I have been studying acupuncture since the 1990’s. Much of my training was in the physician acupuncture program at UCLA. I am mentioned in the textbook for this program by Joseph Helms, MD. I also helped teach point location for the physician class I was in.
Over the years I studied with many other excellent teachers.
In 2025 I discovered Neoclassical acupuncture. This is the most effective, deep, life changing acupuncture approach I have ever experienced.
It uses a very powerful algorithm based on an extensive physical exam of the meridians to choose a single point that will balance the entire system. The results have been life changing for my patients.
Slate Burris, the creator and teacher of this approach, offers four levels of training culminating in the Expert level. I am trained in all levels.
Most of my career I could never understand why if the problem was in the energy channels, meridians, of the patient, acupuncturists did no palpate these meridians. Examining the radial pulse and looking at the tongue did not show the actual blockages in the meridians from a direct examination. It became obvious when patients would tell me that even after multiple acupuncture sessions with many needles they still needed to regularly return for treatment.
What were these practitioners doing to get such results?
However, this was all we knew according to our training
In addition, though I studied pulse examination for years I observed that often my instructors themselves disagreed on the pulse findings.
.So along comes a master acupuncturist, Slate Burris, who combed the texts of Chinese medicine. What he learned is that the classic five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine ( earth, water, metal, fire, wood) had at one point contained a sixth element, ether or heaven.
When he discovered how to diagnose and treat this element suddenly formerly incurable cases got well.
In addition, he learned that prior to the advent of TCM ( traditional Chinese medicine, which is actually acupuncture according to herbal medicine philosophy) physicians touched their patients and figured out where meridian blockage were. Also, they found other blockages often related to what are termed, in part, extraordinary meridians. He found many more of these than are mentioned in the classical texts.
He began to treat thousands of Mexicans ( he had moved there and speaks fluent Spanish) according to the system which he calls Neoclassical acupuncture. They began to rapidly get well.
The reviews of his book, Neoclassical acupuncture on Amazon are mainly by acupuncturists who have studied with him. They describe how this approach has been nothing short of miraculous. It was by reading these reviews and later the book that I was inspired to study with him
A single needle is used. Nothing more. And the results are immediate, not over many treatments. In case this sounds too good to be true I can assure you that my patients will tell you otherwise.
He has only been teaching NCA for less than four years. Few people have been trained in it. I cannot locate anyone in Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware or Virginia at the time of this writing.
As an osteopathic physician who has become and expert in palpation of the body I have also added many ways to find what is going on with the patient and how to find the one point that will cure them.
At this point, having seen thousands of patients since I first opened my doors in 1991, I have no hesitation to say that I know of no approach that is more powerful than Neoclassical acupuncture.
Patients are delighted that a single needle can eliminate pain and functional issues in such a short time.
