Team Member

I come from a family of nurses, starting with my grandmother who ran away from home at 16 to study nursing at San Francisco General Hospital in 1903. This started a family tradition in health care and both my aunt & mother become nurses in the 1930’s.

My own path started with an 18-year career as a Respiratory Therapist, caring for pre-term infants and children with chronic and severe respiratory and cardiac diseases. After 18 years working at UCSF Medical Center, I could see how fragmented our health care system had become, how expensive, and how we as a society focus on illness rather than health. One day, looking at the 24 week, premature infant I was caring for, I realized that I wanted to be a part of solving the problem, rather than simply bemoaning it. I wanted to provide affordable health care for those who are struggling with an illness, and preventative care to those interested in living a healthy life.

Shortly afterward, my 5-year-old son Griffin was admitted to Children’s Oakland Hospital in status asthmaticus. He was in the intensive care for two weeks before his asthma attack released. As luck would have it, my meditation teacher was also a Korean herbalist and recommended an East Asian Herbal formula to help him recover. Knowing how long it takes for children to recover from such a severe asthma attack, I had him try the herbs, and was totally surprised when he recovered 3 times as fast as was normal! I was dumbfounded. How could I, as a Respiratory Therapist working in one of the top hospitals in the country, not know about this? Why were we not using this for EVERY patient?

Strange to say, I had also been using acupuncture for strains, sprains, and other injuries acquired by my folk dance hobby and had found it healed a sprained ankle like a miracle. Yet, living in the compartmentalized way many of us do, I never thought to try acupuncture or herbs for any other ailment. Why do we do this? Anyway, from that point on, whenever Griffin or I had a cold, flu, or other problem, our first stop was the acupuncturist/herbalist.

Determined to learn this medicine and bring it to as many folks as I could, I saved and planned, and then went to study Traditional East Asian Medicine at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon.

After graduating, I spent two months volunteering at the Vajra Varahi Natural Health Clinic in Chapagaon, Nepal with the Acupuncture Relief Project. In this village, we practiced community acupuncture as a primary health modality, gaining rich experience with a multitude of conditions that are not often encountered in an acupuncture office in the United States.

My specialty is internal medicine and chronic diseases with an emphasis on:

• Cancer care
• Lyme and other parasitic infections
• Auto-immune diseases
• Gastrointestinal issues and disease
• Respiratory ailments such as allergies, asthma, chronic sinusitis, COPD, and pneumonia
• Weight management & diet
• Stress & Insomnia
• Arthritis

I look forward to meeting you and assisting you to reach your health goals, prevent illness, and help you to be more connected to and integrated with your body, mind, and spirit.

Sincerely,
Allyndreth Stead, L.Ac.
503-235-7653

Allyndreth Stead, MAcOM, L.Ac.
Professional Licenses
L.Ac: Licensed in both Oregon and California
NCCAOM: Diplomate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
RCP – NPS: Respiratory Therapist -Neonatal Pediatric Specialist (CA)
NADA: Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist

Education
MAcOM: Oregon College of Oriental Medicine

Interests
Dance: Balkan & international dance / music.