If you are fully vaccinated, OR can be socially isolated for the two weeks before your appointment, I’d love to see you in person! You can read about the safety protocols here: https://rosecityacupuncture.com/blog/soft-re-open/ If that’s not possible for you, we can do a telehealth session over a HIPAA-compliant secure videochat. We’ll focus on immediate relief plus long term strategies. I can also teach your loved ones how to work on you. This will be a full hour (half hours for very simple or followup appts) of customized information and instruction for you, including:

•  discussion of possible causes of your issue(s) and identify lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your pain, stress, etc.
•  acupressure, both self-applied treatment and lessons so you can use it in the future
• medical massage lessons, so you can treat yourself and your loved ones
• teaching your partner / housemate how to do acupressure or medical massage for you
• nutrition counseling to reduce pain and speed up healing
• movement instruction – including rehab exercises, to build strength and mobility, and stretches (did you know I used to be an ACE-certified personal trainer and bodybuilder?)
• anxiety and trauma self-care solutions
• explanations of what’s happening in your body and brain, in easy-to-understand language
• help with assessing / adjusting ergonomic setups (work space, sleep, etc)
• help with reframing your internal monologue

This list is bound to grow, as I discover new ways to help you!
Some patients like to take notes, but I will send you an email afterwards with links to information we talked about, acupressure points, etc. so you don’t have to worry about remembering everything.

Schedule online here, or call me at 503-964-3422.

I invite you to check out my reviews on Yelp and Google. Here are a few recent ones:

JG: 5 stars

Sharon treated me in a virtual appointment for autoimmune issues (I am not strictly isolating and I respect her safety measures). Not only did she help with acupressure and nutrition advice (which has improved my issues tremendously), she was very considerate of my autism-related communication needs. Thank you so much for the valuable help!

RS: 5 stars

Sharon is a wonderful practitioner, compassionate and dedicated. Even during the time of coronavirus she was able to help me with a virtual session deal with some pulled muscles and give me feedback on stretches, diet changes and other things that would help me move better. It was so great to have access to that and to be able to consult with her. Highly recommend.

AK: 5 stars

I set up a virtual appointment with Sharon for pain in my feet that my other doctors haven’t even talked to me about. Since we are in quarantine Sharon showed me self massage and pressure points that I could do to manage my pain. After only one appointment my feet feel SO much better!

DG: 5 stars

Sharon is the most wonderful, caring, and knowledgeable therapist I have ever seen. She’s the best of both Acupuncture and Manual Therapy all wrapped into the perfect package. I have seen a large handful of other medical therapists and she is the only one who has been able to help with my chronic pain. My only wish is I lived in the same town so I could see her more regularly. I saw her last weekend and when I got home my Physical Therapist exclaimed “who is this woman and where can I find her?!? You look great!”

UPDATE: I ended up taking a week off of work to stay in Portland and get treatment (I live in Spokane, Wa), and a few follow up sessions over the next couple months. After three years struggling to find anyone to help, she finally helped me be pain free in a matter of months!! Anytime I do anything stupid to reinjure myself, I know where to go. There are no words to express my eternal gratefulness for this kind hearted healer. 💕

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I’m here for you!

Sharon

UPDATE 4/28/24: Masks are completely optional. I will be happy to wear a mask if it makes you more comfortable. I am still using a contagious disease screening email 24 hrs before every appointment, because I’ve really enjoyed not having colds for the past 4 years, and I think it makes sense to continue to protect my most fragile patients. I have eliminated the vaccine requirement, because by now everyone has been exposed enough to have natural antibodies. I’m leaving the earlier guidelines in place below for historical reasons, but they are no longer binding.

UPDATE 4/3/23: Masks are now optional in healthcare settings. I will continue to mask, and encourage you to do so if possible to help protect my more fragile patients.

I’m currently seeing people who are either fully vaccinated OR strictly isolating in person. Because many of my patients fall into the higher risk categories, I am taking all possible precautions to reduce our exposure to Covid-19. If you can’t isolate or get vaccinated, read about my telehealth appointments here!

“Fully vaccinated” means two weeks past your second shot (or single J&J shot).

If not fully vaccinated, please limit your potential exposures in the TWO WEEKS before your appointment.

To me, strictly isolating means:

• Not going into buildings like grocery stores (I’ve been using Fred Meyer curbside pickup- they don’t charge for it and you can usually get same-day slots)
• Not eating at restaurants
• Not going to a bar or gym
• Not using public transport
• Not hanging out with people you aren’t living with
• Wearing a tightly woven cotton mask over your nose and mouth if coming in contact with people (when outside, doing curbside pickup, etc).

PLEASE don’t make an appointment if you’re unvaccinated and you (and spouses, parents, children, or anyone else you live with or have contact with) cannot stay isolated before coming in. Remember that exposing me means also exposing the rest of my patients, including the medically fragile. Please be considerate and careful.

Here are the full details:

1) Changes to the office (the Oregon Health Authority guidelines are here)

UV-C air sanitizers have been placed in each room.
Plastic sheeting is under the linens, and is sanitized between each patient. Of course sheets will continue to be changed between each patient, as always.
There is a touchless hand sanitizer (alcohol) dispenser in the waiting room for your use.

The new location opens right to the parking lot, so there are no hallways or bathrooms shared with the unscreened public.

2) My actions:

I’ll be wiping down surfaces between each patient.
I’ll be masked (N95) and wearing a shield for close contact (neck & facial work).
You’ll get an automated email screening the day before you come in. Please complete it, every time. If you are sick, have had any symptoms in the past 2 weeks, or have been exposed to someone you know is sick in the past two weeks, I cannot treat you.
I have touchless methods of payment (credit cards via square, paypal, venmo). I can also take cash, but will not have change handy.

I am, of course, fully vaccinated.

3) Changes you’ll make:

You will get a Covid screening email 24 hrs before each appointment. Please complete it. :)

As noted above, masks are optional but appreciated.
Please do not bring your entourage. Although I usually enjoy seeing your family and friends, I am limiting companions to those needed for medical disability or language translation.
If you arrive early, please wait in your car or outside the building. I will not be able to take you early. Please keep in mind I am spacing patients apart both for extra cleaning time in between, and to allow potential air particles to settle.

I know this all sounds like a lot.

I know this is scary.

By being smart about this, and taking precautions, we can get back to normal life as soon as possible. 

Ok, now that you’ve read all that, please schedule online here, or call me (503-964-3422) to book or ask questions. I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Today someone wrote a review of me on Facebook, calling me “this tiny little ball of Acupuncture-y goodness,” a “floof of pokey awesome,” and a “cinnamon bun.” BEST REVIEW EVER!!!!

Purely coincidentally, I’ve had two patients in the past two days with the exact same complaint: Lightheadedness / confusion / disassociation from the body. One had gone to get an MRI and X- rays, but everything came back fine. One had severe neck pain, one didn’t.

Both had had dental work recently. Imagine lying back at an awkward angle for a long time, while tense…. Sure enough, both had upper cervical (neck) vertebrae out of place. The bones were cutting off the blood supply to the brain!

I treated both with acupuncture and medical massage, relaxing the muscles and gently easing the vertebrae back into place. Both patients reported instant improvement. Please remember this next time you have a headache / confusion following dental work, or any other stress on your neck.

Note: Chiropractic would have jammed the bone back in place, but not treated the cause of the problem – the tight muscle pulling on that bone – so the misalignment would be likely to return. I prefer to work upstream, on the neurological and muscular system. My method also avoids that whole risk-of-stroke thing (!).

Last weekend was a full two days of continuing ed – 5 classes! Two were based in Chinese philosophy: Ghost points (used here to treat intrusive thoughts, or “haunting” memories) and Korean 4 needle technique, which is based on the elements. Those two weren’t really clicking with me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the three on Sunday. One covered the energetics of food, and how to adjust your ingredients to match your health needs and the seasons. One covered important legal aspects of running a practice (HIPAA, security, malpractice, etc). But the best one covered my favorite topic of all – the nervous system. Keep an eye out for a followup post that will explain in detail, but the short version is this: In chronic pain conditions, the brain thinks you are being continually damaged, and amplifies its reporting of pain above what’s physically happening in your body. By understanding the how and why of this, we can stop the ramping up and quiet the alarm bells. This both reduces the amount of pain you perceive in the moment, and allows the movement you need to heal. I’m really excited about incorporating this into both my practice and my personal life.

I’ve put this off for a long time… I’ve only raised my rates once (6 years ago) since I started practicing 15 years ago. I prefer to stay accessible to *all* people, but my rent keeps going up and my student loans are still horrific. So, starting July 1st, my new rates (which remain on the low end for my industry) will be as follows:

An hour of acupuncture and medical massage: $100

4 pack of hour sessions: $360 ($40 off)

A half hour of acupuncture OR medical massage: $60

5-pack of half hours: $270 ($30 off)

Birthday hours will retain their $20 discount, for $80. Smoking cessation and Returning Veteran treatments will still be free.

Any packages purchased at the old rates will be honored. In fact, feel free to stock up before July 1st, if you like. Thank you, and I look forward to serving you all for the next 15 years!

Tinnitus (ringing or roaring in the ears) is one of the few things I can’t reliably treat with acupuncture. It can be mildly irritating or absolutely maddening, depending on the frequency, volume, and pitch.

Here’s a use-at-home method that just requires your hands. I can’t test it personally since I don’t suffer from tinnitus, but two of my friends who do reported this gave them temporary relief. I suspect it has to do with the impact affecting the vagus nerve. Anyway, here’s the video: Good luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajb37ie-Juo

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Explaining your PhD thesis with interpretive dance sounds like a joke, but every year, the American Association for the Advancement of Science hosts the contest and doles out $2500 worth in prizes to the winners in four categories: physics, chemistry, biology and social sciences. This is a lovely visualization of the magic that happens inside us… The others are wonderful, too, and you can see them here.

NOTE:  I am not getting paid by Instant Pot (or Amazon), nor do I have any other reason for this post other than to make it quicker and easier for you to cook healthy food at home. I work long hours, and sometimes I lack the energy / time to cook a traditional dinner. The Instant Pot ensures we eat out less, which saves us both cash and calories.

An Instant Pot is a digital pressure cooker. It’s well engineered to be safe and simple to use, unlike the terrifying stove pressure cooker my Mom used to make jelly when I was a kid. There are a few other brands out there that make similar machines, and if you have one of those you can use these same recipes with minimal changes in fluid amount and times.

The IP can:

• Make hard boiled eggs* that peel like a dream, even when fresh.
• Make bone broth / stock in an 90 minutes, not a day and half!
• Make yogurt (some models have a specific button, others require more attention)
• Make rice perfectly
• Steam perfect veggies (just set it for 0 minutes!)
• Cook tender roasts in 1.5 hours or less
• Saute in the pot to reduce your dishwashing load
• Caramelize onions in half an hour (make a bunch and freeze some for later!)

*Cook your eggs 5 min on high, 5 NR, 5 in an ice bath. Or for a lovely color and nutty flavor, 90 min (not a typo!) – makes incredible deviled eggs!

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