Sports Acupuncturist

Sports Acupuncturist We focus on musculoskeletal pain. Chronic and acute pain conditions such as back pain, neck pain, elbow pain, knee pain, hip pain.

04/20/2026

Neck pain… but it wasn’t coming from her neck

She came in with tightness and pain in that upper trap / levator area (super common spot people feel it).

Instead of just treating the neck, I tested her shoulder.

👉 One of the key stabilizing muscles (supraspinatus) wasn’t firing well
👉 After one distal needle → she was already about 50% better

Still not fully strong, so I supported another shoulder muscle (deltoid)

👉 Another distal point → now she’s about 80% better

So what’s going on here?

When shoulder muscles aren’t doing their job, the neck has to pick up the slack. Over time, those muscles (like the upper trap and levator) get overworked… and that’s where the pain shows up.

The needles I used here were distal points to test and activate those muscles, not the full treatment. This gives me real-time feedback on what’s actually driving the issue.

From here, we would go into the supraspinatus and deltoid directly as part of the full treatment to properly strengthen and support the area.

That’s how you stop the problem from coming back—not just chase where it hurts.

Most people keep chasing the pain.
But if you don’t address the source… it keeps coming back.

⸻

This is one example—not medical advice. Every case is different.

04/18/2026

Knee pain when running? It might not be your knee.

Most people with knee pain focus on where it hurts.

Stretching. Foam rolling. Rest.

But your quadriceps (quads) are supposed to support your knee every time you run, walk, squat, or go downstairs.

If your quads aren’t activating properly, your knee joint takes more of the load.

That’s when pain starts.

What you’re seeing in this video:

• Quad muscle test → weak
• Knee not properly supported
• Distal acupuncture point → quad turns back on
• Retest → stronger, more stable

That tells me the problem isn’t the knee joint itself.

It’s coming from the quad not doing its job.

This is one of the most common reasons behind runner’s knee / patellofemoral pain syndrome and why knee pain doesn’t improve with stretching alone.

It’s not always about loosening tight muscles.

Sometimes it’s about restoring muscle activation, strength, and support so the knee isn’t overloaded with every step.

If you don’t fix that?

The stress keeps building—especially in runners and active people.

Over time, that can contribute to knee irritation, tendon overload, and joint wear and tear.

The goal isn’t just to get rid of pain.
It’s to restore function so your body moves the way it’s supposed to.

Fix the muscle → support the joint → stay active long-term.

Follow for more:
• knee pain explained simply
• running injuries
• muscle activation & performance
• why pain isn’t always where the problem is

Disclaimer:
Educational purposes only. Not medical advice

04/17/2026

BTS. Hip flexor pain. One needle told me the real problem.

Most people are told their hip flexors are tight…
So they stretch them over and over.

But what if that “tightness” isn’t tight at all?

In this case, the psoas (hip flexor) tested WEAK, not tight.
That changes everything.

Psoas dysfunction can show up as:
• Deep front hip pain
• Low back pain (especially standing or walking)
• Tightness that never fully releases
• Core instability or poor balance
• Pain lifting your leg (running, stairs, getting out of a car)

In this video, we used a distal acupuncture point to test the system.

➡️ One needle in
➡️ Retest
➡️ The psoas immediately turned STRONG

That tells us the psoas is the driver.

But here’s the part most people miss:

If we stop there, it won’t hold.

The distal point helps confirm and activate…
But to make results last, we still need to:
• Treat the psoas directly (motor point)
• Address surrounding muscles
• Correct patterns based on posture

That’s how you fix the cause — not just get a temporary change.

If you keep stretching your hip flexors and nothing changes… this is why.

Educational purposes only. Not medical advice.

04/16/2026

To you, this looks like acupuncture… but it’s not just one technique.

In this treatment, I’m combining:
• Dry needling → releases tight muscles
• Acupuncture → increases blood flow for healing
• Motor point acupuncture → activates weak muscles

Most treatments only focus on one.
That’s why the pain keeps coming back.

If the muscle isn’t activating, nothing holds.

This is how we actually fix the root cause — not just chase symptoms.

04/10/2026

BTS. She came in with low back pain. I had a suspicion. One needle confirmed it.

Low back pain in the QL (quadratus lumborum) is one of the most common things I see.

And almost every time…
👉 the QL isn’t the problem.

It’s the glute med.

Here’s what I found:

Her pelvis wasn’t level — one side elevated.
That’s not random. That’s a compensation pattern.

Then I tested her gluteus medius.

Both sides weak. Completely switched off.

Why this matters:

The glute med keeps your pelvis stable every time you walk.

When it stops firing →
👉 the QL takes over

Every step. Every movement. Every day.

What that leads to:

• Constant tightness that never releases
• Pain on one side of your low back
• “I threw my back out” doing something simple

That’s not bad luck.

👉 That’s an overworked QL hitting its limit.

What we did:

Before touching the QL —
I used one distal needle to test the theory.

We retested.

Glute med = ON
Strength restored instantly

Suspicion confirmed.

But turning it on is step one.

👉 Keeping it on is what matters.

So we treated the glute med directly to lock in the change.

This is Sports Acupuncture:

We don’t chase pain.
We find the cause.
We test it.
We prove it.
Then we make it stick.

Every needle has a reason. Every result gets tested.

If your QL keeps tightening…
If you’ve “thrown your back out” more than once…

👉 your glute med might be off — and no one has checked.

📍 Northbrook, IL
🔗 sportsacupuncturist.com
📩 Book a consultation in bio

⚠️ This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.

04/09/2026

This is what it looks like when a muscle is switched off — and what happens when we turn it back on.

This patient came in with shoulder pain, especially when lifting his arm.

One of my findings: his supraspinatus — one of the rotator cuff muscles responsible for lifting and stabilizing the shoulder — wasn’t firing.

This is more common than people think.
A lot of shoulder pain isn’t from damage — it’s from a muscle that’s not activating properly.

Before I treat, I need to confirm the diagnosis.

So I start with one needle — placed away from the shoulder.

Why?
Because that point communicates with the supraspinatus through the nervous system. If the issue is truly a muscle activation problem, the muscle should come back online immediately.

We retest.
Strong.

We test again — because we don’t guess.
Still strong.

Now I know:
• The shoulder pain is coming from a non-firing muscle
• The nervous system responded
• The diagnosis is confirmed

Only then do I needle the supraspinatus directly — to reinforce that signal and help the muscle stay active after treatment.

This is how we use sports acupuncture for shoulder pain differently.

It’s not about just releasing tight muscles.
It’s about restoring proper muscle function and activation.

Every needle has a reason.
Every result gets tested.

And when a muscle goes from weak to strong in seconds —
that’s not random.

That’s the nervous system doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

Shoulder pain isn’t always a shoulder problem.
Sometimes the issue is a muscle that’s simply not turning on.

📍 Northbrook, IL
🔗 sportsacupuncturist.com

This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

12/27/2025

2025 turned out to be an unexpectedly huge year for me.

It started with an impromptu trip to Machu Picchu (because who doesn’t casually decide to do that), caught some Mykonos sun over the summer, spent Christmas in Tokyo, and now getting ready to ring in the New Year in Sydney (I’ve always liked being a little ahead😜.)

Professionally, it was just as big.

It wasn’t loud on the outside, but a lot of groundwork was laid-bringing my vision for Sports Acupuncturist to life and closer to what I know it’s becoming.

If 2026 has even half the plot twists 2025 did, I’m in!

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1535 Lake Cook Road, Suite 405
Northbrook, IL
60062

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Monday 8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 6pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6pm
Friday 8:30am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

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