Needling You for Your Own Good: Mark Pipkin, Benicia Acupuncturist

Mark Pipkin has been practicing acupuncture since earning his license in 2004. "Of course," he informed, "I was treating people as an intern for two years before that as well. I studied Oriental Medicine at the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College (AIMC) in Berkeley where I earned an MS in Oriental Medicine."

Pipkin was attracted to AIMC because of its connection to Japan and the college's clinic was very busy compared to the other two schools in the Bay Area. 

"A busy clinic meant that I would get lots of practice treating patients while in school, so I could be confident once I began my own practice," he said.   "I worked in the AIMC's  professional clinic for a couple of years after getting my license, but eventually, it became too cumbersome to drive to Berkeley three or four times a week" Mark added. 

Pipkin  practices Chinese Medicine, which includes acupuncture and herbal medicine (along with a medicinal massage called Tui Na which he does not practice).  "For most conditions the herbal medicine is generally more effective than acupuncture.  I find acupuncture to be very effective for pain, of course, and I see a lot of folks for back, neck, and other joint pain, headache, etc.  Acupuncture is also very good for conditions that are stress-related which can include many chronic issues .  For other internal medicine issues - which is a very wide range - the herbal medicine can be therapeutic as well as cost-effective" Mark said. 

Pipkin's style of acupuncture is a combination of Japanese and Chinese styles.  Maek stated "The Japanese style of needling is very gentle and can be nearly painless.  The Chinese style, however, is more vigorous and many non-native Chinese would perceive it as painful, sometimes.  Essentially I use the Chinese style for diagnosis and selection of points to needle, but unless it is really necessary - for example an acute injury perhaps - I find the Japanese needling style to be very effective as well as comfortable for my patients." 
Mark has been with , in Benicia, since they moved into their larger space in 2006. 

As for misconceptions about Chinese Medicine,  Pipkin feels there are two big ones. "Regarding acupuncture the big misconception is that it is painful.  If one uses high quality needles and gentle technique it is never painful.  The other misconception is really an education issue concerning the herbal medicine.  Very few people are aware of Chinese herbal medicine at all.  Much less how effective it can be for many, many conditions.  Just a few that I often treat are gynecological issues (such as period problems, peri-menopausal complaints and infertility [not just women here]) to cold/flu and poor immunity through chronic diseases such as hypothyroid, high blood sugar and even support for cancer patients" he concluded. 

Before discovering Chinese medicine, Pipkin worked in the semiconductor industry as an engineer and later an equipment sales manager and consultant for fifteen years. "In between consulting jobs, I began taking some classes at a place in Berkeley called the Acupressure Institute which focuses on massage.  Having an engineering background, I was quite skeptical at first of the amazing claims that people presented concerning Chinese medicine in my classes.  Eventually, I realized that all of these people couldn’t be foolish or crazy so there must be  something to it.  As I took more classes on Chinese medical theory, I began to see that it had an internal logic and was a quite elegant if very different system from what we are used to with Western medicine.  It merely views our bodies and disease from a different, more functional and personalized perspective.  Also, since it has been practiced, studied, and refined for over two millennia, it is generally quite safe and one rarely sees unwanted side-effects' Mark acknowledged. 

Pipkin and his family have lived in Benicia for nearly five years.  As a lot of other families, "We became motivated to move here when our first child became kindergarten age.  We checked out the Benicia schools and liked what we saw, so we found a house within walking distance of the Joe Henderson Elementary. 
In addition, we enjoy the views of the hills and the Carquinez Straights of course.  We also like the small-town feel and more laid-back pace as compared to the East Bay or San Francisco" Mark related. 

" My wife, our two boys and I live in the Solar Village  in Southampton.  We have a fourth-grader and kindergartner going to Joe Henderson Elementary.  My wife is an artist (mostly jewelry and collage these days), but she has extensive experience in pottery.  She studied art in Japan (where she is from) and apprenticed at a pottery making factory in Mashiko, a famous pottery town.  Unfortunately, we haven’t had the space to set up her pottery studio since we came to Benicia but it's on my Honey Do List," Pipkin smiled.

  
When he's not working, Mark likes to try to keep up with what’s going on in the world and, "Of course, the two boys keep my wife and I very busy.  I also enjoy hiking, biking and seeing new things as well.  Since the boys are getting more capable, we take them camping a couple of times a year, and I look forward to doing this more as they get older," he said. 

Pipkin informed that "Anyone considering a career in acupuncture I would strongly recommend that they learn as much as they can before enrolling in a degree program.  This is one of those careers that one needs to do out of a love of doing it as it is definitely not a get-rich-quick kind of field.  It is also a difficult field to practice particularly if one emphasizes the herbal medicine.  It is also necessary to realize that in addition to treating patients one has to run a business as well.  It’s not for everyone but what is I suppose?"