Rooted in Tradition. Practiced with Precision.
Makari Wellness is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinic serving the communities of Oceanside and San Diego. We were founded on a single conviction: that classical Chinese medicine, practiced with rigor and genuine clinical depth, offers something most modern healthcare settings cannot — a framework for understanding the whole person, not just the condition they walked in with.
Our practice draws on more than two thousand years of accumulated clinical wisdom, refined through generations of physicians who observed, documented, and debated what actually worked. That lineage is not decorative. It is the backbone of how we assess, how we think, and how we design care for each patient who sits across from us.
What Chinese Medicine Actually Is
Chinese medicine is often misunderstood as a collection of folk remedies or a general wellness supplement to Western care. It is neither. At its core, it is a sophisticated diagnostic system — one that maps the body through patterns of symptoms, pulse qualities, physical findings, and constitutional tendencies, then matches those patterns to precisely targeted treatments.
Classical texts like the Discussion of Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun), compiled roughly 1,800 years ago, contain detailed clinical criteria for distinguishing between conditions that look similar on the surface but require completely different interventions. Ancient practitioners did not simply treat symptoms — they debated, for centuries, the exact clinical thresholds that distinguish one pattern from another and refined their formulas accordingly. That kind of precision is what separates a well-trained Chinese medicine practitioner from a generalist approach.
At Makari Wellness, we take that precision seriously. We study the classical literature not as historical curiosity but as living clinical guidance. Our approach to herbal medicine is line-cited and formula-based, drawing on the canonical texts alongside the work of contemporary master clinicians who have spent decades refining classical methods in real practice.
Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine: Two Pillars of One System
Many patients come to us having tried acupuncture elsewhere and find that what we offer is meaningfully different. That is not because we use different needles. It is because we approach every case as a diagnostic problem first, and a treatment problem second.
Before we decide on point selection or formula composition, we ask: what is actually happening in this person’s body? What patterns are present? What is primary, and what is downstream of something else? That sequence matters. Treating a symptom that is secondary to a deeper imbalance can produce temporary relief but rarely lasting change.
Acupuncture, when applied with this level of clinical intention, works by influencing the body’s regulatory systems — its capacity to modulate pain signaling, inflammatory response, circulation, and the coordination between organ systems. It is not magic. It is a physical intervention with measurable physiological effects, and the classical point combinations we use encode decades of empirical observation about which interventions work for which patterns.
Herbal medicine extends what acupuncture begins. Where needles work in sessions, herbs work continuously — maintaining therapeutic pressure on patterns that require sustained correction. Our formula recommendations are drawn from classical sources and modified to match the individual patient’s presentation with as much specificity as we can bring to bear.
Who We Serve
Our patients come to us with a wide range of concerns. Many have tried conventional approaches and found partial answers — relief that plateaus, medications that manage but do not resolve, or diagnoses that explain a label without explaining the person. Others come to us proactively, looking for a system of care that works with their body’s own patterns over time.
Common areas of focus at Makari Wellness include:
- Pain conditions — musculoskeletal, neuropathic, and post-surgical
- Digestive concerns — irregularity, bloating, discomfort, and functional GI symptoms
- Women’s health — menstrual irregularity, hormonal transitions, and fertility support
- Neurological and stress-related conditions — anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and headache
- Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions — as adjunctive support alongside medical management
- Preventive care and constitutional optimization for patients who are well and want to stay that way
We do not position Chinese medicine as a replacement for biomedical care. For many of our patients, the most meaningful outcomes come from thoughtful integration — where each modality does what it does best, and the two inform each other.
What to Expect When You Come In
Your first visit at Makari Wellness is longer than a standard appointment, and intentionally so. We take a detailed history — not just your chief complaint, but your sleep patterns, digestion, thermal sensitivities, emotional state, and anything else that gives us a picture of how your system is functioning as a whole. We examine your pulse at multiple positions and qualities, look at your tongue, and may perform abdominal palpation depending on your case.
From that assessment, we develop a working pattern diagnosis. We explain what we observe and why we think it matters. You will understand what we are treating and why, not just receive a treatment you are expected to trust on faith.
Acupuncture sessions typically last 45 to 60 minutes, including needle retention time. Most patients find the experience deeply relaxing — many fall asleep on the table. Herbal prescriptions, when indicated, are dispensed with clear instructions and follow-up built in. We adjust formulas as your presentation shifts, because the goal is not to maintain a prescription but to move your body toward a state where the prescription is no longer needed.
Follow-up frequency depends on the nature and duration of your condition. Acute presentations often respond within a handful of sessions. Chronic or constitutional patterns typically require a longer arc of treatment, with meaningful progress markers along the way. We will always be direct with you about what we are seeing and what the reasonable expectations are.
Our Commitment to Clinical Depth
Chinese medicine has a long history of practitioners arguing with each other — in print, across centuries — about the right way to read a clinical presentation and the right formula to match it. We consider that tradition of rigorous debate to be one of the field’s greatest strengths. It means the system has been tested, challenged, and refined, not simply passed down as dogma.
We continue that tradition in our own practice. We study. We consult. We revise our thinking when the evidence in front of us demands it. Our patients benefit from that commitment in every session.
Meet Your Practitioner
Michael Woodworth, M.S., L.Ac., Dip. OMC
Founder, Makari Wellness
Michael has practiced classical Chinese medicine in Oceanside and San Diego since 2005 — over 20 years treating patients with neurological conditions, degenerative eye disease, and complex pain. He is the only practitioner at Makari Wellness; every patient is treated by him personally.
Michael began training with specialists in stroke and neurological therapies in 2012, and has continued studying with clinicians who focus on vision, neurological conditions, and pain ever since. His practice sits at an unusual intersection: classical Chinese herbal medicine trained through the ICEAM curriculum, combined with manual and movement-based therapies — Active Release Techniques, functional movement assessment, and postural rehabilitation — most acupuncturists never train in.
He is one of Southern California’s only Micro 48 (M48A) certified ophthalmological acupuncturists, trained under Dr. Andy Rosenfarb, and applies that training to neurodegenerative eye conditions including macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. He also works with stroke recovery, peripheral neuropathy, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and traumatic brain injury, alongside orthopedic and sports-medicine dry needling for pain.
Michael holds a California Acupuncture License and a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine, with national certification as a Chinese herbalist. He continues to study the classical literature — the Shang Han Lun and the Jin Gui Yao Lue among it — as living clinical guidance, not historical reference, and treats every case as a diagnostic problem first and a treatment problem second.
Credentials & Training
- California Acupuncture License AC 10818 (licensed since 2005)
- Master of Science, Oriental Medicine
- Nationally certified Chinese herbalist — Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dip. OMC)
- ICEAM Certificate #122 — classical herbal medicine, in the Versluys clinical lineage since 2012
- M48A — Micro Acupuncture 48 for ophthalmology, trained under Dr. Andy Rosenfarb
- Active Release Techniques (ART) — Full-Body, Master’s-level certification (upper extremity, lower extremity, spine, long nerve, diagnosis, active palpation, complex protocols)
- SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Assessment) certified; FMS Levels I & II
- Additional training in scalp acupuncture systems (including the XNKQ stroke protocol), Master Tung’s acupuncture, Japanese meridian therapy, and Shonishin pediatric acupuncture
Continuing education & advanced training, 2010–2021
2021
- The Pathologies and Formulas ofthe Decoction Classic Tangye Jing – Dr. Arnaud Versluys 3/18-3/20/21(32 hours)
- 5 Element Functional Medicine for Diagnosis & Treatment of Adrenal Fatigue, Thyroid Disorders, and Hyperprolactinemia – Dr. Chris Axlerad (Feb 21–22, 2021)
2020
- 5 Element Functional Medicine for Fertility, Hormone & Endocrinology – Dr. Chris Axlerad (Nov 7–9, 2020)
2019
- Active Release Techniques (ART) Active Diagnosis – Dr. Greg Rose (9/5-9/7/19 Oceanside, CA)
- ICEAM Herbal Clinic – Dr. Stephen Bonzak (8-16 & 8-17-19 San Diego,CA)
- Review of Japanese Acupuncture: Kiiko Matusmoto, Ikeda Sensei “Wisdom Of The Classics”, Miki Shima, Shonishin Pediatrics (June / July 2019)
- M48 Micro Acupuncture Certification Program – Dr. Andy Rosenfarb (5/4/19)
- Electro Acupuncture Medicine Grand Rounds – Dr. Jeremy Steiner (4/6/19)
- Electro-Acupuncture Medicine Masters Course – Dr. Jeremy Steiner (3/23/19)
- Electro-Acupuncture Medicine Foundations – Dr. Jeremy Steiner (3/16/19)
- Assessment & Tx of Plantar Faciitis – Dr. Anthony Lombardi (3/12/19)
- TMJ Assessment & Tx Using Electro-Acupuncture – Dr. Anthony Lombardi ( 2/23/19)
- Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain Assessment & Tx – Dr. Anthony Lombardi (2/15/19)
- Cutaneous Nerve Electro-Acupuncture – Dr. Anthony Lombardi (2/17/19)
- Julian Scott – Healing The Eyes With Acupuncture (3/2019)
- Traditional Chinese Medicine for Degenerative Eye Diseases – Dr. Andy Rosenfarb (2/1/19)
- Exstore, Elecgro-Acupuncture & Motor Points – Dr. Anthony Lombardi (2/8-2/10/19)
- Precision Diagnostics and Tx Strategies With Herbal Medicine – Dr. Jin Zhao (2/3-2/4/19)
- OAT & Mycotox Screening for Functional Medicine – Great Plains Laboratories (2019)
- Nanopuncture Concussion / TBI – Dr. Clayton Shiu & Dr. Ayla Wolf (Nov 2–3, 2019, Chicago, IL)
- Advanced M48A Acupuncture Ophthalmology – Dr. Andy Rosenfarb (Oct 25–26, 2019, Cancun, MX)
- Xi Nao Kai Qiao – Brain Stem Module – Dr. Clayton Shiu (Sept 21–22, 2019, Chicago, IL)
2018
- Chinese Medicine Dermatology – Diana Hermann (October 21–22, 2018, Portland, CA)
- Ongoing studies and internships in ICEAM Chinese Herbal Medicine (2012–present) and Functional Medicine University coursework (enrolled 2017–)
- Nanopuncture Xing Nao Kai Qiao Adv. Stroke Rehabilitation – Dr. Clayton Shiu (October 13-14th, 2018 Portland, CA)
- ICEAM Herbal Clinic – Dr. Stephen Bonzak (8-10 & 8-11-18 San Diego,CA)
- ICEAM Herbal Clinic – Dr. Stephen Bonzak (7-10 & 7-11-18 San Diego,CA)
2017
- ICEAM Herbal Clinic – Dr. Arnaud Versluys (12-14 & 12-15-17 Portland, OR)
- ICEAM advanced Cancer Research Clinic. – Dr Arnaud Versluys (11-30 & 12/1/2017 Kansas City, MO)
- ICEAM Herbal Clinic Internship – Stephen Bonzak (Nov. 3-4th, 2017)
- Modern and Classical Chinese Medicine Approach to Multiple Sclerosis – Suzanne Robidoux (Oct. 11, 2017)
- Scalp Acupuncture for Psychomatic & Neurological Disorders – Suzanne Robidoux (Oct. 8th, 2017)
- ICEAM Herb Clinic Internship (Sept 27-29th, 2017)
- Continued studies on Classical Osteopathy Techniques and manual manipulations (2017)
- ICEAM Herb Clinic Internship (August 18-19th, 2017)
- ICEAM Herbal Clinic Internship) (May 12-13th, 2017)
- The Herb and Formula Archetypes: Inner Circle Dr. Arnaud Versluys (March 12, 2017)
2016
- Advanced Herbal Training – Dr. Tian Heming Modification Dr. Arvaud Versluys (Dec. 31, 2016)
- ART Master’s Level Re-Certification Dr. Michael Leahy (Dec. 17th, 2016)
- Endocrinology Diseases Anatomy, Physiology Disease Origins & Treatments: (Dr. Tran Viet Dzung) Neurological System Anatomy, Physiology, Diseases: Stroke, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis (Dr. Tran Viet Dzung) Pregnancy Support, Labor Preparation, and Post-Partum Care Michelle Bucannon (Jan 2016)
- Top 30 Tung’s Acupuncture Points & Clinical Application Dr. Chuan Yin-Ming (Jan 2016)
- Mastering BBT Charting for Fertility w/ Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Michelle Bucannon (Jan 13, 2016)
2015
- Mastering Tung’s Acupuncture for Allergies, Digestion, insomnia Whisnant (Nov. 15, 2015)
- ICEAM Classic Herbal Medicine Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Oct 30,2015)
- Classical Yuan Qi Acupuncture For Pain Dr. Suzanne Robiddouxx (Oct 27-28,2015)
- ICEAM Pulse & Herb Clinic Stephen Bonzak (Sept 19,2015)
- SFMA Level 1 Certified Dr. Greg Rose (April 18-19th, 2015)
- ART Complex Protocols and Full-Body Re-Cert Dr. Leahy (February 12-15th, 2015)
- ICEAM Pulse & Herb Clinic Dr.Arnaud Versluys (February 1, 2015)
- Chronic Pain Integrative Acupuncture Leva & Tan (January 26,2015)
2014
- (ART) Full-Body Re-Certification Dr.Leahy (Nov. 18, 2014)
- ICEAM Advanced Herbal Training 2014 Dr.Arnaud Versluys (October 17-21 2014)
- ICEAM Pulse & Herb Clinic Dr. Arnaud Versluys (August 25,2014)
- ICEAM Pulse & Herb Clinic Dr. Arnaud Versluys (July 18,2014)
- ICEAM Pulse & Herb Clinic Dr. Stephan Boznak (June 30,,2014)
- Dr. Tungs Acupuncture for Allergies, Auto Immune and Cancer Conditions – Dr. Robert Chu (April 6th 2014)
- Women’s Health & Infertility: Pulse & Herb Jimmy Wei-Yen Chang (Feb 9, 2014)
2013
- Jin Gui Yao Lue Clinic & Case Studies Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Dec. 13-15, 2013)
- Jin Gui Yao Lue Fukushin Abdominal Diagnosis for Chinese Herbal Medicine – Tracy Thorne (Oct12-13, 2013)
- Adv. Master Tung’s Acupuncture For Internal Medicine I&II Esther Su (Oct 5-6, 2013)
- Sports Medicine Acupuncture Assessment and Treatment of Low Back & Hip Matt Callison (Sept 25-29, 2013)
- (ART) Full Body Re-certification (Aug 2013)
- (ART) Upper Extremity Re-cert. (Aug 2013)
- Jing Gui Yaolue 4 Pulses & Clinic Internship Dr. Arnaud Versluys (August 23-25, 2013)
- Functional Movement Systems FMS Level 2 San Diego (June 15-16, 2013)
- Functional Movement Systems FMS Level 1 San Diego (June 14, 2013)
- Jing Gui Yaolue 3 & Clinic Internship Dr. Arnaud Versluys (June 7-9, 2013)
- Sports Medicine Acupuncture PACE II Posture Assessment & Corrections II Matt Callison (May20-21, 2013)
- Dr. Zhus Scalp Acupuncture Dr. Zhu (April 6-7,2013)
- Jing Gui Yaolue 1 & Clinic Internship Dr. Arnaud Versluys (March 1-4, 2013)
2012
- Completed ICEAM Shang Han Lun Course (2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Case Studies Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Dec 15-16, 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Herbal Formula Modifications Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Nov 17, 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Acupuncture Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Nov 18, 2012)
- (ART) Full Body Re-certification (Nov3-4 2012)
- (ART) Long Nerve Entrapment (Second Time) w/ Gross Anatomy Cadaver Lab (Nov 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Herbal Formula Families Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Oct 20-21, 2012)
- Auricular Medicine Diagnosis Seminar 5&6 Dr. Li-Chun Huang (October 13-14, 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Pulse Diagnosis & Herbs Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Sept 15-16, 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Abdominal Diagnosis & Herbs Tracy Thorne (August 18-19, 2012)
- Fang Jia Fang- Art of Herbal Formulas Combo. Jimmy Chang (Aug 12, 2012)
- 2nd time Shang Han Lun :Pathophysiology & Int. Med. Dr. Arnaud Versluys (July 14-15, 2012)
- Auricular Medicine Functional Relationships Dr. Li-Chun Huang (June 10, 2012)
- Auricular Medicine Locations & Diagnosis Dr. Li-Chun Huang (June 9, 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Formula Archtetypes III Dr. Arnaud Versluys (June 2-3,2012)
- Completed Pulsynergy Made Easy Part II Jimmy Chang (April 22, 2012)
- 3rd time Balance Method Pain Series & Clinical Cases Bob Doane (April 21, 2012)
- Shang Han Lun : Formula Archtetypes I Dr. Arnaud Versluys (March 10-11,2012)
- Shang Han Lun 1: Energetics of the Five Flavors. Dr. Arnaud Versluys (Feb 11-12,2012)
- Pulsynrgy III – Pulse dx and Herbal tx Jimmy Chang (Feb 2012)
- 2nd time Pulsynergy II – Pulse dx Jimmy Chang (Feb 2012)
- 2nd time Pulsynergy I – Pulse dx Jimmy Chang (Feb 2012)
- 2nd time Updates on Current Herb-Drug Interactions John Chen (Feb 2012)
- Anxiety: Pulse Dx & Herbal Tx Pt II Jimmy Chang (Jan 2012)
- Anxiety: Pulse Dx & Herbal Tx Pt I Jimmy Chang (Jan 2012)
- Amenorrhea & PCOS: Treating Gynecology-Related Conditions with TCM Kathleen Albertson (Jan 2012)
2011
- Clinical Discussions of Pulse Diagnosis and Herbal Prescriptions – Jimmy Chang (Dec 2011)
- Treatment of Pain with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs: Part II- Robert Doane (Dec 2011)
- (ART) Full Body Re-certification (Aug 2011)
- (ART) Active Palpation Techniques (Aug 2011)
- Specific Functional Movement Assessment I (SFMA) Greg Rose of TPI (Aug 2011)
- Sports Medicine Acu :Assessment & Tx. Of Neck & Upper Extremity Matt Callison (2011)
- Sports Medicine Acupuncture: Postural Assessment & Correction I Matt Callison(2011)
- Sports Medicine Acup. : Huatojiaji Points & Fascilitated Segments Matt Callison (2011)
- Sports Medicine Acupuncture: Anatomy & Cadaver Lab: Spine Matt Callison (2011)
2010
- Completed Hands On Pulse Taking Workshop – Jimmy Chang (2010)
- Completed Active Release Technique Long Nerve Entrapment Certification (2010)
- Completed Active Release Technique Spine Certification (2010)
- Completed Active Release Technique Lower Extremity Certification (2010)
- Completed Active Release Technique Upper Extremity Certification (2010)
- Comprehensive Basic Seminar & Practicing Ethically Clinical Application: Gastrointestinal & Hepatic Disorders – Diagnosis & Treatment, Jimmy Chang
- Pulsynergy Made Easy, Parts I–III (Pulse Diagnosis) – Jimmy Chang
- Spinal PNT, Cervical PNT, Low Back & Sciatica PNT – Dr. Kauffman
- Advanced and Basic Tung’s Style Acupuncture – Dr. Young
- Jingei Pulse Diagnosis
- Fukushin (Japanese Abdominal Diagnosis) – Nigel Dawes
- Certified Spine Technician, Pettibon Posture and Rehabilitation Workshops (45+ hours in spinal evaluation, x-ray measuring, manipulation and weighting)
- First Aid, CPR, and National Clean Needle certifications; Massage Technician certificate
- Two-year internship, downtown Boston Public Health Clinic
- Three-year internship under Rick Foreman, L.Ac., East/West Acupuncture
- One-year internship, Talega Medical Group, under Won Hyeng Seok, Lic. Ac., OMD
This log reflects seminars and certifications completed through 2021. Michael’s training has continued since — reach out if you’d like his most current credentials.
If you are in the Oceanside or San Diego area and are looking for a Chinese medicine practice that takes both the tradition and your individual case seriously, we would be glad to meet you. Reach out to Makari Wellness today to Schedule Your Initial Visit and take the first step toward care that is built around you.