Cotati Community Acupuncture

03/06/2026

Parsonage Turner Syndrome: A Condition of Hidden Suffering - It was Mother's day 2024 and a beautiful day at the beach. There was sun and sand and surfing. And then without any clear cause or warning I started to hurt. In a few hours I was in a fetal position on the sand. It was more pain than I've ever experienced.

Over the next 3 months I added loss of strength, muscle atrophy, twitching, and spasms to my list of symptoms. Then the joint stopped working properly. I began getting odd joint pains as a result of the altered movement pattern in my shoulder. I couldn't do what I wanted. I was always in pain and when I'd tell people what I was dealing with I could tell they either didn't believe me or just didn't get it. After all, I didn't look different. Nobody had ever heard of Parsonage Turner Syndrome including my doctors and PTs

I had been a strong guy. I was a climber and a surfer and at one point in my life I was a commercial fisherman lugging 180 pound loads of fish roe up a sloshing dock to the truck. But now I couldn't do a single push up. My attempts at pull-ups were a complete joke. I was in pain every minute of every day and doctors didn't have anything to offer.

The diagnosis, Parsonage Turner Syndrome, didn't come until I found it myself in my research. As an integrative medicine practitioner I was familiar with the way that cervical radiculopathy (a pinched nerve) presents and this wasn't it.

When I learned more about Parsonage Turner Syndrome, I began treating my own condition like an autoimmune condition. Then things started to get better. I'm not all the way back. I still need to grab the small dumbells when working what used to be my strong side. But the dent in my chest where my pec used to be has filled mostly back in. I can surf again. I'm no longer in pain all the time. I have a future that I can be hopeful about.

One of the biggest parts of effective treatment for me was local acupuncture to the affected motor points (where the nerves meet the muscles) and the application of electrical stimulation. I combined that with a targeted protocol of diet and supplements aimed at quelling immune inflammation.

If you or someone you know is dealing with this debilitating condition we'd love to speak with you about how we can help.

Click here to set up a phone consultation:
https://www.ciacupuncture.com/consultation.html

-Kieran Jones
Clinical Director
Cotati Integrative Acupuncture

COTATI INTEGRATIVE ACUPUNCTURE

01/24/2026

We couldn’t find a big enough table to fit all our new practitioners. So we built one.

01/17/2026

Research Roundup January 2026 -

First off, I want to discuss briefly the interactions between posture and channel energetics in our body. It’s a short journey and I suspect it’ll be useful in helping you embody more of your intended goals both in life and in your own development.

11/07/2025

November 7th Research Roundup -

Zinc powerfully assists in blood sugar regulation. Not only is zinc essential to proper insulin function, it is also typically deficient in diabetics, and there is an epidemic of deficiency in our population. I have a patient who is dependent on insulin and despite having a CGM (continuous glucose m...

10/28/2025

Happy to Welcome Colin Smith as our newest acupuncturist. Colin is a new grad and brilliant individual. He studied under the lineage of Jeffery Yuen (IYKYK), receiving a Doctoral Degreee in Chinese Medicine. He'll be seeing patients Mondays and Wednesdays in our community room with a $45 drop in treatment rate. He has special interest in hormonal imbalance and mental/emotional complaints.

10/17/2025

Isis’s schedule has filled up for this week but we have some spots available on her schedule next week!

10/04/2025

We're happy to welcome Isis Fields to our practice, providing 1 hour Massage for our patients and drop-in 30 minutes Massage sessions for our Community Patients.

10/02/2025

Our book of the month for October is "Follow Your Gut", ghost written by Sonoma County Local Brenden Buhler opens with this line. Solid hook sir. I'm looking forward to this read.

07/10/2025

The first book I ever wrote for my clinic 10 years ago, right next to my current work in progress. I love this stuff so much.

07/07/2025

Untitled -

This is a common conversation I have with my patients. There are a lot of definitions of “healthy” diet, and it isn’t the same for everyone. Even a diet that is healthy for you may still need tweaking. Here’s the study. If you’re female and approaching menopause then a plant based diet can...

07/05/2025

Vegan diets can increase risk of osteoporosis. Vegan diets can be healthy, but you need to be vigilant that you are getting all your necessary nutrients.

https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(25)00151-7/fulltext

07/05/2025

Simple probiotic supplementation increased growth in children 3-7 years old who were short for their age. Those gut bugs do a lot down there.

Short stature of children has captured extensive attention since it reflects the health status of children and affects physical and psychological health throughout children's life. Compelling evidences have revealed that gut microbiota plays a critical role in growth regulation through nutrient meta...