Root & Branch Oriental Medicine
Our Philosophy
Root & Branch was founded in 2002 to provide safe, effective, holistic solutions for individuals seeking meaningful, lasting improvements in their health. Our practitioners bring decades of experience in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, and integrative therapies.
We believe that your health journey begins with understanding the full picture—your history, lifestyle, patterns, and goals. Everything we do is personalized and rooted in the principles of Chinese Medicine, which emphasize correcting imbalances at the source.
We offer a personalized, tailored approach to treatments to restore balance, alleviate pain, and promote overall well-being, seamlessly blending traditional Oriental medicine with contemporary care.
Meet Our Providers
Below are the compassionate, highly trained practitioners who make Root & Branch a trusted
center for healing. Each practitioner brings specialized expertise, extensive clinical experience,
and a patient-centered approach to care.
Eileen Power DePaula
M.Ed., M.Ac., LicAc, Owner & Clinic Director
In practice since 1995, Eileen has been specializing in women’s health with a particular focus on improving dietary and lifestyle patterns to inspire people to feel happier, healthier and more engaged in life. Her passion about health drives her to continue to study and train in supportive therapies so that she can approach things from a variety of perspectives. Eileen has been practicing yoga for over 30 years. She believes strongly that addressing underlying stress and trauma are crucial to improving health.
She treats a variety of gyn conditions, acute and chronic pain, fertility, prenatal and postpartum issues, stress and anxiety disorders, GI issues, autoimmune disease, orthopedics, and adjunctive cancer treatment.
Geoff DePaula
D.Ac., Lic.Ac., Dipl.CH., Dipl. Ac.
Geoff has been practicing acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine since 2000, and is licensed by the Board of Medicine in MA. Geoff has completed over 5 years of herbal training with some of the top Chinese Herbal Medicine teachers in the country and world. He has a strong background in Tai Chi, meditation, yoga, and yoga philosophy. Geoff places strong emphasis on understanding your own constitutional strengths and weaknesses, the appropriate dietary approaches to treat them, and then engaging you in becoming a strong advocate for your own health and well-being.
Geoff treats a wide variety of conditions including chronic and acute pain, diabetes, pre-diabetes, digestive problems and liver issues, stress, candida, respiratory disease, gynecology, immune/energy enhancement, and using custom constitutional diet and Chinese herbs to obtain optimal health.
Sara Thomas
MAOM, Lic.Ac.
As a licensed acupuncturist, Sara blends the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine with a foundation in Western medical training to offer compassionate, integrative care. Sara holds a Master’s in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture. She specializes in Chinese-style acupuncture and incorporates a range of gentle needling techniques and other modalities into her treatments, including gua sha, electro-stimulation, and bloodletting. Sara has a particular affinity for treating digestive issues and mental-emotional imbalances.
Sara grew up in the Hudson Valley, surrounded by mountains and the Hudson River—a landscape that continues to inspire her approach to healing and her connection with the natural world.
Milana Shaikh
MAOM, Lic,Ac
Milana is a dedicated and heart-centered acupuncturist with a passion for helping others achieve balance and well-being. A graduate of the New England School of Acupuncture, she combines technical expertise with a compassionate approach that resonates deeply with her patients.
With roots in New Jersey, Milana’s journey into healing began as an accredited yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner in 2018. Her diverse background also includes horticulture and agriculture, where she honed her nurturing skills as a private gardener.
Milana specializes in Japanese and Chinese acupuncture and has additional training in Korean style acupuncture. She has extensive experience treating mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and depression, as well as menstrual disorders and muscular pain.
When you step into a session with Milana, you’ll experience a warm, integrative approach that blends acupuncture with energy healing.
Jennifer Vogels
MAOM, LicAc
Jenny grew up in Portland Maine attending the Waynflete School, and graduated from Brown University and the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine. Since graduating, Jenny has pursued an interest in acupuncture in global health, completing several trainings with Acupuncturists Without Borders, and spending one month as a volunteer acupuncturist in a clinic in rural Nepal. She returned to the East Coast after running a private practice in Washington State. She is board certified by the NCCAOM and holds a Massachusetts license to practice acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy.
She believes the traditional medicine of East Asia can help us address many of the common health concerns of modern life, as well as give us tools to prevent illness by cultivating the body’s natural vitality and self-healing abilities. She enjoys treating all types of conditions, from pain and injury to sleep disorders, stress, digestive disorders, chronic illness and general health support.
Outside of the clinic she enjoys spending time with family in Maine and Massachusetts, loves to travel, hike and enjoy the natural world, and practices Vipassana meditation.
Our Services
Acupuncture
Acupuncture helps regulate the body's energy (Qi) and restores proper flow through pathways called meridians. When Qi flows smoothly, the body receives nourishment and functions optimally.
Electro-Acupuncture: a technique where mild electrical current is applied to select points to break up stubborn pain, improve nerve activity, treat peripheral neuropathy, and enhance treatment efficacy. This is only used when it is appropriate for the pateint's constitution and condition.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion uses refined Mugwort (moxa) to warm areas of the body, stimulate circulation, and promote healing. Moxa is an excellent treatment for fatigue, coldness, pain and inflammation.
We use several forms:
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Moxa pole — gentle heat applied to specific points
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Kyutoshin — moxa applied to the end of acupuncture needles
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Ibuki moxa — Japanese-style, used for targeted warming
Cupping & Gua Sha
Cupping creates gentle suction using glass cups to:
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Increase circulation
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Release tight fascia
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Reduce inflammation
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Remove metabolic waste
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Support muscle recovery
Cupping often produces temporary “sha” marks that signal increased blood flow and healing. Gua Sha is a rubbing technique used in areas too small or bony for cupping.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
A cornerstone of traditional Chinese Medicine, the provider uses carefully selected plant, mineral, and natural substances to restore balance in the body. The herbs address the root patterns causing illness, supporting the body’s innate ability to heal.
Herbal formulas are personalized to each individual’s constitution, condition, and stage of healing, and are used to improve energy, digestion, immunity, hormonal balance, and overall vitality.
Source Work
A unique energy healing modality called Source Work activates and targets your body’s innate healing intelligence—working not just on symptoms, but on the root underlying energetic imbalances in your mind and body causing disease and suffering.
This proprietary audio resonance healing technology is called Sonic Therapeutics™. More information can be found on the Mirsonics website.
Women's Health
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Acupuncture can improve blood flow to reproductive organs
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Regulates the cycle using Chinese Medicine diagnostics
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Detoxification support for hormones and elimination pathways
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Diet adjustments to stabilize blood sugar and reduce inflammation
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Herbs & supplements clinically shown to improve egg & sperm quality
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Stress-reduction strategies tailored to your constitution
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Lifestyle guidance appropriate to each phase of your cycle
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Regulating the nervous system to support reproduction over fight-or-flight
What We Treat
Digestive Disorders
Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Chinese Dietary Therapy successfully treats a variety of digestive disorders, including:
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Irritable Bowel syndrome, chronic constipation/diarrhea
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Abdominal or stomach pain
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Gas and bloating
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Stress Reduction to support the Gut-Brain connection
Fatigue, Stress, & Anxiety
Acupuncture improves digestion and sleep quality. Restful sleep along with improved digestion will help to nourish the body and support the energy system to reduce fatigue. Operating from a place of calm will take less of a toll on our energy systems and allow for it to regulate.
Acupuncture accesses the calming part of the nervous system to activate the relaxation response, turning off the sympathetic, fight or flight, part of the nervous system. Stress, especially when chronic, is very corrosive to the system, resulting in poor sleep, digestion, emotional regulation, and negatively impacting food and lifestyle choices.
Chronic & Acute Pain
Acupuncture, moxabustion, cupping and GuaSha are extremely effective tools to address pain, both chronic and acute. They can have a positive effect on releasing musculo-skeletal pain and spasming, calming irritated nerves, and reducing inflammation in the system in general.
It can be a very useful tool for recovery from injury and surgery, frozen shoulder, sciatica, neck and shoulder pain, Low Back pain, migraines and tension headaches, jaw pain and TMJ, toothache, and many more conditions.
Immune Weakness, Chronic Infections
With a focus on strengthening the protective energy of the body, supporting the body's ability to release pathogens, resolve phlegm, reduce inflammation, and improve resistence to colds, flu, allergies, and recurrent infections. It can also supports full resolution of lingering illnesses to prevent further vulnerability to infection and disease.
Autoimmune diseases and the associated inflammation can be calmed with the use of Chinese medicine.
Testimonials
Read Our
Your Health Starts Here
Contact Info
Phone
Address
508-435-8184
85 Main Street, #301, Hopkinton, MA 01748