Lower Back Stretches: Essential Moves for Pain Relief and Flexibility

Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Lower back stretches are a fundamental aspect of both relieving and preventing lower back pain, a common issue affecting millions of people worldwide. These stretches are important for alleviating pain and also improve low back flexibility and strength in the lumbar region. It is crucial to approach lower back exercises and stretches with a fundamental […]

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IT Band Stretches: Effective Techniques for Alleviating Knee Pain

Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

The iliotibial band, commonly known as the IT band, can significantly contribute to pain on the lateral side, or the outside of the knee. The pain is generally located just above the knee joint in the thick connective tissue. IT band pain is common among athletes, including runners and cyclists. Stretches that target the IT

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What is Eccentric Exercise? Guide & Examples

Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

With eccentric exercise, you can build a brand-new body that looks great and is healthy. It is a unique workout routine using controlled eccentric contractions to help you build muscle and burn fat. This exercise is more effective than traditional weightlifting methods and is perfect for those wanting to get in shape quickly. You can

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Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow

Leave a Comment / Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

What is tennis elbow? Tennis elbow is known medically as lateral epicondylitis. It is pain located at the bony prominences of the elbow. It is often the result of repetitive activities that cause the tendons in your elbow to become overused and inflamed. Do only tennis player’s get tennis elbow? The name tennis elbow is

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What to Do When You Throw Your Back Out

Leave a Comment / Blog, Acupuncture, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Man with neck and back pain. Man rubbing his painful back close up. Pain relief concept

Throwing out your back can be painful and terrifying. When you throw out your back, it’s important to know what step to take so you don’t make the back injury worse than it already is. What should you do when you throw your back out? Read on to learn the steps you need to take

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Injury Rehab Exercises to Try at Home

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Rehabbing from an injury can be a serious process. In some cases, it only takes a couple of weeks to rehab from an injury, while in other cases, it can take months. Luckily, there’s a lot that you can do to ensure the rehabilitation process goes smoothly. You can see a chiropractor, acupuncturist, or

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Triathletes and Acupuncture

Leave a Comment / Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Have you pondered adding acupuncture to your training and recovery routine? Here are five reasons that acupuncture might fit you and your training really well. Acupuncture is a safe and time tested method of healing Acupuncture has been evolving for centuries. The current methods and sports medicine applications are the result of research and a

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Warm Up Correctly Before Your Next Run

Leave a Comment / Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Warming up is an important part of every workout. In just 5-10 minutes you can prepare your body for the upcoming physical strain of a workout and can prepare yourself mentally for a new activity. Warm-ups prevent injury by: Increasing blood flow to tendons and ligaments Loosening muscles Gently increasing heart and respiratory rates Improving

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Exercise and Stretches for Knee Pain

2 Comments / Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Knee pain commonly occurs when muscles, tendons, or ligaments that surround the knee are experiencing inflammation or are injured. This pain is prevalent among teenagers, young adults, athletes, and those experiencing arthritic pain. Below are the top exercises and stretches you can do at home to help strengthen or relax key muscles to help address

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4 Tips to Prevent Injuries for Runners

Leave a Comment / Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

As many other outdoor activities have become limited and spring weather is in full effect, runners have been multiplying on the sidewalks and streets. Running injuries are very common as the body is put through repetitive motion, especially when there is an issue with the running form or an overloading of untrained muscles. Whether you’re

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5 Home Exercises to Keep Your Neck Healthy

Leave a Comment / Community, Acupuncture, Fitness & Exercise, In the News, Sports Medicine / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

RANGE OF MOTION WARM UP Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor, back straight and shoulders tucked back slightly. Slowly Bend your neck forward, chin to chest. Hold for two seconds. Then extend your neck backwards and look up, keep the neck long and hold for two seconds. Rotate your neck so you

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5 Common Injuries of Cycling and How Acupuncture Can Help

1 Comment / Blog, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Portrait of young male cyclist with courier delivery bag using mobile phone on street

Cycling is a popular way to stay in shape, commute, lose weight and maintain cardio health. Portland is one of America’s best biking cities supported by one of the country’s largest cycling communities. While cycling helps maintains overall health the posture and muscle strain associated with cycling leads to some common injuries which can be

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Jumper’s Knee

1 Comment / Acupuncture, Fitness & Exercise, Sports Medicine / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

What is Jumper’s Knee Jumper’s knee is a condition medically know as patellar tendonitis. It is an overuse injury that results in pain at the front of the knee just below the knee cap. Repetitive strain from either running or jumping causes inflammation of the patella tendon. The patella tendon can also be damaged by

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Understanding Low Back Pain

Leave a Comment / Acupuncture, Fitness & Exercise, In the News, Sports Medicine / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Low back pain at the Iliac crest is a common condition. As Sports Medicine Acupuncturists® we are well equipped to diagnose and treat this type of back pain. The iliac crest is the top of the ilium or “hip bone” in the low back. It is the highest portion of the pelvis. It is

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Five Exercises that Won’t Feel Like Work

Leave a Comment / Community, Fitness & Exercise, In the News / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

You want to get fit, but going to a gym just isn’t your idea of fun, so you can’t find the motivation to actually workout. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps you need to change your idea of working out. If you find an activity that pushes your body out of it’s comfort zone and

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Ice May Slow Injury Recovery

Leave a Comment / Community, Fitness & Exercise, In the News, Sports Medicine / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

New research rejects the use of ice in injury recovery protocols. Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who coined the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) for injury care, reversed course and begun arguing that ice actually delays healing. Dr. Mirkin is now advocating a much more limited role of ice in the recovery of injuries. After an

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6 Creative Ways to Get Fit

Leave a Comment / Community, Fitness & Exercise / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Getting fit is a commitment, but sometimes you just don’t have enough time to get to the gym. Fortunately, participating at the gym isn’t the only way to get fit! If you are pressed for time, or bored with your current routine, it’s time to shake it up! Exciting new ways to exercise are all

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Healthy Running!

Leave a Comment / At the Clinic, Acupuncture, Fitness & Exercise, Sports Medicine / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Early morning sunlight in our bedrooms beckons many of us out the door and sends us running through our neighborhoods. Some of us strive for 5 miles a week, others are logging longer distances in a quest to complete our 1st, 2nd of 15th marathon. Some of us are inspired to run in the many

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How To Get More From Your Stretching

Leave a Comment / At the Clinic, Fitness & Exercise, In the News / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

The basic building block of muscle tissue is the sarcomere. The sarcomere provides contractile strength and determines the length of the muscle. Sarcomere are continually adjusting and modifying the nature of our muscles based on the actions, or non-actions, we do throughout the day. The hamstrings are the large powerful muscles on the backs of

Katherine V.

March 9, 2023.

While recovering from injuries sustained from a car accident, I have seen a few different acupuncturists as well as a chiropractor and masseuse at Inner Gate, and I have appreciated them all. The care I've received has been stellar - compassionate, personable, considerate, and soothing. Truly, Inner Gate practitioners have greatly helped me in my healing process. Thank you!

Abbie W.

July 26, 2022.

I have been seeing Nick Maxwell for Craniosacral massage for the last several months after a car accident left me with whiplash, nagging low back pain, a mild concussion, and stress and anxiety. He is an incredibly gifted healer that has helped me immensely! I have had a plethora of bodywork over the years, and I can undoubtedly say that his massages are the best. He has also helped with digestive issues/SIBO/nervous system recovery. I would never see anyone else again after finding him. I am much calmer, happier, and healing well thanks in big part to his care.

Elizabeth M.

February 10, 2022.

Well, I will start by saying that Nicholas Maxwell is my favorite massage therapist. I went to him after 1 year of shoulder pain. Before going to him, I was waiting for the pain to just go away; it didn't. He was the first person I sought any help from. I'm sorry to say, I didn't expect that much relief from a massage but after about 3 sessions I felt close to cured of 1 whole year of pain! He recommended a great physical therapist to solve my shoulder stiffness and pain. My pt said that Nick did a great job of loosening up the muscles for a quicker recovery. Nick seemed to wipe out all the surface pain and extraneous tenderness so that my pt could pinpoint my injury which turned out to be shoulder tendonitis. Now I see both of them concurrently. They both gave the same estimate for recovery, which was shorter than I thought it would be. I've had more that 50 massages in my lifetime (CA, NY, NV), Nick is the only massage therapist I have been to that leaves me feeling better for days and days after the actual massage. If I could describe what Nick's massages feel like, it would be like this: If the ocean waves had massaging hands, they would be Nick's. Before going to Nick, I am a chuck steak. After my massage, I am filet mignon. What can I say, Nick Is Awesome!!

Julian J.

November 4, 2021.

My physical therapist suggested acupuncture for my chronic knee injury in July 2021. I'm going to explain my story, but I want to say at the beginning that Emma Ellsworth at Inner Gate Health & Wellness saved me from a life of chronic pain. It's really difficult and frustrating to find good care anywhere these days, so trust me when I tell you that you can end your search now. Just call Inner Gate and ask for Emma. I always find it helpful to read health care reviews from folks who suffer from the same issues as me, so here's a bit about my medical history: My orthopedic physician diagnosed me with IT band syndrome in my right knee in January 2021. I began a course of physical therapy, but not only did the IT band syndrome not get better, I actually developed IT band syndrome in my left leg due to overcompensation. I pushed myself a little too hard and started noticing that even very light exercise would cause my symptoms to flare up (inflammation, pain, swelling, etc.). By May 2021, I could not walk more than 3 blocks at a time without my knees flaring up. Keep in mind that I'm an otherwise healthy person in my mid-30s. I then developed hamstring tendinopathy in both legs, I assume to disuse. Along with preexisting patellofemoral pain syndrome issues, suffice to say that my knees were totally busted, okay. After all that, my physical therapist and orthopedic physician basically threw their hands up and suggested either cortisone shots for the rest of my life, acupuncture, or prescription pain medication that I really shouldn't be taking due to family history of hypertension. In comes Emma. I'm a huge believer in modern Western medicine and everything, but Emma succeeded where two physical therapists, a physiatrist, my orthopedic physician, and my primary care doctor all failed. Emma succeeded not only because she did something they did not - acupuncture - but she succeeded because she was more effective and patient at taking time to find the actual root cause of my issues. She is super methodical about interviewing me at the beginning of every session, evaluating what worked / didn't work from last time, trying out new areas for acupuncture, and over the course of 4 weeks eventually found an acupuncture solution that reduced my pain. I remember when it happened - I had an acupuncture session one Friday in October, and two days later I was going for a walk and ended up walking like 3 times further than I had walked in the past 6 months. I stopped and was like, "Wow my legs don't hurt at all." The pain literally vanished, went from a 5-6/10 on the pain scale all day every day down to 0-1. The massive pain reduction has allowed me to resume my physical therapy exercises with less pain and start rebuilding my knee strength. I still go to acupuncture to deal with some knee meniscus issues and overall wellness / mental health issues. Honestly, I feel such a tremendous sense of wellness after every acupuncture session that I kind of don't ever want to stop going. Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading and hopefully my story is helpful. Seriously, go see the folks at Inner Gate. You won't regret it!!

Mitchell P.

October 19, 2021.

Inner Gate Health & Wellness provides exceptional care! Their staff, specifically Emma Ellsworth, is skillful, compassionate, and effective at providing holistic healing services, including acupuncture. I highly recommend treatment with Inner Gate and Emma Ellsworth for symptoms including depression, anxiety, pelvic floor pain, back pain, and digestion issues.

Ruben S.

April 15, 2021.

This is a long overdue, rave review for Terry. I've been to many acupuncturists over the last decade and she is hands down the most helpful and accommodating. I came in with a very unsolvable problem (tinnitus) and had tried everything before coming to Terry. Terry has helped improve my symptoms with Tinnitus and a number of other issues. She's also extremely patient and takes time out of every session at the beginning to go over progress and how I'm feeling. She has a good understanding of my problems and is always ready with solutions to help. Acupuncture with Terry is one of the highlights of my week -- thank you for being so great!!

Dr. Kaley B.

November 28, 2020.

Very impressed! Great acupuncture, well organized front desk. Liz is fantastic, and I'm not a fan of needles. Finally got some relief from back and neck pain. Looking forward to a few more sessions!

Abbie W.

September 15, 2020.

I highly recommend Oliver Leonetti at Innergate Acupuncture! I have seen him for the last 12 years for various ailments - ranging from nagging sports injuries to digestive issues to insomnia/anxiety, and he always provides the highest level of care that truly lasts. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable and skilled, but he is super kind and caring and always take the time to truly listen. I always feel better after leaving my appointment. I honestly do not know what I would do without Oliver or Innergate Acupuncture! Also, I've seen several of the acupuncturists there, and they are all fantastic as well.

M W.

July 9, 2020.

I can't recommend these guys enough! I have a 10 yr old competitive skier who was having some knee pain & had never had acupuncture done before...not only did these guys gently ease him into the entire process - they also helped him get back on the ski hill after the first couple of treatments I was super impressed with their professionalism & how both Liz and Casey approached his injury - now my little guy looks forward to going to his acupuncture appointments! Yay! Thank you a zillion times over for taking such good care of my little guy.

Abby J.

January 9, 2020.

I used to think acupuncture was sort of hokey. Not total witchcraft, but definitely not the magic, cure-all that people said. Well, folks, a few months in and I can report that I'm a changed woman! Well, really, it only took one session. Terry took my whole health history into consideration and helped with everything. Anxiety, sleeplessness, colds, ankle injuries, back pain--you name it. I've come in with problems and always left improved. I'm sure all the acupuncturists are lovely, but I want to stress how awesome Terry is. She takes my concerns seriously without making me feel like I'm at a stuffy doctors office. She approaches her work with humor and friendliness and is spot on with her treatment. Terry has made me feel comfortable from the get-go and has made my weekly appointments something for me to look forward to. My friends all have heard me rave about her, so I'd say everyone I know should go see her, but then I may never be able to squeeze in my appointments again! Just kidding, of course. Also, big props to the front desk staff too. They have been super kind and helpful when guiding me through insurance issues or unexpected after work traffic. I'd highly recommend Inner Gate SE to anyone with any ailment!

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