Traditional Chinese Medicine

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  • Acupuncture

    Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that has been used for thousands of years to support healing and prevent illness. The body is constantly working to return itself to homeostasis — a state of balance and harmony — and acupuncture helps support this natural process through proper diagnosis and with consistent treatment. Due to modern stressors such as lifestyle, diet, environment, and emotional strain, the body often needs extra support, which is why regular acupuncture can be such a powerful tool for maintaining overall health and wellbeing.

  • Fire Cupping

    Fire Cupping is a traditional Chinese Medicine modality that has been used for centuries to relieve pain, support immune function, and encourage healing within the body. This technique uses glass cups and controlled heat to create gentle suction on the skin. It helps draw stagnation, tension, and external “pathogens” to the surface of the body so they can be released. In Chinese medicine, it is often used to ease musculoskeletal pain by moving stagnant or “old” blood, improving circulation, and allowing fresh, oxygenated blood to flow to the area. The temporary marks left behind are normal and reflect areas of stagnation being addressed — they are a sign the body is responding and healing.

  • Facial Acupuncture

    Facial acupuncture is great for improving the skin’s elasticity and collagen production — it does so by increasing blood flow and circulation to designated areas. By stimulating the facial muscles, cosmetic acupuncture also lifts, firms and tones the face. Treatments combine facial points with body acupuncture to support the whole system and enhance overall rejuvenation results. Facial Rejuvenation acupuncture at The Healing Nest in San Diego is a gentle yet effective option for those looking to naturally improve skin tone and texture, reduce scars, calm inflammation, and support long-term skin health without injections or downtime.

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  • Gua Sha Therapy

    Gua Sha (“gwah-sha”) is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that uses a smooth, handheld tool to gently break up stagnation and encourage healthy circulation throughout the body. Similar to cupping, it helps move stuck Qi and blood, supporting pain relief, healing, and overall balance.

    Experience Gua Sha at The Healing Nest in San Diego during a 30–45 minute session. Treatment begins with a light oil massage on the area of concern, followed by gentle, repeated strokes with the Gua Sha tool to help move stagnation and improve circulation. This process brings fresh blood flow to the area, supports the release of “pathogens,” and encourages the body’s natural healing response.

    Gua Sha is also commonly used on the face to increase circulation, relax facial tension (including TMJ), reduce puffiness, and soften the appearance of fine lines — leaving the skin looking fuller and more radiant. Gua Sha Facials are available at The Healing Nest and are included in every Facial Rejuvenation session.

  • Microneedling

    Microneedling is a gentle yet powerful way to naturally stimulate the skin’s collagen and elastin production. By creating controlled micro-stimulation in the skin, this treatment encourages cellular renewal in targeted areas, helping to soften fine lines, improve texture, reduce scarring, and create a smoother, more radiant complexion. Microneedling can be performed on the face, neck, and décolletage.

    After your treatment, the skin enters a brief healing phase. Mild redness is normal for the first few hours, and we recommend avoiding direct sunlight for 24 hours, pausing current skincare products (especially retinol or Vitamin C), and using a custom, in-office serum to support optimal healing. Within two days, most clients are able to return to their regular skincare routine with visibly refreshed skin.

    We also offer nano-needling, a completely non-invasive alternative with no needles involved. This technique enhances product absorption and creates the coveted “BB Glow” effect — leaving the skin plump, luminous, and event-ready with no downtime.

  • Supplements & Herbs

    Chinese herbal formulas and high-quality supplements are a core part of how we support healing from the inside out. Rather than chasing symptoms, we choose formulas thoughtfully and intentionally to address the root of imbalance and bring the body back into harmony. We work only with professional-grade herbs and carefully sourced supplements that meet high standards for purity and effectiveness. When combined with acupuncture, they help deepen results through gently support digestion, hormone balance, immune health, emotional wellbeing, sleep, and overall vitality.

    We are partnered with Designs for Health — a highly reputable supplement company, whose quality we love and trust. At our San Diego practice, we offer Anima Mundi products, who strongly represent sustainability and high quality botanicals. We also provide Griffo Botanicals, Wooden Spoon Herbs, and Evergreen Herbs amongst others.

    At The Healing Nest, we promise to do our research before bringing in new herbal or supplemental products.

FAQs

  • Our favorite saying here is “consistency is key”. We typically recommend 1-2x/week sessions in the beginning stages of care. Once we have carefully assessed you and have seen major improvements, you’ll move into the maintenance phase of care — 1-2x/month sessions.

  • The simple answer: No. Acupuncture is, in most cases, painless. It creates what most call a “zen-like” experience. We use gentle techniques and various methods to promote a pain-free experience.

  • After your 30-minute consultation with one of our practitioners, you will schedule a follow-up. At this follow-up, your practitioner will go over a detailed care plan with you — this will highlight recommended lifestyle and dietary changes, and much more. Then you’ll relax with your points in for about 25 minutes, and drift off into dreamland…

  • This answer varies depending on a few factors: your health, your condition, how long you’ve been dealing with this, and what the severity is. To give a short and sweet answer, many clients feel better within the first 6 sessions. We recommend receiving 12 sessions to feel acupuncture’s full benefits and reassessing from there.