Whole Health Acupuncture/Myotech Combined Therapies offers a variety of treatment options that share the same goals: restoring optimal function throughout the body and helping prevent future maladies.

Acupuncture is one of the most ancient and effective healing modalities and has been used for well over 4,000 years to successfully treat a wide variety of conditions. Clinical trials have shown acupuncture's ability to affect a range of systems in the body including the nervous, cardiovascular, reproductive, endocrine, immune, detoxification, respiratory and digestive systems..

Herbal Medicine has an incredible biochemical diversity and modern research has shown that herbs can have very powerful beneficial effects for many disease processes. This is not a surprise to Chinese medicine, which has used herbs for thousands of years to treat almost every ailment that afflicts humans, from epidemics to the common cold, to internal diseases like cardiovascular disease, gynecological conditions, cancers, autoimmune diseases and many more. In fact, many pharmaceuticals are derived from herbs and pharmaceutical companies are constantly studying herbs in their search for new drugs.

The safety and efficacy of herbs depends largely on two things. The first is that herbal sources must be of exceptional quality. They need proper identification and they need to be checked for heavy metals, pesticides, microbes and other contaminants. The second is that they should be prescribed by an appropriately trained herbalist. The Lotus Center uses pharmaceutical grade herbs that have been appropriately tested. All of our acupuncturists have extensive training in herbal medicine and are licensed by the State of California to prescribe it.

Sound nutritional practices provide the foundation for optimal health and longevity and are a crucial component in the eradication of many diseases. Unfortunately, few medical practitioners recognize or emphasize its importance. At LCIM we take nutrition very seriously and our certified nutritionists provide a wide range of services that are customized to your needs.

Our nutritional assessments involve a combination of both ancient Chinese dietary principles and modern research. Our nutritionists have a very thorough understanding not only of dietary requirements, but of issues with the sourcing and labeling of foods as well. This can be just as important as knowing what to eat.

Massage is a general term for pressing, rubbing and manipulating your skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Massage therapists typically use their hands and fingers for massage, but may also use their forearms, elbows and even feet. Massage range from light stroking to deep pressure.

At Myotech, we offer these types of massages:

• KMI (Kinesis Myofascial Integration) - is designed to progressively build support, sturdiness, and balance throughout the structural system, so that there is a whole new ‘frame’ underlying your posture and movement, which can keep old injuries from coming back and help to prevent new ones from happening
• Zen Body Therapy - is a combination of movement rehabilitation, rehabilitation of the soft body, proper body structure, and energy work.
• Jin Shin Do® Acupressure - uses gentle yet deep finger pressure on specific acu- points and verbal Body Focusing techniques, to help release "armoring" or chronic tension, balance the "Qi" or energy, and improve vitality
• Myofascial Release - is a soft tissue therapy for the treatment of skeletal muscle immobility and pain. This alternative medicine therapy aims to relax contracted muscles, improve blood and lymphatic circulation, and stimulate the stretch reflex in muscles.
• Deep Tissue Massage - therapy is a deeper pressure massage that is beneficial in releasing chronic muscle tension. The focus is on the deepest layers of muscle tissue, tendons and fascia (the protective layer surrounding muscles, bones and joints).
• Trigger Point Therapy - is specifically designed to alleviate the source of the pain through cycles of isolated pressure and release.
• Oncology Massage - is the modification of existing massage therapy techniques in order to safely work with complications of cancer and cancer treatment.
• Geriatric Massage - is a form of massage designed to meet the specific needs of the elderly population. It involves using massage hands to manipulate the soft tissues of the body to improve blood circulation, relieve pain and increase range of motion.
• Infant Massage - is a vital, dynamic interaction that forms the foundation of relationship building that will last a lifetime. Nurturing touch between a parent/caregiver and an infant enriches physiological, social-emotional, and mind/body/spirit connections for the infant being massaged, as well as for the parent.
• Prenatal Massage - is a healthy way to reduce stress and promote overall wellness. Massage relieves many of the normal discomforts experienced during pregnancy, such as backaches, stiff neck, leg cramps, headaches and edema (or swelling).
• Hot and Cold Stone Massage -Integrating stones into a massage session can enhance the therapeutic healing and re-energize the body, spirit and mind. A variety of stones and techniques include hot stone massage, cold stone for migraines and sinus pain, or alternating hot and cold stones.
• Cupping -As an ancient traditional healing technique, this therapy is the opposite of compression massage. Using rubber, compressible cups, suction is achieved on oiled skin and the practitioner lifts and slides the cup, a negative pressure action that releases "stuck" areas, improves blood and lymph flow. This technique can be profoundly useful on chronic, tight areas or with individuals who don't respond well to deep tissue massage.

Massage has exhibited numerous health benefits over the centuries; including both physical and mental improvements for patients seeking pain relief, help with stress, or healing from an injury.

Just as chiropractic care treats the spine, massage therapy addresses muscle issues. By working directly on tight or injured muscles, your therapist is manipulating the fibrous tissue to loosen it, leading to pain relief. When a muscle is stressed, it affects your entire muscular and skeleton system. They will manually appraise the injured or painful area, and work out tightness and tension not only from the epicenter of the pain, but in the connecting tissues.

Massage increases and improves circulation. With improved circulation more oxygen is fed into your muscles, facilitating faster healing. Massage can also be used to put pressure on trigger points, bringing relief to areas of chronic flare ups or tightness.

Massage and Women's Health

The top five health risks for women are:

• Heart Disease
• Breast Cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Autoimmune Disease.

Many do not realise that massage can benefit women who suffer from any of these diseases. Massage should never be considered a cure but it can make the symptoms manageable, at times, reducing the need for pain medication or helping with daily function that is often inhibited.

Acupuncture provides very effective treatment for Women’s Health Issues. Women of any age can benefit.

What can acupuncture help?

• Menstrual cycle problems
• Fertility issues
• Endometriosis and uterine fibroids
• Hot flashes

Massage and Acupuncture restores balance and well-being, releases muscular tension, & allows your body to move freely with greater strength. It relieves effects of stress, anxiety & lack of rest.

Some of the general benefits may include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Boosting immune function
• Lowering blood pressure
• Heart rate
• Decreasing pain
• Range of motion
• Quality of sleep

Why do people with cancer use massage?

As well as improving physical symptoms, some people with cancer say that having a massage:

• makes them feel whole again
• helps them to relax
• helps them share feelings in an informal setting
• makes them feel more positive about their body
• rebuilds hope.

Research shows that massage of muscle and soft tissue does not spread cancer cells.

What are the benefits of massage?

Scientific studies have looked at the effects of various body-based practices on people having cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. These studies have shown that massage may reduce:

• pain
• fatigue
• nausea
• anxiety and depression.

Individuals who have had massages during cancer treatments have reported a range of positive outcomes such as improvements in:

• sleep
• the health of the scar tissue
• quality of life
• mental clarity and alertness
• the range of movement.

Benefits of Sports Massage Therapy - Sports massage therapy is geared toward athletes of every kind, from world-class professionals to weekend joggers. The particulars of the sports massage technique are specific to the athlete's sport of choice. Focusing on areas of the body that are overused and stressed from repetitive and often aggressive movements.

Massage helps to prevent injuries by keeping joints mobile and lengthening shortened muscles.

Ellen Halpern, NCTMB, LMT, BFA has been practicing massage therapy since 1990. She is a graduate of the Massage Institute of New England (MINE). At MINE she taught classes ranging from the core hands on classes to Advanced Deep Tissue Series. Ellen was the Educational Director at MINE where she wrote the hands on curriculum. She was on the continuing education faculty at Cortiva Institute in Watertown , MA and a member of the Bodywork Education Project. She is also a graduate of the Gestalt Institute of New England.

Ellen is certified in Kinesis Myofascial Integration and Zero Balancing. She is a structural integrator who combines the art and energy of muscles with the structure and science of the bones. She has an extensive background in working with the elite athlete.

Lori Herman, M.Ac., LMT is a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist. She is a firm believer in preventative maintenance and a balanced lifestyle. Lori promotes acupuncture along with massage, exercise, and proper nutrition in order to strive for health and wellness. In many cases, Lori incorporates both acupuncture and massage within a session to achieve the maximum benefits that both have to offer. She treats many ailments including back pain, headaches, arthritis pain, infertility, menopausal symptoms, gynecological issues, depression and general well being.

Sharmane Simard, LMT, RJSD®, LMHC, LADC I, MAPGS , MEd is a graduate of The Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy and is a Registered Jin Shin Do® Acupressurist. She has practiced massage therapy since 1994.

Sharmane's sessions blend a variety of massage therapy and alternative healing arts techniques in a tailored approach to each client's needs and preferences. She is an expert in Deep Tissue Massage, Myofascial Release, Sports Massage, Hot and Cold Stone Massage, Prenatal Massage, Transformational Kinesiology, Body/Mind Psychotherapy and Vibrational Healing. By drawing on the most effective aspects of each of these approaches, Sharmane is exceptional at assessing and meeting individual needs for pain relief, recovery from repetitive motion and other recent or long-standing muscular-skeletal injuries , stress reduction, body/mind integration and wellness.

In addition, Sharmane is professionally licensed in Mental Health and Addictions Counseling and a graduate of The Gestalt Institute of New England. A Level I Pangu Shengong teacher, she blends her knowledge of East/West Medicine and Alternative Healing Arts to promote and support transformational healing and emotional and physical well-being.

Bob Ell, LMT, BA is a licensed and registered massage therapist. He graduated of Massage Institute of New England (MINE) from the Deep tissue massage program focusing on neuromuscular changes in the body through massage in 2003 and has been practicing massage therapy since in the Massachusetts area sense.

Bob continues to expand his knowledge and understanding of the body how it shifts with movement and age. The modalities he uses are Deep and soft tissue massage, Sports massage, and Structural Alignment. Bob is an active swimmer and cycles for many years and understands the likelihood of muscular difficulties from stress on the body through physical activities.

He enjoys working a wide range client’s form young or aging, swimmers, runners, cycles, the list is endless. He enjoys helping clients reach their goals either in general body maintenance, injury prevention or addressing body pain.

Cindy Gillan, LMT, BCTMB, MA. Cancer. No one wants to hear this word. The fear, anxiety, disruption in your life and the lives of those around you, the overwhelming choices that need to be made, are just some of what you face.

Oncology massage offers an opportunity to feel supported through it all, and bring about a sense of well-being even through the most challenging of times.

Massage can also minimize the myriad symptoms many cancer patients experience: pain, fatigue, side effects from treatment, etc.

For nearly a decade as an oncology massage educator and therapist, and through participating in hospital research studies (Beth Israel Deaconess), I have the experience and knowledge to work safely within clinically established guidelines, while considering your individual needs.

Whether in a clinical care setting or your home, whether in active treatment, in recovery or survivorship, or facing the end of life, it is my [desire] to be of support.

For caregivers, let massage be your support, too, so you, in turn, feel better able to support your loved one.

Cindy is a 1993 graduate of the Cortiva Institute (formerly the Muscular Therapy Institute), and once faculty member at CI for 15 years. Some of the modalities she uses include Neuromuscular Therapy, Swedish, Sports, Orthopedic, Thai and Oncology Massage.

In addition to working with cancer patients, Cindy works with their caregivers, as well as athletes, elders in retirement community settings, and anyone seeking relief through massage for a variety of reasons.

Cindy is a strong believer in educating clients about self-care to extend the healing effects of massage.

Kate Oesterheld, BS, LMT, ZBT brings over thirty years of muscle therapy experience to Myotech. Using a variety of soft tissue modalities, she endeavors to liberate fascia, release tension, and eliminate pain and its associated patterns.

The human body is a three dimensional matrix. Pain in one area may be caused by the pull from another. The joy, the art/science and challenge of good bodywork is in the resolution of these problems. Sometimes issues can be resolved in a session or two, but other times the problem is complex and a series of specific sessions, followed like a recipe, is needed to systematically release the connective tissue and restore form and function.

Kate is an advanced practitioner in the work of William "Dub" Leigh ( Bodytherapy, 1989) and his partner, Audrey Nakamura. Dub, in turn, was trained by Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Tanouye Tenshin Roshi.

Joan McCarty, LMT, RN, BSN is a graduate of Cortiva Institute-Boston and certified in both Orthopedic Massage and Thai Massage. She is also a registered nurse focusing on orthopedic clients and incorporating education to promote and maintain health and wellness. Joan has been a yoga practitioner for over 20 years and integrates her knowledge and experience of stretching and breathing techniques into her massage sessions. She is an avid tennis player and understands the possibility of muscular issues from athletic endeavors as well as job related issues. Joan utilizes deep tissue massage, sports massage, Thai massage and orthopedic as well as neuromuscular techniques. She continues to gain knowledge by seeking further education in various areas of medicine and healthcare.

Stewart Wild, LMT, CNMT, CMTPT. New Zealand born Stewart Wild is both a manual therapist and a teacher of bodywork therapies. He started life in the healthcare industry as a haematology laboratory technologist in 1973. He trained as a massage therapist in 1994 and began teaching neuromuscular therapy (NMT) in 1998. He has taught the St John version and the American version of NMT™, both in NZ and in the United States. Stewart currently teaches Manual Trigger Point Therapy (MTT) for a company called Myopain Seminars. He travels throughout the US, Canada, the Emirates, and New Zealand to teach. Attendees learn effective and permanent deactivation of trigger points in 170 muscles of the body.

Clinically, Stewart applies a combination of neuromuscular techniques, movement retraining, pain neuroscience education and improvements to perpetuating factors. His ideal patient is someone with a longstanding, difficult to explain pain condition of soft tissue origin.

Cheryl is a licensed aesthetician in the states of Arizona and Massachusetts. She received her license along with numerous skin treatment and product knowledge certifications in Arizona. Always interested in health and wellness she also taught yoga, mat pilates and yogalaties for many years.

Cheryl's specialty and passion is skin anti-aging. She owns a LIGHTWAVE LLLT (low level laser/light therapy) unit. This unit also features a patented FDA approved feature call Deramkinetics Transdermal Infusion. LIGHTWAVE uses both visible red and near infrared light with specific frequencies and pulses for anti-aging, pigmentaion, acne scaring and more. Demakinetics uses specific frequencies and pulses of blue light to drive beneficial product into the skin where it could otherwise not penetrate without being ablated or injected. Both Lightwave treatment and Dermakinetics are extremely effective, pleasant and relaxing.

Cheryl is very excited to bring this amazing anti-aging device and treatment back to Ma and to Myotech, along with her many years of personal experience. To be noted between the ages of 15 and 16 Cheryl lost 120lbs. To this day attributes her weight loss longevity to a natural approach and a healthy commonsense lifestyle.