My Blog
It all started when I was two years old and my mom took me to see New York Dance Theater's "The Nutcracker." During the Snow Pas de Deux, I stood up, pointed to the stage and yelled, "I want to be that! But without him because I don't need his help." Needless to say, my mom signed me up for dance classes and when I was... more
On my website, you'll find a blog that I use to provide a basic education in the theories of acupuncture. I feel that the more one understands about acupuncture and how it works, the better connection they have to their treatments and the better their response. I also like to use that space to provide my professional opinion on some hot (and confusing) topics, offer advice in the grey areas of medicine, and answer some of my most frequently asked questions. If you have any questions or would like more detail on a subject please leave a comment beneath the post or message me directly.
Learn more about Andrea Cillo
It all started when I was two years old and my mom took me to see New York Dance Theater's "The Nutcracker." During the Snow Pas de Deux, I stood up, pointed to the stage and yelled, "I want to be that! But without him because I don't need his help." Needless to say, my mom signed me up for dance classes and when I was 10, I became a full time ballerina at the Frank Ohman School of Ballet. When I was 14, I was diagnosed with bursitis in both of my hips. After a stint with physical therapy failed, I was told that if I wanted to be pain free, I'd have to quit dancing. Well that wasn't going to happen. That was when my mom suggested acupuncture. Pretty nervous, I went, and after several treatments I started improving, and then improving exponentially. I went from hardly being able to walk without pain, to dancing my heart out again. Surely enough, I became Snow Queen and learned very quickly that I do in fact need his help.
When it came time to pick a major in college I immediately chose biology. I knew I wanted to be in a medical field but there are so many incredible opportunities to choose from. Again, my mom's advice led me to acupuncture. I started talking to my acupuncturist and discovered that I could do so much more than treat pain. Once he started describing the theory, I was hooked.
After receiving my associates in biology, I attended the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in Manhattan and earned my Masters of Science in Acupuncture. There I learned the unique style of Acupuncture Physical Medicine (aka trigger point dry needling). Developed by our headmaster Mark Seem and based on Janet Travell's books on trigger points, this technique releases "knots" in muscles to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and even internal visceral symptoms (such as chest pain or digestive disorders) without the harmful injections of steroids or numbing agents. I was also taught many other tricks that go with the trade such as moxibustion, electro-acupuncture, cupping and gua sha. Currently, I am studying Classical Chinese Medicine under the mentorship of Timothy Aitken, a master practitioner in the teaching lineage of Jeffery Yuen and specialist in pediatric acupuncture.
