the most important thing we do? We listen and we educate. We know how scary it feels to not understand why your body feels the way it does. When we work with you, we explain our findings, what treatment we propose, and why. We are open to you asking questions every step of the way and can explain to you how what we are doing works.

This is different than a diagnosis. We don't need a name for your pain or dysfunction to treat it. We look and listen, treat what we find, and work towards you feeling better as quickly as possible.

When we see a new client, we don't make any assumptions.

We know that each person is different and that just because a treatment worked on a past client with the same complaint, that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you.

We care about you getting results. We see you as the individual you are. We take our time and listen and learn so that we can do the best job possible for you.

Call today 208-616-1040

Goals are motivating and can keep you moving forward. Sometimes, because we are all human, you might find yourself pushing a little too hard and end up injured or just feeling drained.

And while you might not have thought of it before, Sports Acupuncture can be a game changer. We can literally reboot your muscles and down-regulate (in a good way) your nervous system so you feel both steady and capable. We can help you attain grounded power to go the distance and reach your goal.

Call today 208-616-1040

We know where it went!
Just kidding. 😆

But really, what does that mean?
Usually, it means you moved in an awkward way, and some of the muscles in your trunk got overstretched or over-contracted.

What we think of as low back pain can result from muscles in the surrounding area (abdominals, gluteal, paraspinal, outer hip, or inner thigh) not functioning properly.

When you come to Spring, we thoroughly examine you, look at your movement patterns, do orthopedic testing, and ask you questions to make sure that we know which muscle(s) to treat to help you regain pain-free movement.

We can help. Call today. 208-616-1040

When you come to Spring with a musculoskeletal problem, we put our heads together to come up with the best solution for you.

Together, we have over 60 years of anatomy, movement, bodywork, and acupuncture training and experience. Plus we have a HUGE reference library and continue to work with teachers and mentors.

We bring all of that to the (literal!) table when we work with you.

Resistance training has so many benefits.

Sometimes, a lift that used to feel easy feels awkward. Why does that happen?

What we have seen time and time again is that the muscle group that doesn't feel quite right is inhibited. It's not firing as well or completely as it could.

Sports Acupuncture teaches your motor neuron how to fully activate the muscle again.

Perform your best with Sports Acupuncture.

Call today. 208-616-1040

We have a good track record with foot problems. From plantar fasciitis to recovering from surgery, we can help.

Let's face it. Sometimes we ask too much of ourselves and don't give enough importance to recovery.

It's natural to feel more excited by setting new personal records and hitting goals then doing mobility and resting.

Sports Acupuncture can help your muscles recover from overuse 60% faster. That's a lot.

We can help you set new records.
Call today 208-616-1040

When we see a client, we listen. We ask questions. We do orthopedic tests. We explain our findings and thoughts to you. We answer questions.

We treat each person as an individual and do our best to figure out what input your body needs to heal.

If we feel that you will be better served somewhere else, we refer you.

We want the best for our patients. Always.

We all age. Sometimes it feels like our bodies just get crankier with every year. And while that is a little bit true- our tissues do some natural degeneration- it is also true that the less we move, often the more pain we have.

We aren't going to tell you to train for a marathon. But what about going for a walk, taking a fun spin on your bike, or having a dance party with your dog? All movement helps when it's the right dose for where you are. Even right now, just wiggle a little. Move your shoulders and hips. 😄

It's National Puppy Day! Here is our Norah when she was a puppy. As you can see, she didn't have quite enough toys. 😃

There is something deeply peaceful about fly fishing. The water flowing by, the focus, the clean air.

It's a bummer when you are distracted by back pain, or feel unsure of your ankles or knees when you wade deeper.

Let's work together and get you river ready.
Call today 208-616-1040