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Acupuncture

Robert Call


Robert believes in integrating acupuncture with a modern scientific perspective, working in close collaboration with his patients and their other healthcare providers to produce highly successful treatment results. He received his Master of Science in Acupuncture from Bastyr University in 1997. From there, he continued to deepen his knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), earning a Certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine in 1998. 

Demonstrating his commitment to quality care, Robert pursued and received national Board Certification from the NCCAOM. He has practiced in the Puget Sound are for over 10 years through is own practice, Acumen Acupuncture, and now through Rody Massage & Health.

 

Like chiropractic, acupuncture focuses on unblocking and harnessing the healing power of our body’s own energy. In traditional Chinese medicine, this energy is called qi (pronounced chee). From a Western scientific perspective, this energy has to do with the electrical signals firing through our nervous system.

Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system, promoting biochemical changes in the body and brain that trigger the body’s natural healing ability. We’re excited to offer acupuncture in Puyallup at our Rody Massage & Health clinic because it gives our patients another valuable tool to manage pain and improve wellness.

Common Questions

Benefits of acupuncture

Acupuncture may not be for everyone, but nearly anyone could benefit from it. If you suffer from chronic pain, you may be a prime candidate for acupuncture. According to studies by the National Institute of Health, acupuncture is effective alone or alongside other therapies to treat a long list of things:

Medically-induced nausea (think chemotherapy)
Low-back pain
Osteoarthritis
Post-surgical dental pain
Headaches
Menstrual cramps
Tennis elbow
Fibromyalgia
Myofascial pain
Asthma
Carpal tunnel
Addiction
It can even be useful to help stroke victims in their rehabilitation.

Acupunture services

Our acupuncturist is an expert in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and several offshoots of these practices, including Cupping, Gwa Sha (scraping), Moxibustion, Infrared Heat Therapy, and herbal supplementation and dietary consultation informed by the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine. To learn more about these techniques, see our frequently asked questions below.

How does acupuncture work?
In acupuncture, thin needles are carefully inserted into the body in any of 2,000 acupuncture points designated by Traditional Chinese Medicine. In traditional thought, these points were critical to the flow of energy through the body and acupuncture was used to unblock them, allowing energy to flow freely. From a modern scientific perspective, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system, which releases chemicals into the body that trigger self-healing processes.
What is cupping?
Increasingly administered to high-performance athletes, Cupping is a method of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that involves placing “suction cups” strategically on the skin to stimulate blood flow and speed the body’s healing and recovery process.
What is gwa sha?
Coming from the Chinese word for scraping, Gwa Sha is a gentle scraping technique that acupuncturists use to cause light bruising on the body, which stimulates blow flow to the treated area to bring pain relief and the release of toxins.
What is moxibustion?
Moxibustion is a form of acupuncture therapy that applies heat to the acupuncture needles. In cold conditions, Moxibustion is used to “warm up” the body’s qi channels, the meridians running through the body that correlate to the modern-day conception of the nervous system.
What is infrared heat therapy?
Infrared Heat Therapy uses indirect heat applied by a specialized lamp to treat pain. It delivers heat in the low-frequency range, allowing deep penetration into stiff and sore achy muscles. Infrared light also enhances cell regeneration.