Meet Jessida Putkaew, Licensed Acupuncturist
Jessida Putkaew combines Eastern and Western medical philosophies to provide personalized acupuncture care. Her approach focuses on addressing individual health challenges to restore well-being and empower clients.
Education & Clinical Training
Jessida is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist certified by the California Acupuncture Board (CAB). She graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) from Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College (AIMC) of Berkeley, CA.
Her clinical training includes an internship at West Berkeley Lifelong Medical Clinic, where she treated patients to reduce pain and improve joint mobility, energy, and immunity. She studied Chinese herbalism with Dr. Duan in Tianjin, China, and manual therapies such as Tui Na massage with Dr. Han in Chengdu, China, and Sotai/Shonishin/abdominal palpitation with Dr. Randy Harris from Harvard Medical in Cambridge, MA.
About Me
Hi, I'm Jessida Putkaew, L.Ac. I didn't grow up a health-nut, junk-food-phobic, nor athletic-since-I-was-5 type of person. Health was always desirable, but for a decade, no matter what I tried, I had lackluster success. Despite my life looking full and successful, the state of my health made it difficult to enjoy.
I never thought I'd try acupuncture until I met a wonderful acupuncturist. After knowing her for a while, I made the "crazy" decision to try it. At my first treatment, I couldn't watch her needle me, so I closed my eyes and laid down. Quickly, I was surprised when I felt so light and relaxed that it felt like the treatment table was rocking me to sleep. I was hooked. It didn't cure everything in one treatment, but my digestion improved, my energy got better, and the results kept coming!
In the weeks that followed, I watched expectantly for my health to yo-yo backwards, but my health continued to make progress. My doubt in the tiny needles washed away little by little, replaced by curiosity and amazement. It sparked something so intriguing, I couldn't help but dive in.
Eastern versus and Western
The study of Chinese and Japanese medicine in a Western integrated school has allowed me to learn multiple methods of diagnosis and treatment.
I'm happy to work alongside other styles of medicine, using modern diagnosis and science to paint a clearer picture when working on your health. Taking labs, imaging, prescriptions you take, your medical history, along with symptoms and Chinese medicinal pulses, are all valuable information when figuring out what your body needs.
Our Philosophy of Care
At Rivers of Qi, we start by listening to your challenges, then use Eastern and Western knowledge harmoniously to create a path to your goal.
There is no right amount of exercise or perfect way of eating or supplementing that applies to every single human. We believe the body is extremely intelligent and is always trying to heal. We just need to figure out where the disconnect is. We personalize your care with a combination mind + body + lifestyle approach.