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Ethan Ro · Registered Acupuncturist (B.C.) · Doctor of Korean Medicine · Member of Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine (Korea) · D.O. (NUMSS, Spain) Clinical Practice Since 2008 A patient once asked me, "I keep taking painkillers — so why isn't this healing?" It's a question I hear more than you'd think. The usual pattern goes something like this: pain appears, you take something for it, ice the area, rest completely, and wait. Sometimes that's enough. But when muscle, tendon, or lig

Ethan Ro · Registered Acupuncturist (B.C.) · Doctor of Korean Medicine · Member of Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine (Korea) · D.O. (NUMSS, Spain) Clinical Practice Since 2008 Last week, a patient came in and said something I hear often: "My back scan looks completely fine — but I still can't sit through dinner." When we checked the exact spot, the problem wasn't the lower back at all. It was the sit bone. This is a pattern I see regularly. Active adults, long-distance commuters, c

Core Medical Acupuncture · Coquitlam, BC Ethan Ro, R.Ac. · 18+ Years of Clinical Experience Hamstring strains are one of the most common injuries I see in active patients — soccer players, runners, weekend badminton regulars, skiers. They're also one of the most commonly mismanaged. Not because people don't try, but because the injury feels resolved long before it actually is. Reinjury rates hover around 12% to 31%, and nearly a third of hamstring strains recur within the f

Dr. Core: Registered Acupuncturist (B.C.) · Doctor of Korean Medicine · Member of Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine (Korea) · D.O. (NUMSS, Spain) Some mornings, your face just feels heavy. Cheeks look puffy, the jaw feels tight, and skin looks tired or dull. Sometimes there's soreness around the jaw, pressure near the temples, or discomfort left over from clenching and grinding through the night. Facial cupping therapy uses small, specialized cups and gentle moving suction to mobil

Dr. Core: Registered Acupuncturist (B.C.) · Doctor of Korean Medicine · Member of Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine (Korea) · D.O. (NUMSS, Spain) When people look into cupping therapy, they often assume it's one single, uniform treatment. But start exploring the options and you'll run into terms like dry, wet, fire, and dynamic cupping. They all share the same foundational mechanism — negative pressure lifting the tissue — but they serve pretty different clinical purposes. Let's br

Dr. Core: Registered Acupuncturist(B.C) · Doctor of Korean Medicine · Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine Society Member · D.O.(NUMSS, Spain) In our previous guide, we broke down the core physiological mechanism behind tissue decompression — how lifting tissue accomplishes what pushing down simply can't. But once you start looking into cupping therapy near me, it quickly becomes clear it isn't just one technique. Patients regularly ask about the differences between fire, wet, and dr

Dr. Core: Korean Medicine Doctor · Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine Society Member · D.O.(NUMSS, Spain) Most people look at cupping therapy and land on one of two reactions: either it looks intimidating because of the dark purple marks, or it seems like some kind of miracle cure that instantly "sucks toxins" out of the body. The reality in the treatment room is a lot more practical than either of those. Cupping is really just a highly effective, physiologically grounded tool built

“Is IMS better than dry needling?” “Is dry needling the same as IMS?” I hear these questions often. Usually from patients who have already been through the rounds. Massage. Physiotherapy. Chiropractic. Dry needling. Maybe acupuncture somewhere else. It helped for a few days. Then the pain came back. Same spot. Same tightness. Same frustration. So the real question is rarely about the technique. It is: “Why does this keep coming back?” That is the question worth answering. Wha

"Is dry needling the same as acupuncture?" Many patients ask this. Some have already tried dry needling at a physiotherapy clinic. Some have had acupuncture somewhere else. Some have heard the word IMS and are not sure what that even means. And most of them are confused — because from the outside, it all looks the same. Thin needles. Similar setup. Similar feeling afterward. So the question makes sense. Let me try to explain it plainly. IMS vs Dry Needling vs Acupuncture: Wha

Dr. Core: Doctor of Korean Medicine · Cyriax Orthopaedic Medicine Society Member · D.O.(NUMSS, Spain) “How much does acupuncture cost?” I hear this almost every day. But honestly, most patients are not really asking about the price. They are asking: "Will this actually help me?" Some people are afraid of needles. Others are afraid of spending money on something that only helps for a week. I understand that completely—especially if you have already tried different clinics and

Pain below the kneecap is common in athletes, active adults, and growing teenagers. You may feel it during running, jumping, squatting, stairs, or after sports. Some people notice it only after activity. Others feel it when sitting with the knee bent for a long time. This type of pain may be called: Patellar tendon pain Patellar tendinitis Patellar tendinopathy Jumper's knee Osgood-Schlatter disease Anterior knee pain These are not all the same diagnosis. But they often share

“Why does my hip hurt every time I walk?” “I thought I pulled a groin muscle, but the pain keeps coming back.” “It is becoming difficult to put on my socks or lift my leg into the car.” Pain in the front of the hip or deep inside the groin is often mistaken for a tight hip flexor or a simple muscle strain. Sometimes that is exactly what it is—especially after an unfamiliar workout, a long hike in the beautiful Coquitlam trails, or a sudden increase in activity. However, when

Knee Pain When Walking in Coquitlam Why It Keeps Coming Back (And What Actually Fixes It) Walking should feel easy.But lately, something feels off. You’re halfway up the Coquitlam Crunch.Or just walking near Lougheed.And your knee starts to ache. At first, you ignore it.“It’ll go away.” But it doesn’t. So you start avoiding hills.Then stairs.Then even longer walks. If this sounds familiar, there’s an important question to ask: 👉 Is your knee actually the problem? The Real Re

Do you feel more awake at night than in the morning? If so, you're not alone — and it may be more relevant to your cycle than you'd expect. For many women with irregular periods, low morning energy and a second wind in the evening isn't just a personality quirk. It's often a sign that the body's internal clock has shifted later. And when that happens, the menstrual cycle tends to follow. Why Do I Feel More Awake at Night? The pattern usually looks something like this: morning