What makes it different?

Dr. Stuart McGill, a leading expert on spine biomechanics, challenges the common belief that back pain originates from spinal structures like discs or vertebrae. He argues that while these structures can be involved, the true cause of pain often lies in muscle imbalances, repetitive movements, and poor spinal stability. Dr. McGill advocates for a comprehensive approach to back health, focusing on proper assessment, targeted exercises, and movement awareness to improve muscle function and spinal stability.

Similarly, Dr. Vladimir Janda, the famous rehab doctor, believed that pain, particularly back pain, is primarily caused by muscle imbalances rather than spinal abnormalities. He observed predictable patterns of muscle tightening and weakening that lead to movement dysfunction and pain. Both Dr. McGill and Janda’s work emphasize the importance of a functional approach, focusing on muscle balance and movement patterns, to effectively address back pain.

Dr. Vladimir Janda (Functional assessment and treatment of muscle imbalances)
Dr. Joseph Wong (The first MD to place acupuncture needles into motor points of a muscle to release tension)
Dr. Janet Travell (Myofascial Pain)
Dr. C Chan Gunn (Myofascial Pain)
Andry Vleeming (Myofascial Slings)
Dr. Andrea Trescot (Peripheral Nerve Entrapments)
Dr. Aldo Perotto (Electromyography and Location of Motor Points)

By studying the work of these doctors I have synthesized their work and translated it to an acupuncture style I call Functional Acupuncture.

My method treats muscle imbalances, joint dysfunction, trigger points, nerve entrapments to restore people to pain-free mobility and a better quality of life with fewer drugs and procedures.

Functional Acupuncture also works on athletes for sports performance and recovery.

I work with professional athletes and college athletes to manage injuries and improve their performance.

Functional Acupuncture is a system that breaks out of the failing paradigm of treating pain structurally.

A structural approach only looks at the spine and the joint that is in pain and attempts to correct the problem at the location of pain. They take no interest in how the joint was moving so poorly that there is rubbing, pain and inflammation. They just want to treat the inflammation until they can replace the joint with surgery.

Functional Acupuncture recognizes that pain is almost always due to muscle imbalances that may be due to over-use or traumatic injury. Spinal compression of the nerve can makes the muscles tighter but the pain is from muscular dysfunction, not usually from the disc!