A hometown practice, twenty years in the making.
Sara Ryan, D.Ac., is a Rhode Island native who returned to New England in 2002 after studying and practicing acupuncture and Chinese medicine in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, completing a four-year program in acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbology, and Western medical studies, followed by a one-year acupuncture internship at UCLA Medical Center. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston College, with pre-medical studies at Providence College.
A former competitive athlete, Sara's early interest in nutrition and complementary medicine grew into a passion for Eastern medicine and different approaches to health and healing.
Her varied experience includes studying Buddhism and Tibetan medicine in Dharamsala, India; working with Tibetan refugees; volunteering in medical settings serving refugees and children with cancer in Costa Rica; and practicing acupuncture in an acute pain-management clinic in Los Angeles. She has run her own private practice for more than 25 years, treating a wide range of conditions with particular focus on pain management, women's health and fertility.
A Whole-Person Approach
Sara believes in treating the person, not just a diagnosis. She is warm, compassionate and down-to-earth, and makes sure every patient feels comfortable, heard and genuinely cared for. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and two dogs, traveling, kayaking, skiing and being outdoors.
Her goal is simple: to provide excellent care while making every patient feel at home.
About the needles.
Acupuncture uses very thin, sterile, single-use needles, thinner than the hair on your head. Insertion is usually painless. If you feel anything, it's often a soft, warm, or heavy sensation.
Once needles are placed, you rest for twenty to thirty minutes in a warm, dim room. Many patients fall asleep. That's not a compliment to the room. It's the treatment working.