About Jessica

I have practiced acupuncture and East Asian medicine for over six years, and a big part of my day is the conversation that happens after the needles come out: "What can I do at home?" The honest answer is usually something small and cheap. A mat. A set of cups. A stone and a bit of oil. A heat pack used at the right time, in the right place.

The problem is that the internet sells all of those things badly. The listings are written by people who have never treated a stiff neck, the reviews are noise, and the "best of" lists are ranked by commission. So I started writing down what I actually tell people, and this site is the result.

How I got here

I did not start in acupuncture. My first degree was a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and after that I worked in pharmacological research. I came away with a solid grounding in how drugs work, and a growing wish to help people more directly than a lab bench allows.

That took me to the Chicago area to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. I graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Acupuncture from National University of Health Sciences, then passed the national boards to become a Diplomate of Acupuncture (NCCAOM). While I was training I spent three semesters treating patients in the pain clinic at Cook County's Stroger Hospital, and took part in a pilot program using acupuncture with veterans living with post-traumatic stress.

In clinic I use acupuncture alongside electro-acupuncture, auriculotherapy, tui na manual therapy, cupping and nutritional counselling. Most of what I recommend on this site is the at-home version of those same tools.

Why I believe in this

For almost a decade I had debilitating migraines. Acupuncture cut their frequency and severity dramatically, enough that I was able to stop the preventative medication I had been taking. I do not think acupuncture is magic. I think of it as a way of giving the body a nudge toward the balance it is already trying to find, and I have felt that work in my own life, not just seen it in my patients.

I practice in Coldwater, Michigan, and I am glad to be helping people here and in the surrounding communities.

What you will find here

Guides that name specific products and explain what to look for, so you can shop with judgment instead of luck.
Learn pieces that explain what a therapy does in plain English, when it helps and when it does not.
Clear notes on who should not use something. That part matters more than the product.

What you will not find here

Miracle claims. Acupressure mats do not "detox" you. Cupping does not "pull out toxins". I will always tell you what the tool is realistically good for.
Sponsored posts. Brands do not pay to appear here. Links are affiliate links, disclosed on every page, and they never change what I recommend.
Medical advice for you specifically. I do not know your history. Your own provider does.

A note on the credentials

The letters after my name are not decoration. They mean I completed graduate training in acupuncture, passed the national board examinations, and am registered to practice in Michigan. That matters on a site like this because anyone can call themselves a "wellness expert". I am accountable to a licensing board.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections, or a product you want me to look at? Email me atjessica@birchtreeholistic.com. I read everything, though I cannot give individual medical advice by email.