Bigley Acupuncture 222 Oak Meadow Drive Suite B Los Gatos, CA 95032 US

(408) 399-7711

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine


About Us

MEET MEREDITH

I have been a Licensed Acupuncturist in Los Gatos since 1994, serving the needs of my patients.  


I work in all areas of health care, treating acute and chronic disease, musculo-skeletal and headache pain, and helping the body to heal from injury.

My expertise is women’s health, supporting a woman through all of life’s changes.

new patients

If you have questions about how acupuncture works or would like to know more about how it can be of help in your situation, please call to schedule a complementary thirty-minute consultation.

appointment request

Please call our office manager Sandy at 408-399-7711 to schedule an appointment. 

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Acupuncture can treat

  • Allergies & Asthma
  • Anxiety & Depression
  • Arthritis
  • Back Pain & Sciatica
  • Headaches & Migraines
  • Neuralgia
  • PMS & Menopause
  • Preventive Health Care
  • Sprains & Sports Injuries

treatment room overlooking creek

beautiful location

Our clinic is located in a wooded setting overlooking Los Gatos Creek.


222 Oak Meadow Drive Suite B Los Gatos CA 95032

408-399-7711

Office Hours

Mon - Thur: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Fri - Sun: Closed

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acupuncture

The body's energy, it's Qi, flows through channels in the body, connecting organs, glands, vessels, muscles and nerves with energy points on the surface of the body that can be accessed by acupuncture needles. These are very thin, sterile, stainless steel needles: so thin, we might better call them filaments. The needles serve to regulate the flow of Qi through these channels, thereby promoting an optimum and balanced circulation of energy.

In the language of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture treats disorders of Qi, Blood, and Moisture (too much/too little/stagnant, etc.) and disturbances in the circulation throughout the Organ networks. By understanding that pain and disease are caused by either an imbalance or a blockage of the energy circulating in the body, acupuncture can restore the proper flow of energy, thereby returning the body to balance. Depending upon the goal of treatment, that balance translates into a relief of pain and/or an improvement in function.

Acupuncture not only treats disease, it also enhances overall health and vitality. Acupuncture is complementary to and can be used in conjunction with Western medicine.    

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HOW CAN ACUPUNCTURE HELP ME?

Acupuncture serves to promote vitality, sustain health, boost the immune system and maintain optimal physical balance. Acupuncture can improve circulation, reduce swelling and stimulate release of endorphins to help you feel better while the underlying condition is improving. Good health, beyond the absence of pain or disharmony, can be described as the uninhibited flow of Qi in the body.

In addition to Acupuncture, other treatment techniques that serve to regulate the circulation of Qi include: Moxibustion (warming the acupuncture point) Cupping Electro-Acupuncture Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture

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WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I COME IN FOR ACUPUNCTURE?

Our clinic is located in a wooded setting overlooking Los Gatos Creek, with mature trees providing shelter to squirrels and migratory birds.  It's natural to feel yourself relaxing as you enter the clinic. There you will meet Sandy, our warm and welcoming office manager. Now you find yourself surrounded by calming music and the scents of herbs and herbal liniments. You begin to disconnect from the demands of your busy life.  The next hour or so is yours, to focus on your healing, to take deep cleansing breaths as you unwind from the tensions of the day and experience the gentle and therapeutic re-balancing of your body's energy.  We'll sit together and I'll begin with a detailed questioning of your health history, family health history, current symptoms and lifestyle. The information that you share with me is interpreted in the context of the observations that I make in the following areas: Pulse diagnosis: Characteristics of the pulse, including strength, speed, and regularity are observed.  Observation of the tongue, face and body: These observations provide good insight into the balance and flow of Qi, Blood and Fluids in the body. For example, the tongue provides an internal weather report. Is there more Heat present (a red tongue) or Cold (a pale tongue, which can also be a sign of a deficiency of Blood, so we look further is making an accurate diagnosis). Is the body too Moist (a tongue with a thick greasy, often white coat) or dry (a red tongue possibly with fine cracks, no moisture on its surface)? For example, in observing a tongue that is quite red, dry, with more significant cracks, it may indicate a person who has pushed hard through life, who has exhausted their Yin energies, who may (in our more updated language) have 'burnt' themselves out.  A further example is provided in the treatment of headaches, as the treatment varies widely depending upon where and when they occur, the quality of pain, and the precipitating factors. For example, there are: - headaches of excess energy - headaches of deficient energy, low blood sugar - headaches caused by outside forces, such as allergens in the air causing sinus headaches - headaches caused by internal imbalances, such as those linked to the fluctuating hormones of a woman's menstrual cycle  Having employed the techniques of diagnosis as described above, I am able to understand how effectively Qi is flowing throughout the various channels within your body and, thereby, formulate a treatment plan based on that diagnosis. The goal of the treatment plan is to balance the flow of Yin and Yang energies: wet and dry, cold and hot, internal imbalances and external influences, deficient and excessive energies.   You will rest comfortably on the treatment table while the needles are inserted. You can either wear loose, comfortable clothing or use the treatment gown provided. The sensation you experience often feels like a slight pinch, followed by a sensation of tingling, aching, pressure, warmth or energy often moving out from the area of insertion. The needles stay in place for approximately 30 minutes during which time most patients experience a deep sense of relaxation. I recommend that no strenuous or stressful activities be planned after your acupuncture session. It's a good general rule of thumb for everyone following acupuncture to limit physical activity: no trips to the gym or any further therapies on that day. Your body's energy has been brought back more fully into alignment. It's optimum to allow the subtle re-alignment of the body's energy to just be.   As we start working together, it is usually necessary to come in for an acupuncture treatment weekly. The treatment becomes less frequent as your condition improves. We always base treatment plans on your individual progress. For health maintenance, a return visit every few months, as with the change of seasons, is recommended.  As I've described above, the lens through which the body is viewed in Chinese Medicine allows me to recognize these patterns and to support the body in returning to that place of balance and harmony. For it is in the free flow of the body's innate energy, or Qi, that we feel a vitality of body and spirit. 


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HOW CHINESE MEDICINE WORKS

Chinese Medicine provides a whole body approach to health. It is based upon an individualized pattern diagnosis.  This diagnosis is obtained by a reading of the pulses, physical examination, observing specific signs, and asking questions regarding your symptoms and lifestyle.  

Chinese Medicine includes Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, which are often used together to provide a synergistic effect on the healing process.

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine are recognized and respected healing modalities for treating acute and chronic conditions. Both have been practiced for more than 3000 years.   

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CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE

Chinese Herbal Medicine is based upon an individualized pattern diagnosis.  For example, there are a number of different patterns that result in headaches.  Because of this, unique herbal formulas are used to treat specific manifestations.  A headache that results from a sinus infection will be treated very differently from the migraine headache that manifests in a woman's cycle between ovulation and onset of menses.  Western drugs often control symptoms, but do not alter the underlying condition.   For example, antibiotics may eliminate a bacterial infection in the sinuses, but will do nothing to improve resistant to the possibility of future infections.   Chinese herbs can strengthen the immune system and can resolve internal conditions that foster a bacterial infection.  Before herbs are prescribed, we will, of course, discuss the current medications (both prescribed and over the counter) that you are taking.  I have over 20 years experience in the study and prescription of Chinese herbs.  

About Meredith

B.S. Chemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA

Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five Branches Institute, Santa Cruz, CA. January 1994

Licensed Acupuncturist (Acupuncture Board, State of California) since 1994

Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM) 1994

Born and raised in the Bay Area, I graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Chemistry. After working in marketing and sales of scientific instrumentation, I became drawn to learn more about one of my earlier interests: herbal medicine. As I began to appreciate more about the rich history of Chinese herbal medicine, I visited an acupuncturist to experience a treatment first hand. I truly had been searching for a career that supported the alignment of my head and my heart. I found that life work in Chinese Medicine. It has been my pleasure to serve the needs of my patients in this Los Gatos clinic since 1994. I have worked in all areas of health care in treating musculoskeletal and headache pain, acute and chronic disease, and in supporting the body's healing from injuries and accidents. I have also worked in meeting the unique needs of women's health, through all the phases of a woman's life.

Testimonials

Meredith is a caring, nurturing person who really takes the time to listen to what is happening to my body. Her approach is very healing in itself. 

K.S.




Meredith is an amazing doctor.  She has helped me with my migraines, and has helped my daughter with her arthritis.  She always goes above and beyond.  I have had a great experience in every visit that I have had.  On top of her being wonderful, the setting in her office is beautiful.

 D.A.

For someone who has lots of trouble relaxing and sleeping issues, it blows my mind that I can become completely 100% relaxed on the acupuncture table. Meredith is one of the most caring people I have ever met and I just soak up all the time I have with her.

J.G.


Meredith has helped me with chronic (auto-immune) pain and fatigue for years. The acupuncture and herbs have made a significant difference in my life. I am no longer  dependent upon the very strong pain meds that I had been prescribed for years. I feel like I have my life back. G.L.

I was told that I would need knee replacement surgery, and that I should start looking around for a good surgeon. A friend recommended that I see Meredith for the pain, as my friend had received a lot of relief for her back pain from regular visits to Meredith. I have been seeing Meredith for the last 3 years, with an improvement in mobility and pain levels, such that I have put off plans for joint replacement indefinitely. R.S.​ Meredith definitely helped with allergies. I was so tired of the congestion and headaches, the foggy head and fatigue. I saw her regularly through one tough allergy season, my symptoms improving with each treatment. When the spring allergy season kicked in the year following, I needed just one or two treatments to return me to a symptom free state. Why didn't I try acupuncture sooner? T.B.

Meredith is a caring, nurturing person who really takes the time to not only listen to what is happening to my body, but to other aspects of my life that may also pertain (job stress, etc.) Her approach is very healing in itself. P.L.

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MeredithBigleyAcupuncture.com

Bigley Acupuncture 222 Oak Meadow DriveSuite BLos Gatos, CA 95032

(408) 399-7711

Hours

Open today

10:00 am – 06:00 pm

Monday -Thursday 10 am - 6 pm

Friday, Saturday,  Sunday: Closed: