Fountyn Acupuncture

03/23/2026

Gua sha is one of the most powerful traditional healing practices in Chinese medicine, and one that I often incorporate into my treatments.

It works by moving what’s stuck. Tension, stagnation, heat, inflammation...whatever the body has been holding, gua sha helps release it. The back and neck are where so many of us carry the weight of our daily lives, and this is often where healing begins.

The technique works by press-stroking into the fascial layer...the connective tissue that runs throughout your entire body like a web. When fascia becomes tight or restricted from stress, posture, or lack of movement, it affects everything...circulation, mobility, pain, even organ function. Gua sha breaks up those adhesions and restores fluidity to the tissue, so energy and blood can flow freely again. Research shows that a single gua sha treatment produces anti-inflammatory and immune protective effects that persist for days.

I weave gua sha into so much of my work. Before facial acupuncture, it clears the pathways so radiance can come through from within. For fertility, it supports circulation and creates an environment where the body can receive. For women navigating pain, hormonal shifts, or emotional heaviness...it moves energy that’s been stagnant and invites the body back into flow. And when illness is coming on, gua sha on the upper back is one of the most effective ways to upregulate your immune system and support your body’s natural ability to fend of colds.

fountynacupuncture.com
📍San Carlos & San Francisco

03/20/2026

So much of my work with women is about helping them tune back into what their body is already telling them. Not just the big, obvious symptoms... but the quieter signals. The subtle shifts that are easy to brush past when life is full. Seasonal transitions are one of the places to start noticing.

The spring equinox today is a moment of perfect balance... equal light and dark, a pause before the energy of the year begins to rise. In Chinese Medicine, it marks the shift from winter’s deep, reflective stillness into the expansive, outward energy of spring. Spiritually, it’s a threshold. A time of renewal, new growth, and the return of possibility.

This energy belongs to the Liver system... which governs the smooth flow of qi, blood, and emotions. When the Liver is supported through this transition, you feel clear, creative, motivated. When it’s not, things start to show up... irritability, headaches, PMS, neck and shoulder tension, disrupted sleep, or a restless feeling you can’t quite name.

Acupuncture during seasonal transitions is one of the oldest and simplest practices in Chinese Medicine. It helps your body do what it already wants to do... move with the rhythm of the natural world instead of against it.

If you’re ready for a seasonal reset, book through the link in bio.

03/19/2026

As a mom of two, I know firsthand how hard it is to show up for everything while running on empty.

In Chinese medicine, the postpartum period is seen as a time of real depletion that requires deep nourishment...and it doesn’t end at 6-8 weeks.

If you’re months or even years out and still dealing with fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, low mood, anxiety, poor sleep, low milk supply, digestive issues, or feeling cold/hot all the time... you don’t have to just push through. These are signs your body is asking for support.

Treatments are designed to meet your body where it is, using acupuncture, herbal medicine, and/or gua sha to nurture your recovery at a deep level. Like any form of healing, the magic is in consistency. Regular weekly or biweekly care allows your body to build on each session, and most patients start to notice real shifts within just a few weeks.

You give so much of yourself to your family. This is your space to be held and taken care of. 🤍

08/09/2021

Some thoughts on coffee and fertility.
A good cup of joe wakes us up, increases concentration, and even perhaps transports us to a cafe in Italy. In small doses every once in a while, coffee can be a delightful way to start the morning, or an afternoon pick-me-up. However, caffeine stimulates your nervous system and when taken on an empty stomach in the morning can greatly affect blood sugar levels and have a serious impact on long-term energy levels. As a result, your adrenals go on overdrive, which then affects your hormones (which affects things like uterine contractions, implantation, etc). I always tell patients to be mindful about their coffee intake and to try to cut back especially when they are TTC.

06/20/2021

I had the most amazing Saturday at sharing about all things Chinese medicine, women's health, skincare, and more. 💕 It was so fun chatting and giving ear seeds to y'all (so cuteee)! Big thank you to boss babe for inviting me 💖
Curious about acupuncture or how ear seeds work? DM me and let's chat! To all my patients, can't wait to send you home with some 24k gold ear seeds at your next treatment, too. 😉
Xx,
Dr. Rachele 😘

04/05/2021

Many of you all have started to get vaccinated and I am here to support you through the headache, aches, pain, fever/chills, and other side effects! I've been using acupuncture and herbs, but also a lot of gua sha and cupping pre- and post-vaccine. These techniques support and strengthen the immune system and circulation, and are so helpful in naturally managing symptoms. Take it from a longtime patient who recently left a very kind review on my Yelp page 😉. SWIPE right to read more.

02/28/2021

🥺 Feeling particularly anxious or irritable lately?

In Chinese medicine, one of several causes of anxiety is the stagnation of qi, or energy, in the body. Less movement, feelings of being trapped inside, no outlets for creativity or socialization… these are all things that have the potential for decreasing and blocking energy from freely flowing in the body. When this happens, our emotions become stuck, leading to feelings of hopelessness, lack of motivation, irritability, anxiety. Imagine feelings that are trapped in the body, that have no where to go or process.
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In addition, the energy of the upcoming Spring is that of outward and expansive movement. It is when flowers begin to bloom, weather begins to warm. Our bodies long to open back up and awaken after a long, cold winter. And yet, due to the pandemic, we must continue to practice social distancing and stay at home, thus coming in direct conflict with the natural energy of our environment. This further affects our body’s ability to regulate and have proper qi flow. Without good circulation, other bodily functions begin to weaken. Symptoms such as palpitations, insomnia, digestive issues, headaches, or depression begin to appear.

Read our latest blog post to read more on how acupuncture can support anxiety and pandemic fatigue. Tips on how to deal with anxiety through lifestyle changes, and how acupuncture can work together with talk therapy or conventional medicine to support your wellbeing and sanity through lockdown.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

https://www.fountynacupuncture.com/blog/2021/2/27/acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-pandemic-fatigue

As we quickly approach one year of living in a pandemic, anxiety and depression symptoms are at an all time high. After extended periods of separation, reduced time outdoors, distancing from friends and family, we are now feeling more disconnected, lonely, and overwhelmed as a population than ever b

02/25/2021

Many clients are interested in the benefits of facial acupuncture, only to realize that their fatigue, bloating, period cramping, moods, pain, etc also improves after working together for a few months. Every facial acupuncture session includes a full health assessment and body treatment as well. We address the skin through treating locally as well as resolving internal imbalances.
Curious about facials or acupuncture? DM Dr. Rachele .acupuncture or leave a comment below!

02/18/2021

Sneaking in a mid-week, mid-day self-treatment for the part of my face that never gets to see the light of day 😂

The mask has brought out all kinds of revolt from my skin including m a s c n e 😫, dullness, dryness, and just BLEH. These tiny needles send love, blood flow, lymph flow through the area, improving circulation and and waking up the skin and muscles so I can look like I haven't been living in a stay-at-home pandemic yet. 😂

Note: The little blue things are the handle of the needle. The needles are so thin, even my Pixel camera couldn't capture it. 😲

Curious to try facial acupuncture? DM me with any questions or book a sesh in our cozy retreat in Potrero Hill, SF. 💗

02/09/2021

Lunar New Year falls on February 12 this year, and always occurs around the seasonal transition from Winter to Spring. It is a celebration of rebirth, filled with excitement and potential. In the two weeks leading up to the new year, there are many traditions that help bring in good luck and prosperity💸. Cleaning, depositing money, cutting hair, balancing eggs, sleeping with red packets of money under pillows...we spend this time clearing out the old in order to cultivate and welcome the new!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Our inner environment (our body, our health) is a reflection of our outer environment (weather, sun/moon). Therefore, to better get in sync with this seasonal change and newness, it is helpful to adapt our diet and lifestyle around these times of the year to support these changes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Winter is characterized by darkness, cold, stillness...and is dedicated to nourishing the body and rest--we sleep for longer hours, eat warming soups and stews, move less and more slowly. Yet the coming Spring, is filled with expansive, creative energy. We are more inclined to start moving, wake earlier. To support you in harnessing this energy, get acupuncture, eat seasonally, and follow some of these tips!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Eat foods that have an energetically upward and outward direction...sprouts, green onion, bamboo shoots, fennel, pepper, chives, cilantro (these all have expansive, upward flavors - think of how some of these taste and open up your passage ways)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. Begin to wake earlier with the sun⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. Do more stretching movements, wake your body up from Winter hibernation. Focus on stretching your muscles, tendons, warm up your joints.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4. Support your liver. In the Springtime, the rising qi of our Liver can result in frustration, red eyes, headaches - chrysanthemum, rose, and daikon can help smooth the Qi. Avoid too of sour foods as well, as sour astringes our qi. Rather, we want to encourage expansive outward movement of our qi.