Mark is a licensed and national board-certified acupuncturist in Anchorage who uses the wisdom of Five Element tradition to help patients of all ages optimize health and access vitality. Mark uses sparse and gentle needle insertion to stimulate positive change. His goal is always to alleviate immediate health concerns while also correcting root problems that are impeding the body’s healthy functioning.

Most of Mark’s patients:

• Experience pain relief from what brought them in the door

• Nurture long-lasting improved health

• Gain adaptive strategies to address the root cause of their illness

Whether you are dealing with pain, mental health issues, digestive complaint, or a host of other ailments, Mark’s practice of Five Element Acupuncture offers a solution to many problems by gaining insight into a patient’s unique nature. Clues to unlocking a person’s ability to heal are gained by careful listening, observation of a person’s color, tone of voice and emotion, feeling the pulse, observing the tongue and taking a comprehensive health history. Learn more about Five Element Acupuncture and how it might help you in this summary written by Charles A. Moss, MD.

Mark’s approach to acupuncture

A key concept underlying Mark’s approach to acupuncture is helping people build resilience so they can adapt to change. Changes may come from big shifts, such as the death of a loved one, career transition or menopause, or much smaller changes, such as dietary changes, seasonal shifts in weather, viruses we encounter, or dealing with the different personalities of people we interact with. When we approach change in a balanced way, illness is less likely to occur.

Examples of a balanced approach to change could be:

• Foods that ordinarily cause digestive upset may be more easily assimilated in our body

• A virus may not penetrate as deeply into our body and have less impact on our health

• Anxiety may take on the form of a temporary twinge of unease that informs us rather than turning into a debilitating constant presence

Using acupuncture to address a wide range of health concerns

Mark works with patients dealing with a wide range of health concerns, including:

• Anxiety and depression

• Digestive issues in the form of constipation or diarrhea

• Fertility

• Muscular tension/headaches

• Insomnia

• Fatigue

• Immune support

• Trauma recovery

• Temperature regulation

• Brain fog

• Post-Covid recovery

• Hormonal imbalances

• Allergies

If your condition is made worse with stress, or appears to cause it, Five Element Acupuncture is especially effective at getting at the root cause. In addition to helping with the above listed concerns and more, patients receiving treatments from Mark often come away with the added benefits of feeling more at ease, relaxed and resilient in the face of the constant change that life demands of us.

About Mark Larsen, Anchorage acupuncturist

Mark received a master’s degree in acupuncture from The Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in Gainesville, Florida. Other degrees that inform and enrich Mark’s acupuncture practice are a Bachelor of Science in geology from Middlebury College and a Master of Arts in teaching from Alaska Pacific University.

Prior to studying Chinese medicine, Mark taught elementary school in Anchorage; commercial fished off Kodiak Island; and coached Nordic skiing locally.

When not treating patients, Mark enjoys skiing, hiking and biking our abundant trails, reading, woodworking, and volunteering in our vibrant community.

What Mark’s acupuncture patients are saying

Here’s what some patients have shared about their treatments with Mark:

“Mark Larsen cares not just about the ‘problem’ he is treating but the whole person. He makes a point to get to know the patient and key factors in their life. Mark adds to their story by putting his heart into treating you with the very best tools and knowledge he has available, as well as with his welcoming kindness he greets you with at every appointment. He is intuitive and relatable, which makes for a calm, enjoyable wellness experience. Mark is excellent!” – MH

“During the pandemic, I started seeing Mark at the Natural Health Center for acupuncture. As a teacher who was managing online and in-person teaching, my stress and anxiety had never been higher. Currently, during each monthly acupuncture session, Mark provides the best treatment to control my stress, anxiety, lower my blood pressure and improve my overall health. I am grateful for him! Mark is a truly caring individual and I highly recommend his acupuncture services!” - DP

“As a last resort I decided to try acupuncture to help with chronic depression and extreme anxiety. The results are more than I could have ever imagined. I am no longer taking multiple medications and I have just had my best winter in over 15 years. I don’t understand how acupuncture works, but it does, and I’m a convert for life.” - MG

Contact us today to learn more or schedule your appointment with Mark Larsen.