Dresden Holden L.Ac. - personalized acupuncture for pain, fertility, stress relief & women’s health in Santa Barbara, Ca

How acupuncture works

For orthopedic pain and movement problems, I use acupuncture as a way of communicating with the nervous system and the tissues involved in a particular movement pattern. Needles can stimulate sensory and motor nerves in the skin, fascia, and muscle, which can influence local circulation, muscle tone, pain signaling, and the nervous system’s perception of threat. Acupuncture stimulation can create signals that travel along the length of nerves, neural pathways and fascial lines and influence how the nervous system communicates with and responds to the tissues being treated along these paths. In a treatment, or orthopedic treatment, I’m looking at how the painful area relates to surrounding muscles, joints, nerves, and movement patterns, and using acupuncture to help the system move toward a less guarded, more functional state.

Subtle acupuncture techniques

Acupuncture doesn't have to feel intense to be effective. For people who are particularly sensitive to sensation, anxious about needles, or simply prefer a more subtle approach, I use a more shallow, gentle needle technique. Sometimes the most appropriate treatment is a few strategically placed needles, inserted superficially and allowed to do their work of communicating with superficial nerve endings and fascia, release neurotransmitters,  intrinsic pain relievers and down regulate inflammation. As the body rests during a treatment the nervous system can have the time to relax and the space to reduce guarding. This shift can reduce pain, anxiety, stress and create an environment of balance. 

For a straightforward orthopedic problem, some people notice meaningful improvement within 3–6 treatments, while longer-standing pain, complex movement patterns, or injuries involving significant tissue changes may benefit from 6–12 or more treatments. I generally like to reassess as we go rather than prescribe an arbitrary number of sessions with the goal of measurable changes in pain, mobility, or function and then gradually space treatments out as the body becomes more capable of maintaining those changes. Many people choose to include maintenance acupuncture into their routines to continue with the nervous system conditioning that acupuncture provides. 

My approach: 

• Fluid technique: I tailor the style of acupuncture/bodywork, whether gentle, subtle, or more orthopedic to your unique needs.
• One patient per hour: this gives space for thoughtful, personalized care.
• Integrated modalities: I often weave Tuina, cupping, motor-point/trigger-point therapy, moxibustion (moxa), red LED and infrared, ScarWork into treatments for deeper healing and maximum relaxation.

appointment info

• 75 minutes | includes a review of your health history, recent lab/bloodwork/imaging and includes your first treatment | $200

•  50 minutes | Follow-up acupuncture session with the addition of cupping, gua sha, ScarWork and often infrared light therapies to the session | $165

Facial Rejuvenation acupuncture:

• Facial acupuncture and Red LED light treatment | $175

Additional details about treatments and pricing can be found here. 

Contact us at: 

dresden@dresdenholden.com

26 W. Mission St Suite 3, Santa Barbara, Ca 93101