Makari Wellness has been providing classical Chinese medicine in North County San Diego since 2005. Our Oceanside clinic — the practice’s primary location — serves patients from Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, and the Camp Pendleton area. A second location is available in Rancho Bernardo (San Diego). New patients are welcome to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to explore whether Makari Wellness is a good fit.
Book an appointment → or call (888) 871-8889
MA48 Ophthalmology Acupuncture — A Specialty Rare in North County
Makari Wellness is one of very few North County San Diego practices offering the MA48 micro-acupuncture protocol — a 48-point distal microsystem developed by Andy Rosenfarb, L.Ac. for degenerative and inflammatory eye conditions. Rather than needling at or near the eye itself, MA48 works through points distributed across the body that correspond — within the microsystem map — to specific retinal, optic, and neurological structures.
This approach is integrative and supportive in nature. We frame it honestly: individual results vary, research is ongoing, and this is not a curative treatment for most conditions. The goal is to support the body’s own regulatory capacity alongside conventional ophthalmologic care — not to replace it.
Eye Conditions We Work With
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — dry and wet forms
- Glaucoma — supportive care alongside IOP management
- Optic neuropathy and optic nerve atrophy
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Chronic dry eye syndrome
- Stargardt disease and rod-cone dystrophies
- Post-surgical vision recovery support
How the MA48 ophthalmology acupuncture protocol works →
Sports Medicine Acupuncture in Oceanside
Athletes and active individuals deal with a distinct category of physical stress — repetitive strain, acute injury, slow recovery, and the chronic ache of pushing the body past its limits. At Makari Wellness in Oceanside, our sports medicine acupuncture approach addresses these conditions through the lens of Chinese medicine, combining classical theory with a working knowledge of orthopedic anatomy and movement patterns.
How Chinese Medicine Understands Sports Injury
From a Chinese medicine perspective, most musculoskeletal pain involves some degree of Qi and Blood stagnation — a disruption in the smooth flow of circulation and functional energy through the body’s tissues and meridians. Acute injuries typically present with swelling, heat, and sharp pain, signaling an obstruction in local channel circulation. Chronic conditions, on the other hand, tend to reflect a deeper pattern: prolonged stagnation, undernourished tendons and sinews, or a constitutional deficiency that leaves certain tissues slow to repair.
Acupuncture works to restore movement through affected channels, reduce local inflammation, and support the body’s natural tissue repair mechanisms. Rather than applying a single protocol to every injury, treatment at Makari Wellness begins with pattern differentiation — identifying not just where the pain is, but what kind of disruption is driving it and what the body needs to resolve it.
Conditions We Commonly Address
Oceanside’s active community — surfers, runners, military personnel, CrossFit athletes, and weekend competitors — presents a wide range of orthopedic and sports-related conditions. Sports medicine acupuncture may support recovery and pain reduction in:
- Rotator cuff strains and shoulder impingement — common in overhead athletes and surfers navigating Oceanside’s breaks
- Knee pain, including IT band syndrome, patellar tendinopathy, and post-surgical recovery
- Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy — frequent in runners logging miles along the Strand
- Low back and SI joint pain — especially prevalent in lifters, military personnel, and those with sedentary work demands balanced by intense training
- Hip flexor tightness and hip labral irritation
- Tennis and golfer’s elbow (lateral and medial epicondylitis)
- Neck pain and cervicogenic headache related to posture and training load
- Ankle sprains and ligament recovery
What Treatment Looks Like
An initial sports medicine acupuncture visit involves a detailed intake covering training history, injury timeline, and how the condition behaves with movement, rest, and temperature. We assess posture, range of motion, and orthopedic findings alongside the classical Chinese medicine evaluation — tongue, pulse, and constitutional pattern.
Treatment may include:
- Acupuncture needle placement along local and distal channel points, targeting both the site of injury and the broader meridian pattern
- Motor point and trigger point needling to address muscle inhibition, hypertonicity, and referred pain patterns
- Electroacupuncture, which applies gentle electrical stimulation to enhance circulation and reduce guarding in affected tissues
- Cupping to address superficial Blood stagnation, improve myofascial mobility, and reduce adhesion in chronically tight regions
- Gua sha for deeper fascial release and circulation in areas of stubborn holding
The channel system in Chinese medicine maps closely to myofascial anatomy — the Bladder channel along the posterior chain, the Gallbladder channel through the lateral hip and IT band, the Stomach channel down the anterior thigh and shin. Needling these pathways can address pain not just at the local site but through the full tensional structure the meridian represents.
Recovery and Performance
Sports medicine acupuncture is not only useful for injury treatment. Many athletes in the Oceanside area use it as part of their regular recovery protocol — supporting tissue repair between training sessions, managing accumulated strain before it becomes injury, and maintaining the kind of nervous system regulation that allows for consistent performance.
From a Chinese medicine standpoint, sustained high-output training depletes Liver Blood and Kidney Essence — the deep reserves that nourish tendons, bones, and connective tissue over time. A treatment plan that addresses this constitutional layer can work to improve tissue resilience and recovery capacity, not only resolve the current complaint.
What to Expect Over a Course of Care
Acute injuries often respond within a small number of treatments, particularly when addressed early. Chronic conditions — those present for months or years, involving structural changes or long-standing pattern imbalance — typically require a longer course of care with reassessment at intervals. We aim to give patients a clear picture of expected timelines and measurable benchmarks at the outset so that progress can be tracked honestly.
Patients are encouraged to remain active within pain-free ranges during treatment. Acupuncture works best as a complement to appropriate loading and movement, not as a substitute for it.
Motor point and trigger point needling — commonly called dry needling — is performed at Makari Wellness by a California-licensed acupuncturist as part of acupuncture practice. This is not a separate certification-based service.
Veterans and Military Personnel
Makari Wellness is located a short drive from Camp Pendleton and has worked with active-duty service members and veterans managing musculoskeletal pain, traumatic injury recovery, TBI support, and stress. Acupuncture for military personnel is available by appointment on a cash-pay basis. Book an appointment →
About Michael Woodworth, M.S., L.Ac.
Michael Woodworth has been in private practice since 2005 — over 20 years in North County San Diego. He holds a Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and a California state acupuncture license. Free 15-minute phone consultations are available for new patients exploring whether Makari Wellness is a good fit.
Makari Wellness — Oceanside
2111 S. El Camino Real, Suite 301
Oceanside, CA 92054
(888) 871-8889
By appointment
Also serving Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, and the Camp Pendleton area. Second location in Rancho Bernardo (San Diego).