About Us

Dr. Lim attended Marietta College in Ohio and her focus was centered on Western medicine. She was a biochemistry major and participated in various medical research internships funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. At the University of Alaska Anchorage, she studied the effect of chronic alcohol consumption on visceral fat deposition and the risk for type II diabetes. Her research at the University of California San Francisco involved the use of a gene silencing technique called RNAi to study genes associated with fat regulation to gain a better understanding of metabolic disorders such as type II diabetes and obesity. She has also spent a semester studying abroad at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Growing up in Malaysia, Dr. Lim was exposed to a culture rich in tradition and knowledge of natural medicine. Malaysia has a high biodiversity level with an estimated 15,000 species of vascular plants. In fact, research shows that hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia, is effective in helping to reduce mild to moderate hypertension by lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Using her expertise in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Dr. Lim is able to treat chronic systemic diseases by prescribing customized herbal formulas for her patients. After her undergraduate work, she continued her TCM training at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and completed her Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at the Pacific College of Health and Science.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34694241/

Dr. Lim is passionate about helping patients achieve healthier and more fulfilling lives through a holistic approach. While patients typically have specific concerns, the treatments provided serve those issues in addition to addressing mental and emotional wellness. Often, patients fall asleep while receiving treatments due to the stress-reducing effect of acupuncture.

When her mother had knee replacement surgery, Dr. Lim personally witnessed some of the side effects of her mother’s pain medications. These medications impacted her mother so negatively that she struggled with feeling like herself and often hallucinated. Consequently, her mother chose to deal with the post-surgical pain rather than the side effects of her medication. Dr. Lim spent many hours researching alternative solutions to help her mother relieve her pain. This experience ultimately began her pursuit of acupuncture and holistic medicine.

• Acupuncture improves circulation and decreases inflammation, which are the first steps to reducing chronic and acute pain.
• For the management of acute pain, acupuncture performed better than intravenous pain medication in terms of effectiveness in overall pain relief, reaction time, and safety in side effects.
  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27475042/
• Acupuncture has also been used to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain related to conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic low back pain as shown in multiple studies.
  Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32978666/

My path into healthcare began right after high school in San Diego, where I worked as an in-home caregiver. Collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team of physical therapists, nurses, and social workers to care for elderly outpatient individuals gave me a deep appreciation for patient-centered medical care. This inspired me to pursue undergraduate nursing studies at Point Loma Nazarene University, with my ultimate sights set on a Physician Assistant program.

However, my life shifted beautifully when I discovered Eastern medicine. I realized that instead of conventional pathways, I wanted to practice a medicine that honors the root causes of illness rather than just managing symptoms.

In many ways, entering this field was a return to my roots. Growing up, my mother frequently introduced me to holistic care, turning to local herbal shops to treat everyday ailments like common colds or the stomach flu. Because of this early foundation, walking into my graduate program felt entirely like coming home.

I went on to earn my Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) from the prestigious Pacific College of Health and Sciences. Over my four years of rigorous clinical residency, I worked side-by-side with integrative physicians and medical students, managing complex internal medicine cases and discovering the profound power of blending Eastern wisdom with Western anatomical insights.

I firmly believe that ancient medicine and modern biomedicine do not have to be mutually exclusive—in fact, they achieve the best clinical results when they work together. Throughout my career, I have collaborated extensively with medical doctors to help patients safely manage severe acute injuries, complex chronic pain, and metabolic disorders.

Whether acupuncture acts as a powerful standalone therapy for you or serves as a supportive addition to your current conventional medical treatments, my goal remains the exact same: to listen deeply to your story and guide you toward your unique wellness goals. No matter where you are on your healthcare journey, you are welcome here.

Living with pain is physically and emotionally exhausting. On a physiological level, acupuncture treats pain effectively because it safely stimulates the body's natural self-regulating and healing mechanisms. Every treatment delivers two vital biological responses:

• Enhanced Blood Circulation: Floods damaged or tense tissues with oxygen and vital nutrients to accelerate cellular repair.
• Improved Lymphatic Circulation: Actively reduces localized swelling, drains fluid retention, and flushes out systemic inflammatory markers.

Whether you are navigating an old sports injury, recovering from a pre/post-operative procedure, or managing an inflammatory flare-up from environmental toxins, acupuncture offers a proven path back to comfort. Over my 8+ years of clinical practice, my greatest joy has been helping patients break free from the cycle of pain to live vibrant, uninhibited lives.

Clinical Research Evidence: Peer-reviewed studies continually demonstrate acupuncture's ability to safely interrupt pain signals and modulate inflammatory cytokines. Learn more via PubMed Study 39110208 and PubMed Study 40053808.

Autoimmune challenges are deeply personal to me. I have watched my own mother battle severe psoriatic arthritis, and I have personally managed psoriasis since I was 12 years old. Because of this, I know firsthand what it feels like when your body feels like its own enemy.

So, why does the immune system dysregulate? Often, the answer is intimately tied to our autonomic nervous system. When modern life traps us in a constant state of chronic stress, anxiety, or "fight-or-flight," our bodies begin acting in destructive ways to self-regulate.

Acupuncture serves as a gentle reset button for your nervous system, guiding your body out of stress mode and into a restful, healing parasympathetic state. Through consistent, regular care at our clinics, we can successfully calm systemic inflammation, balance your metabolism, and make complex autoimmune conditions much more manageable.

Clinical Research Evidence: Research highlights that regular acupuncture care significantly aids in balancing the neuroendocrine system and calming immune overreactions. Read more via PubMed Study 33408894 and PubMed Study 41053877.

For individuals looking to revitalize their skin without the risk or downtime of synthetic cosmetic injections, facial rejuvenation acupuncture offers a beautiful, entirely natural alternative that benefits your whole body.

By strategically increasing localized blood flow and lymphatic drainage directly in the face, this gentle treatment naturally stimulates your body to:

• Soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Disperse fluid retention to eliminate puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.
• Clear away acne, localized redness, and dry skin patches.
• Naturally boost your skin's own collagen and elastin production.

Because cosmetic acupuncture treats the underlying constitutional health of your entire body while targeting the face, you leave your sessions glowing from the inside out.

During her time in the undergraduate program, Andrea studied various Chemistry and Pharmacology courses. Andrea graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. She received a Healthcare Support Specialist certificate for her continuous education in the healthcare field. She is certified in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and received Bloodborne Pathogen Training. She is trained as a Colorado Acupuncturist Assistant to aid in providing excellent patient care.

Andrea is fluent in Spanish and is able to assist Spanish speaking patients during their visit. Growing up in a Spanish speaking household has allowed her to consistently develop her speaking and comprehension skills.

Dakota earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Minor in Philosophy from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which strengthened her communication, critical thinking, and writing skills. Her experience in client-facing roles allows her to provide friendly, attentive care to every patient. At Lim Acupuncture, she applies these skills to patient communications and content creation.

As a Patient Care Coordinator, Dakota is often one of the first points of contact for patients. She is dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming space where everyone feels listened to and cared for. She also helps share information about holistic health and wellness through the clinic’s blog and social media, making it easier for anyone visiting the clinic online or in person to learn and stay informed.

Tracy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington with emphasis on Child Development and Women’s studies. She is certified by Colorado Shines as a Level 2 teacher, and maintains continuing educational requirements. Additionally she is CPR certified in Adult, Child, and Infant.

At our clinic, we provide complimentary child supervision while parents are receiving acupuncture or other treatments. Parents must call and notify us ahead of time to take advantage of this service as our space would be limited to no more than 3 children at one time.