I get asked all the time how acupuncture fits with conventional medical care. Should you do one or the other? Honestly, this question gets me excited because I’ve seen how much better my patients do when they get the best of both worlds.
Western medicine is incredible at what it does—diagnostic tools, life-saving interventions, emergency surgery, pharmaceuticals. I have enormous respect for it. If you’re in a crisis, you want modern medicine. What I bring through acupuncture is different but equally valuable. I look at the whole picture—your physical symptoms, stress levels, sleep, and energetic imbalances. I help your body heal itself and find balance. When these two approaches work together, that’s when the real magic happens.
Here’s an example from when my kids were little. They’d wake up with a fever and sore throat, and I’d take them straight to the doctor every time. Why? To rule out strep or anything serious. If it was strep throat, that antibiotic worked faster than any herbal formula and protected them from serious complications. Western medicine was exactly what they needed. But if the doctor said it was just a virus, I’d use my herbal formulas at home. They got better without unnecessary antibiotics, and their bodies stayed responsive to antibiotics for when they really needed them. That’s getting the best of both—it’s not either/or, it’s knowing when to use what.
In my practice, I see a lot of people with chronic issues—neck, back, shoulder pain, migraines, osteoarthritis. Many have been on pain medications for months or years. With regular acupuncture, many can significantly reduce their medication or even stop it altogether. Given the risks of long-term pain medication use, that’s life-changing. I’m not replacing their medical care—I’m complementing it with more relief and fewer side effects.
What makes this work is communication. I want to know your medications, what your doctor said, how your treatments are going. When someone comes before surgery, I help calm their anxiety and prepare their body. After surgery, I support healing while their surgical team handles post-op care.
When women with infertility come in, we help support their reproductive goals either for those wishing to conceive naturally or for those going through infertility treatments. We’re all working toward the same goal.
Our clinic has built relationships with many doctors and healthcare providers, and they see their patients healing faster, managing pain better, getting pregnant and feeling more in control. This is integrative care—not rejecting modern medicine, but enhancing it with healing modalities that address what conventional medicine sometimes misses.
I have so much respect for Western medicine and am grateful to work alongside physicians who respect what acupuncture brings. When we combine these approaches thoughtfully, patients get the most comprehensive, safe, and effective care possible. You shouldn’t have to choose between modern medicine and ancient healing wisdom. You deserve both.
Curious about how acupuncture might complement your current medical care? Let’s talk about your situation and how we can work with your healthcare team to support your healing.
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