Post graduate education in Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. Please visit our website for details.

At Santa Cruz CORE, we have a passion for what we do. We make an effort to spend significant time and energy with each patient to ensure their needs are met. For us, it’s more than just acupuncture; our acupuncturists work with multiple healing modalities during an acupuncture session to get you feeling better. Working to create positive change in the body, we use a combination of needling, moxa, gua sha, cupping, ear seeds, massage, and Tai Chi and Qi Gung. Each individual is treated as such, an individual with an unique body and we use our various tools to create the most healing we can in each session.

Introduction:
Dr. Lexy Ballinger is a highly skilled practitioner specializing in acupuncture and holistic healthcare. With a strong background in both Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Dr. Ballinger brings a unique and comprehensive approach to patient care. Her expertise is enhanced by her extensive experience as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU) for over 25 years. Driven by a deep commitment to healing and patient well-being, she is dedicated to providing personalized and integrative treatments that address the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of health.

About:
Dr. Lexy Ballinger is a trusted practitioner at Phoenix Rising Acupuncture, where she combines her NCCAOM certification in acupuncture with her extensive background in critical care nursing. Her holistic approach recognizes the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and spirit, and she believes in the importance of addressing the root causes of health imbalances. With her strong foundation in Western medicine, Dr. Ballinger is adept at integrating her knowledge of conventional treatments with the ancient healing art of acupuncture.

Having spent over two decades in the ICU, Dr. Ballinger has gained a deep understanding of the complexities of health and the impacts of acute and chronic illnesses. Her experience in critical care has shaped her compassionate and patient-centered approach, enabling her to provide comprehensive care for a wide range of conditions. She takes the time to listen attentively to her patients, ensuring a thorough understanding of their unique health challenges.

Dr. Ballinger's passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture stems from witnessing the transformative power of these modalities in her own patients. She believes in empowering individuals to take an active role in their well-being and strives to educate and support them on their healing journey. Her treatments encompass acupuncture, herbal medicine, lifestyle modifications, and nutritional guidance, tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual.

As a primary care medical practice, we offer treatment of both acute and chronic conditions while emphasizing prevention, education and optimal health. We provide innovative, quality family health care by uniquely combining both conventional and alternative medicine. This “best of both worlds” approach provides patients with options in the management of their concerns while addressing the underlying cause of their illness. Using nutrition, manipulation, acupuncture and integrative medicine we treat the whole patient, not just the symptoms. We are committed to helping you get well, stay well and live well. I invite you to call our office with questions and/or to schedule an appointment.

After working the past 20 years as an Occupational Therapist in a variety of healthcare settings from hospital based rehabilitation clinics to home care service, I became interested in approaching healing from a different perspective in order to help people become empowered about their health on all levels. I found acupuncture to resonate with my belief that medicine should be judged in terms of how effective it is in understanding and treating the problem as the patient experiences it.