Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine in NW Portland
Our Services
Traditional acupuncture is a whole-body approach rooted in Chinese medicine. Fine, sterile needles are placed at carefully selected points to regulate qi, restore balance, and support the body’s natural healing processes. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, each session considers how your physical health, emotions, lifestyle, and nervous system are connected.
Depending on your needs, treatment may include traditional or trigger point acupuncture, cupping, gua sha, Chinese herbal guidance, nutritional support, and lifestyle recommendations.
I treat chronic and acute pain, injuries, muscle tension, headaches, stress, anxiety, nervous-system dysregulation, sleep difficulties, digestive concerns, fatigue, menstrual and hormonal concerns, and overall wellness. Every treatment is personalized to your body and what you need that day.
Facial rejuvenation acupuncture is a holistic treatment rooted in Chinese medicine that uses fine, sterile needles on the face and body to support natural lift, contour, circulation, and healthy skin renewal. It also helps release tension held in the jaw, brow, neck, and shoulders, addressing the whole person, not just the skin.
Each treatment includes facial and body acupuncture, 30 minutes of Celluma LED light therapy, and a mini facial gua sha massage to encourage circulation, reduce puffiness, release tension, and leave the skin looking refreshed.
Treatment may support concerns such as fine lines, loss of tone, dullness, puffiness, uneven-looking texture, jaw tension, and stress held in the face. The result is a softer, more rested, radiant version of you.
Explore Our Modalities
At Alexis Lively Acupuncture in NW Portland, we offer integrative acupuncture and holistic therapies designed to support the nervous system, restore balance, and align the body with its natural healing intelligence. Each modality is thoughtfully selected to address physical concerns while supporting deeper regulation, clarity, and resilience, creating results that are both tangible and long-lasting.
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Acupuncture is a manual therapy that involves the insertion of thin, sterile needles into specific points along the body to achieve therapeutic results. Acupuncture activates the nervous system to release endorphins, increases blood circulation, and treats many health conditions.
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Trigger point acupuncture is a targeted technique used to release tight, contracted areas within the muscles, often experienced as knots. Fine needles are placed directly into these points, sometimes creating a brief twitch response that allows the muscle to relax.
This treatment can help relieve chronic tension, improve mobility, and address discomfort related to injuries, repetitive movement, stress, and postural patterns. It can be used on its own or incorporated into a whole-body acupuncture treatment.
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Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is an all-natural, non-toxic procedure that reduces fine lines and wrinkles, improves facial elasticity, and brightens the complexion. Celluma LED light therapy is included in these comprehensive treatment sessions.
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Glass Fire Cupping is a manual therapy that promotes healthy blood circulation, relieves muscular pain and tension, increases muscle recovery speed, promotes relaxation, reduces anxiety, releases toxins from the body, and improves immune system and respiratory function.
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Light therapy can be delivered through light emitting diode (LEDs) devices or cold LASERs, and has a variety of applications across many medical fields. Over the last decade, different applications of light therapy have gained mainstream attention and prevalent use in both clinical and at-home treatment.
Phototherapy, or light emitting diode (LED) red light therapy, has been widely researched and is supported by thousands of peer-reviewed and published clinical research papers from prestigious institutions around the world. Other terms by which light therapy is referred to are photobiostimulation, photobiomodulation, photomedicine, LED light therapy, low-level light therapy (LLLT), red light therapy, blue light therapy, cold and soft LASER therapy. All terms are correct, have the same meaning and are used to describe the delivery of light energy to treat a variety of medical and cosmetic conditions. -
Electro-stimulation, often called e-stim, is a technique used in acupuncture where a mild electrical current is applied to the needles after they are placed. The current is very gentle and rhythmic, and most people experience it as a soft pulsing or tapping sensation rather than anything painful.
E-stim enhances the effects of acupuncture by providing continuous, consistent stimulation to specific points and muscle groups. This can help deepen the therapeutic response by encouraging circulation, relaxing tight or spasmed muscles, and supporting the nervous system’s ability to regulate pain and inflammation. Because the stimulation is sustained, e-stim is especially useful for conditions involving chronic pain, muscle tension, nerve-related symptoms, and areas that benefit from longer activation.
From a Chinese medicine perspective, e-stim helps move qi and blood more effectively through the channels, particularly in areas that feel stuck or resistant to treatment. From a biomedical perspective, it can encourage the release of endorphins, improve local blood flow, and support neuromuscular communication.
Overall, e-stim allows acupuncture to work more deeply and efficiently while remaining gentle and well tolerated, making it a valuable option for both physical healing and nervous system regulation.
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Moxibustion is a traditional therapy used alongside acupuncture that involves the gentle warming of specific acupuncture points using moxa, an herb made from dried mugwort. The warmth penetrates deeply into the tissues, creating a soothing and therapeutic heat that many people find deeply relaxing.
In Chinese medicine, moxibustion is used to strengthen and warm the body, support circulation, and encourage the smooth flow of qi and blood. It is especially helpful for patterns involving cold, deficiency, fatigue, digestive weakness, hormonal imbalance, and chronic pain that improves with warmth. Rather than stimulating with needles alone, moxa adds a nourishing, restorative quality to the treatment.
From a modern perspective, the heat from moxibustion can help increase local circulation, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system. It may also support immune function and overall vitality by gently signaling the body to restore balance.
Moxibustion can be applied in several ways, including warming acupuncture needles, holding the moxa near the skin, or using it over larger areas such as the abdomen or lower back. Treatments are always carefully controlled to ensure comfort and safety, creating a deeply grounding experience that supports both physical healing and overall wellbeing.