Cynthia Hoff
LAc, MAcOM, MAT

My gentle approach to healthcare focuses on you as a whole person. I’m committed to supporting your wellness by treating your immediate symptoms, plus addressing their root causes.

I specialize in treating pain conditions, eye conditions such as macular degeneration, women’s health, stress-management and health care for seniors.

Certifications/Licenses

Diplomate in Acupuncture
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)

Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.)
Oregon Board of Medical Examiners

Qi Gong Instructor
Liu Dong Qi Gong Method

Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association

Education

Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR
Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, (M.AcOM)

University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching (BA)

Becoming A Health Care Practitioner--
the joy is in the journey

Because many of my patients ask how I came to practice acupuncture and Chinese medicine after a career in education, I’d like to share a bit about my journey. Even though I am no longer in the classroom full-time, my dedication to education continues. Being a health care practitioner entails a lot of teaching as I help people to be the healthiest they can be. This is my passion.

My path to acupuncture and Chinese medicine, like many of my colleagues, was one of self-healing. At the age of 28, I was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day (and had been for many years), working 60+ hours a week and living mostly on fast and packaged food.

Quitting Smoking

I stopped smoking in 1990 and wish I’d known about acupuncture because it definitely decreases the intensity of cravings. Quitting smoking feels like a lifetime ago, but it was and remains the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Being free from cigarettes changed my entire life and was the beginning of many positive steps to improving my health and wellness.

Most of my lifestyle changes were gradual and I have found in working with people that huge changes are often unsustainable. Change must be integrated into one’s life and how it occurs must fit with an individual’s personality and temperament. One size definitely does not fit all.

My Introduction to Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

While teaching at Kumamoto University in Japan, I was introduced to acupuncture. My first treatments were for elbow tendonitis and neck pain. I learned the hard way a very important truth about the human body: if you ignore it when it gives you little hints, it doesn’t slink away and disappear, it shouts louder!

My primary care physician gave me muscle relaxants and pain medication. These were useful, but I knew that only the symptoms were being addressed. Finally, one of my students suggested I accompany her to see an acupuncturist. I was skeptical, but my pain was worsening, so I agreed. All the talk of moving Qi, or as the Japanese say “Ki,” was new to me, not to mention the idea of putting these little needles in to relax the muscles and stop the pain. I couldn’t deny that I felt better after each treatment. With a combination of acupuncture and massage, my pain disappeared.

What attracted me to this medicine is the way it treats the symptoms, gets at the underlying cause of the symptoms, and allows the body to self-regulate. I didn’t understand how Chinese medicine worked, but was fascinated with it and increasingly interested in my own and other’s health. I was compelled to study it further.

Valuing the Strengths of Eastern and Western Medicine

Moving from the humanities and arts into the sciences was very challenging, but I was thoroughly energized by the process. Fortunately, the Chinese know that medicine is a science and an art. I have always loved learning and I feel extremely privileged to study and practice Chinese medicine.

I value the strengths of Western medicine and have a strong background in biomedicine. While working at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, I completed the equivalent of a pre-med degree and I have taken several doctoral level classes in biomedicine at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

These courses have helped me to more fully understand what I read in Western medical journals, which I often do to stay abreast of the latest research that may affect my patients’ health. Eastern and Western medicine each have their strengths, and I truly value the ways in which each system allows me to help my patients achieve and maintain health and vitality.

This has been my path to becoming a health care practitioner, but it’s far from over because I am always refining my skills and learning new ones. The joy truly is in the journey.