Classical acupuncture for digestive disorders.

Your gut responds to everything.

That knot in your stomach when something feels wrong, the nausea before a difficult conversation, the way stress sends you running to the bathroom. In Classical Chinese Medicine, your digestive system processes more than food. It takes in everything from the world: information, experiences, and the emotions you haven't fully digested.

The goal is to rebuild your digestive resilience, so your body can handle normal variety without constant symptoms, and to understand what was stuck in the first place.

What classical medicine sees.

IBS, Crohn's, gastritis, reflux: in classical acupuncture, these aren't separate diseases that randomly appeared. They're expressions of patterns: Heat trapped in the gut, Dampness accumulating when digestion is weak, Liver Qi constraining smooth flow, or emotions stored in the blood vessels of the digestive tract creating the gut-brain loop you already feel.

• Suppressed emotions held in the stomach: Bloating that worsens with stress; sharp intestinal pains when you're overriding what your gut knows
• Liver overacting on the Spleen: Irritable bowel symptoms that spike with stress or emotional upset
• Dampness from weak Spleen function: Heavy, foggy fatigue alongside loose stools or bloating after meals
• Heat driving inflammation: Reflux, burning, urgency, IBD patterns; body containing what it can't fully expel
• Small Intestine discernment failure: Constant second-guessing, diarrhea, urgency, inability to trust your own knowing

How I work differently.

1. Treat the pattern, not the label. IBS from Liver overaction is treated differently than IBS from Spleen Dampness. Getting the pattern right is what makes treatment effective rather than generic.
2. Release emotional holdings from the digestive channels. Many patients describe sudden emotional clarity during treatment: old grief or anger surfacing, finally able to be processed, followed by physical improvement.
3. Address chronic inflammation at its root. Divergent Channel work reaches the latent pathology that most treatments only suppress (the same mechanism underlying autoimmune conditions), helping the body complete what it's been trying to do all along.
4. One patient at a time. A private room, my undivided attention, the entire session.

"I sought care at Gateway after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. My symptoms were debilitating, with significant weight loss and discomfort. Diego used acupuncture and herbal medicine and completely overhauled my nutrition. Since working with him, I have been symptom-free for about a year." — Richard M.

Individual results vary; testimonials reflect personal experiences and do not represent typical outcomes.

Is this right for you?

A good fit if:

• You've been diagnosed with IBS, IBD, GERD, colitis, gastritis, or Crohn's disease
• Your symptoms worsen with stress or emotional upset (including patterns shared with skin conditions like eczema)
• You've tried elimination diets, medications, and supplements with limited lasting results
• Your digestion affects your mood, energy, and mental clarity
• You have gut issues alongside anxiety, overthinking, or difficulty making decisions

Not the right fit if:

• You want a one-visit quick fix
• You're unwilling to explore emotional contributors to physical symptoms