By Megan Ma
 Chiropractor and acupunturist Patricia Rupert adjusts a client. joe hu/town crier |
Walking through a gray labyrinth of corporate offices, in the Packard, Packard & Johnson building in downtown Los Altos, you might be surprised to meet the affable Patricia Rupert in her brightly painted office with scented candles and plush sofa at her Advanced Wholistic Healthcare Center.
Her seemingly incongruous environment is as unique as her medical practice. Rupert, who opened a practice in March, specializes in a dual blend of acupuncture and chiropractics.
As eclectic as the services are, there’s serious healing going on here, she said. Rupert has modified the traditional chiropractic formula to cater to clients who may have developed a fear of the chiropractor who cracks and snaps the spine into place.
“Chiropractors have a bum rap. I just don’t want people to be afraid of going to see one,” Rupert said. Her hourlong deep massages combine oils and pressurized joint kneading and pulling.
Like most certified chiropractors, Rupert knows the body - its structure, aches and muscular tangles. It’s a system that examines the entire chain of skeletal connections, she said. “But it’s not just bone cracking,” she said. “Chiropractics can help anything from migraines to stress to fertility issues.”
As part of her holistic healing, Rupert often includes acupuncture in a patient’s routine session. The philosophy of Chinese medicine - and acupuncture in particular - identifies the “root and branch of the problem,” she said. When applied to chiropractics, the idea can have surprising results. Often the root of any pain does not stem from the usual spots, according to Rupert.
One patient came in with neck pain Rupert identified as extending from misaligned ribs. From the spinal area, she gently pulled and prodded the bones into place using her fingers and an activator gun device that delivers a painless sharp pop to the problem area.
While not all cases are simple or provide such expedient results, Rupert rarely has a patient come in more than once a week - she thinks it best to let “treatment settle.” The doctor often prescribes Chinese medicine as a supplement to the treatment and suggests exercise and diet profiles catered to the individual.
Rupert holds a master’s degree in Oriental medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and a doctorate from Life West Chiropractic College. She is licensed in California as a chiropractor, acupuncturist and herbalist.
The Advanced Wholistic Healthcare Center is located at 4 Main St., Suite 20, in Los Altos. For more information, call 219-8851.
