ABOUT JOHN DITMARS
John earned his Master’s Degree in Acupuncture at New York City’s renowned Tri-State College of Acupuncture, where he extensively trained under Dr. Mark Seem and Kiiko Matsumoto. Dr. Seem is the developer of Acupuncture Physical Medicine, which is also a palpation-based acupuncture style that is known for addressing myofascial trigger points and stress-holding patterns. APM is truly the most integrative form of acupuncture in that it is a fusion of Japanese, Vietnamese Jing Luo, and classical Chinese acupuncture but views illness through both a modern lens and while still retaining traditional Eastern roots.
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Dr. Seem studied for years with Dr. Janet Travell, who was known for her mastery of trigger point work. Dr. Seem applied his years with Travell into his system of acupuncture, thus forming the original and true style of Myofascial Dry Needling, which is an acupuncture technique mastered and taught to many people by Seem. Releasing trigger points is only a facet of the APM style but John tends to use it often, as many of his patients come in with complaints that require it. Some people have called this style of acupuncture "New American Acupuncture," and it lends itself very well to modern complaints of pain and stress. John is currently one of only a few practitioners in the Pacific Northwest trained in the APM style. The Kiiko Matsumoto Style of acupuncture stems from palpation-based diagnosis and treatment methods of the blind Japanese Acupuncture masters. The KMS approach is extremely gentle and suits those who are adverse to needles. In NYC, John also learned Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, among other Oriental Medicine modalities, and has trained in the Sports Medicine Acupuncture style of Whitfield Reaves. He continues to study medical bodywork and acupuncture styles that engage both Eastern and Western diagnostic and treatment mindsets.
Prior to acupuncture school, he attended schools to study Classical Homeopathy, Culinary Arts, and receive a B.S. in Cultural Anthropology. Due to this background, sometimes John may suggest nutritional or dietary advice, or homeopathic remedies. Sometimes this nutritional advice might come in the forms of certain culinary herbs or spices that patients will enjoy adding to their meals, and he may also provide clients with medicinally-fueled recipes that are easy to make at home even for the busy individual, and are delicious to eat.
What brought John to study acupuncture in the first place was a dense personal history of sports injuries and rehabilitative therapies. Athletics have always been a large part of his life (although the tendencies for thrill-seeker activities have greatly lessened due to accumulated injuries, age, and life perspective). After periods of treatment with various acupuncturists, John was treated by an Acupuncture Physical Medicine practitioner and everything changed. The musculoskeletal healing ramped up dramatically once this other style of acupuncture was utilized. Ultimately, this is why he chose to attend The Tri-State College of Acupuncture, for the next level in acupuncture education.
John lives in Eugene, Oregon. Aside from Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, his passions include spending time outdoors in rivers, on hiking and biking trails, in the garden, arts, home repair projects, or sharing good times with friends. He enjoys all things food and cooks from scratch, including his famous five-day bone broths.
He is a Certified Diplomat in Acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and is licensed to practice in Oregon, Washington, and New York. Please feel free to contact him if you have any questions about acupuncture whatsoever.
Some of his favorite teachers and main influences are:
Dr. Mark Seem, LAc.: www.TSCA.edu
Sensei Kiiko Matsumoto, LAc. : www.kiikomatsumoto.com
Whitfield Reaves, LAc.: https://www.whitfieldreaves.com
Peter Dubitsky, LAc. : www.TSCA.edu
Nigel Dawes, LAc.: www.nigeldawes.com
Thomas Meyers : www.anatomytrains.com
Jeffery Dann: www.alohawellnessboulder.com